There was a time, not all that long ago, when the conclusion of this test would have been forgone. The AMG, a previously sedate Mercedes-Benz taxicab, was the recipient of a heart transplant in the form of a snarling pugilist of a motor with ice and fire flowing through its veins. The E-Class AMG's speed rivaled anything from Italy, and its manners anything from 9th century Sweden. A brute's brute, as it were. Nothing more than a belligerent musclecar with decent carpeting in the trunk. Best to name it after a brute force, ignoble hand tool of some sort. Hacksaw, pipe wrench, crowbar, no -- how about just hammer? The BMW M5, by way of contrast, was for drivers. Quick and pulse-quickening, yet delicate and in love with the notion of finesse. Masterful in accepting inputs and its controls, fluid in its movements, all the while retaining enough refinement and sophistication to fully satisfy and delight the banking/orthodontic set. The M5, you see, is what God would drive if he/she were into driving cars. I'm not making that up. Three generations ago, when the E39 M5 and its naturally aspirated V-8 coupled to a six-speed manual debuted, that was the word on the auto journalist street: "God's car," "perfection has a roundel," and other such hyperbolic musings. Fast-forward to 2013 and things are very, very different. Unless they're not. You see, AMG has built a bigger hammer, while the mad Bavarians of the M Division have done the exact same thing to their once ballerina-like M5. It seems that truth is indeed more bizarre than fiction.
In conclusion, hats off to the boys at M for greatly improving what has up to now been a frankly disappointing M5. And hearty congratulations to AMG for beating BMW at its own game. Until we all meet again.
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