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mylatesttrending-blog · 5 years

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2020 BMW M5 Competition First Drive Review | It's a mad mad mad mad sedan

MONTICELLO, New York –– The M5 Competition needs a better name. The “Hammer” has been done. C’mon, Dodge has its colorful Hellcats and Demons. Yes, BMW is a sober German luxury brand, but appending “Competition” to the name and decklid of the standard M5 is too subtle for a midsize sedan that can nip a 647-hp Ford GT supercar to 60 mph (BMW says it’ll do the deed in 3.1 seconds, but Car and Driver timed a regular M5 at 2.8 seconds, so it’s almost assured that it’ll beat the GT’s 3 second time. – Ed.), and its claimed 10.9-second quarter-mile is just 0.1 seconds behind the Ford, or the 797-hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye. That’s madness, or in German, Der Wahnsinn. (Hey, maybe that’s the name!) The M5 Competition’s 617 horsepower (17 more than the M5) and 553 pound-feet of torque is equally Wahnsinn, as I discover during laps at my local stomping grounds, the Monticello Motor Club in New York’s Catskills. To the untrained eye, this M5 might be any other 5 Series, that longtime upholder of the luxury sedan status quo. Trained eyes will spot that Competition badging – optional on front fenders, in case you’d prefer to stay stealthy – with higher-volume air intakes and gloss black applied to the kidney grille, mirror caps, fender gills, rear Gurney lip and apron diffuser. There are also 20-inch lightweight forged alloys and four black-tipped exhaust outlets. After multiple stairsteps in power and price from your basic 530i – from $54,395 and a 248-hp turbo four, to $110,995 and a 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 – the M5 Competition helps advance the (somewhat pointless) arms race in sport sedans, provoking both the 603-hp Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, and the 605-hp Audi RS7 Performance.

The last time I drove the standard M5, I was staging an Escape from New York when a wheel was mangled by an evil pothole on Manhattan’s West Side Highway. Day trip, spoiled. This time, I was determined to make it to Monticello in one piece, because this baby is even stiffer: Springs and hydraulic dampers are 10 percent firmer than the regular M5’s, the rear anti-roll bar is stiffened, and it’s 0.28 inches lower. For better wheel guidance at the rear, the toe link’s rubber mounts are exchanged for ball joints. BMW says the tauter core can be felt even in the car’s Comfort mode, and the morning’s jouncy run on the ancient, hand-cut Belgian blocks of my Brooklyn street seems to confirm it. The M5 makes its entrance through Monticello’s artistically wrought metal gates, flashing an equally classy paint called Donington Grey Metallic. I sign the clipboard sheet proffered by the guard, peering through the BMW’s generous windshield at the rain-dampened 4.1-mile circuit. I’ve enjoyed the adjustable embrace of the BMW’s sport seats, clad in handsome saddle-colored “Aragon” Merino hides. Here, evidence of the M division’s handiwork is subtle, including red-and-blue striped M seatbelts. Round digital gauges flash concentric rings of animation as you approach the 7,000 RPM redline. This more driver-centric M5 sports digital gauges that are an homage to classic, analog BMW dials, which I prefer to the wraparound displays of the “Live Cockpit Professional” that makes its 5 Series debut on the 2020 M5 35 Years Edition. I ease into the paddock and clubhouse garage, where track-suited club members are futzing with roll-caged, race-prepped exotics. One or two seem to cast side-eye at the BMW and its pilot, perhaps wondering why anyone would take this 4,370-pound, all-wheel-drive barge onto the track. Some will soon pay for their insolence, when the BMW applies its unfair horsepower advantage to leave peashooter Porsches in its 617-hp wake. Like the M5, the Competition’s other secret weapon is an M-tuned AWD system and active rear differential, which together banish old-school wheelspin, seemingly no matter how hard you try to break things loose.

The track is still drying when I’m first waved out of the pits, with scary-looking lagoons lurking in places. For all its fierceness and technology, the BMW feels a bit squishy and vague at first, especially in the wet. But AWD is the new secret sauce of any new M5. For max performance in any situation, just set-and-forget the 4WD Sport mode, which sends more torque rearward and applies a freer algorithm to stability systems. After years of testing M cars, I’ve made peace with their somewhat fussy controls that here include individual settings for the steering, suspension, exhaust and eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Twiddling has become easier since BMW added two ruby-colored steering wheel switches – labeled M1 and M2 – to store a pair of your preferred combinations of settings. For the suspension, I select the Sport mode that BMW perfected for Nürburgring’s pockmarked Nordschleife circuit. The company recommends Sport Plus for creamier, Grand Prix-style surfaces. Compared to the M5, the Competition also gets a firmer link to the aluminum-and-carbon structure through engine mounts with increased spring rates, which BMW says creates faster engine response and sharper corner turn-in. Um, if you say so. Increased camber for the front axle does help this big barge absorb lateral forces through its Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires. That’s a good thing in tight sections like the esses that zig uphill just after MMC’s longest straight. As for that mildly kinked, mile-long gauntlet – which I’ve long used as a no-excuses benchmark for accelerative might – the M5’s bombastic power rockets it to around 159 mph, only about 11 or 12 mph less than my apogee in supercars like the McLaren 675LT or Ferrari 488. So yeah, it’s fast. Peak torque is served anywhere between 1,800 and 5,800 rpm, a 200-rpm wider band than the M5. The BMW’s gold-caliper, carbon ceramic brakes, an $8,500 option, help keep fade at bay, even at these Autobahn speeds – though they do begin to smell (but not smoke) after seven or eight consecutive laps.

Chris Duplessis, the former pro rally champion and all-purpose nutjob who’s MMC’s track director, has coincidentally been driving an M5 as a safety car. I let Duplessis take one of his usual half-sideways excursions around the circuit, and he concurs: The Competition perhaps feels a skosh tauter than the basic M5, and turns with more alertness, but it would take a back-to-back drive to tease out tangible differences. Aside from this Competition’s stony ride on poor pavement, and the Sturm und Drang as it boomed over freeway expansion strips, my only everyday gripe was a climate system that was stingy about dialing up the fan speed, even when I set the A/C to extremely low temperatures. Some drivers have groused that the standard M5 sounds too demure, and the Competition does amp up the soundtrack through its twin-pipe, flap-controlled exhaust. Hit the console’s exhaust switch, and the BMW speaks softly without dropping its big stick. Press it again, and this M5 sounds like a pissed-off bear that’s been woken from hibernation, including belching exhaust backfires. This M5 still doesn’t match the psychotic bellow of the Mercedes-AMG E 63, but it’s plenty aggressive for all but the most attention-seeking owner. So is the BMW fun on track? Yes, in a mildly silly, tiger-shark-out-of-water fashion. But it’s twice as fun on the street, where the M5 Competition underscores its Autobahn-style ferocity and magisterial handling. Mopar fans may howl, but in most street situations, the M5 Competition will easily smoke even a Dodge Challenger Hellcat from a stoplight – minus the smoke. Where even skilled drivers can struggle to launch the rear-driven Hellcat without the tires lighting up like Cheech and Chong, the BMW sends every molecule of rubber and scrap of torque to the pavement.

So, what’s it gonna cost? At $110,995, the Competition is an extra $7,300 over the base M5. Options, including the pricey carbon-ceramic stoppers, boosted my test car’s freight to a heady $132,095. Departing Monticello, I briefly switch into the car’s notorious, tire-abusing 2WD mode, the one that seems designed to stem the kvetching of BMW fans over the brand’s Good Old Days. For a minute or three, it is fun to drive the BMW like it’s a Dodge, only with exponentially more agility and control, exiting corners with smoke flaring from those poor Pirellis. The only dumb part is that you have to switch off stability control entirely to send all 617 horses to the back – with only modestly wide 285/35 R20 tires – which will at least make one appreciate the stability control's safety net even more. But catapulted along Cold Spring Road near the track, a ribbony dream that twists through tall stands of pine and spruce, the M5 Competition is just an embarrassment of riches: Drive it harder, then harder still. The BMW’s sick thrust and limitless confidence finally sucks the air from my lungs. Der Wahnsinn, indeed. Sedan madness, German-style. Read the full article

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totallymotorbikes · 8 years

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How to Build a 2016 KTM 690 Duke Adventure Published in: Bikes Having the best of both worlds—that was the goal for building the 2016 KTM 690 Adventure and it started with a new KTM 690 Duke. It’s much lighter and has a lot more power than the other 650s in its class. Of course you could buy a 2016 KTM 690 Enduro, but the Enduro is just not as friendly at freeway speeds. Footpeg and handlebar vibration are annoying on the highway, and it has a much taller seat. The 2016 KTM 690 Duke feels smooth—much better than everything else in the 650cc to 700cc single cylinder family. The only drawback is the 690 Duke’s inability to handle dirt, which can be remedied by the addition of a 19-inch front wheel for more dirt pattern tire choices—not to tackle the sands of Dakar or scale the peaks of Colorado on rocky jeep roads, but to enjoy some exploring the secondary graded dirt roads you won’t have to bypass. With these modifications, the 690 Adventure Duke becomes more usable as a sport bike that’s somewhat dirt-road capable, but is still top of its class on a twisty section of hardtop. Kind of like an “Austrian Army Knife,” a real hooligan with hiking boots and a backpack ready to go just about anywhere. Adapting a 19-inch Spoked Front Wheel The change to the 19-inch from a 17-inch wheel will not have any noticeable effect on turn-in or steering effort as the Adventure Duke carves the canyons just as well with either size front. It does, however, change the ride height slightly. The KTM 690 Enduro front hub goes right on the 690 Duke. The front axle fits but you’ll have to machine spacers to align the Enduro hub to the Duke fork width. Use an Excel 2.15 x 19 black rim and Dubya 19-inch spokes. Move the front fender up by replacing the stock one with the 2008 KTM SMR high fender. To do this, fabricate an aluminum plate to attach the fender and mount the plate to the two studs coming out of the lower fork clamp that holds the headlight at a right angle. Use an 8mm bolt through a handlebar-end hand-guard expansion sleeve, and insert it into the center hole of the fork clamp T-stem. The expansion sleeve just fits up into the tee stem hole and holds the aluminum fender bracket in place in a three-point mount. The brake caliper from the 690 Duke aligns with the 690 Enduro 320mm disc. Use the Duke front brake disc size of 320mm with the 690 Enduro hub bolt pattern. Galfer makes a 320mm front brake disc for the KTM 690 Enduro front hub. Get the ABS sensor from the 690 Enduro (the 690 Duke disc and sensor will not fit the 690 Enduro spoke wheel front hub due to a different brake rotor mount bolt pattern). Mount the tire of your choice. There are many 19-inch front tire choices that work well on pavement and dirt. The tire choice will affect traction, so don’t play racer on the pavement with an adventure tread front without feeling the traction limits first. The Shinko Adventure Trail E804 works well on both dirt and street. Much better than the squirmy feel of the OEM 21-inch fronts found on most adventure bikes. For more of an adventure bike look and some hand protection on cold days, add the KTM 1190 Adventure handguards. The bar end mirrors from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC attach to the handguards with a couple of short spacers and some 8mm button head cap screws. The handlebars are from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC—Tusk FatBars in black with an ATV high bend. The GPS AMP Rugged Mount for the Garmin Montana 600 goes on a 1-inch ball stud at the handlebar clamp. The 12v power for the GPS is from the Duke OEM wire harness behind the headlight mask. A 12v red and black female connector is wired into the harness for grip warmers or a 12v outlet. It works off the ignition key, so the GPS only works on bike voltage when the key is on. Add a 1-inch ABS plastic spacer with an 8mm countersunk head bolt to the bottom of the OEM side stand. Make the side stand’s pad diameter about two inches for better stability when parking on a dirt surface. Attach the new extension to the base of the side stand by tapping an 8mm hole for the counter sunk bolt. The footpegs are from IMS—they’re longer and with teeth to hold your feet in place. The new Rally Pegs from a Kawasaki KLR 650 bolt right on and use 8mm through bolts in place of the OEM pins. The windshield is from a Kawasaki KLR650. It’s two inches higher and offered as an accessory from Kawasaki. Just trim about two inches off the bottom where the black is and add a couple of mount tabs riveted to the OEM Duke headlight mask. Luggage for a day trip or a longer journey includes a tail bag from Saddlemen, and DirtBagz side bags from DBZ Products. The DirtBagz are the “Scout” model size and hold enough for a week’s trip if you pack light. The Dirtbagz include custom-built attachment mounting rails that bolt right on. Adapting a 17-inch Spoke Rear Wheel from a 690 Enduro Special note: If you feel that spoking up wheels is a little beyond your skill level, take your wheel components to a shop with wheel building experience. The extra cost is sometimes worth it. The 17-inch rear wheel size is recommended to keep the seat height as close to stock at 32 inches as possible. (An 18-inch rear, like what comes on the KTM 690 Enduro, will fit right on, but raises the seat height a little.) Use 17-inch rear spokes from Dubya with an Excel 4.25 x 17 black rim. Make sure to keep the same offset from the Duke cast wheel when spoking up the 690 Enduro hub to the 4.25 Excel rim. You will have to use the 690 Enduro rear disc. The Duke rear disc is the same diameter, but a different bolt pattern. The rear hub is a cush drive from a KTM 690 Enduro. The 40T rear sprocket from the Duke is interchangeable. Rear tire choice is the same as the front. A 130/80-17 Shinko Adventure Trail E805 from Rocky Mountain works as well on the pavement as it does on graded dirt roads. The skid plate “Under-Engine Protector” is from a KTM 690 Enduro. It keeps the rock chips from dulling the front of the engine and looks good. Attach with a couple of fabricated tabs to the front engine mount bolt and with a turned-up aluminum plate riveted to the rear of the ABS skid plate. The aluminum plate is bent so it slips over the rear cross brace between the frame rails and it makes removal easy to change the oil. To add the skid plate, you’ll have to remove the center muffler. Keeping the stock rear muffler in place will give a slightly louder note, but not too noisy. Or you can keep the stock OEM exhaust and center muffler in place. It just looks clunky with that big snow shovel shape under the engine. And the stock rear muffler location will interfere with the lower part of the right side DirtBagz. If you do remove the center muffler you’ll have to fabricate a pipe from the stock header below the oxygen sensor that attaches to the header pipe. This will require a good fabricator and TIG welder to make it look professional. Parts and Accessories Wheels Dubya USA DubyaUSA.com Excel front rim, black 2.15 X 19 $190.23 Excel rear rim, black 4.25 X 17 $367.43 Spoke set with nipples (2) $99.95 Galfer disc, front $220.00 Galfer disc, rear $112.00 KTM 690 Enduro OEM Parts 3 Brothers KTM 3BrosKTM.com Front hub $278.29 Front ABS sensor $24.69 KTM 2008 SMR 690 front fender $29.99 KTM 1190 Adventure handguards $64.99 Rear hub $279.39 Rear hub coupler w/damper rubbers $216.63 Rear ABS sensor $24.69 KTM 690 Enduro skid plate $40.89 Tires/Parts Rocky Mountain ATV/MC RockyMountainATVMC.com Shinko Adventure Trail E804 100/90-19 front $72.00 Shinko Adventure Trail E805 130/80-17 rear $89.88 2002 Kawasaki KX125 fork guards $25.88 Kawasaki KLR 650 tall windshield $74.95 Tusk FatBar ATV high handlebars $39.99 Tusk bar end mirrors (ea.) $19.99 Garmin AMP Rugged Mount GPS mount $56.92 IMS Rally No. 333116 foot pegs $199.00 Saddlemen tail bag $95.00 DBZ Products (DBZProducts.com) rear side bags $225.99 Other Specifications Wet weight: 330 lbs. Seat height: 32 inches MSRP for a 2016 KTM 690 Duke: ~$8,900 Range: 200–250 miles per tank (with an extra gallon carried in tail bag) | 55–65 MPG Freeway and back roads Cruises at: 75–80 mph with very little vibration. Mirrors: Much easier to see out of. {gallery}ARTICLES/Bikes/KTM-690-Adventure-Build/Gallery{/gallery} http://ift.tt/2kMgcoK

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