Numbers aside (which are truly insane for a +4000lbs luxury car), this is the most curcial bit in my opinion:
"There?s a closer connection with the driver in this M5, one that isn?t as overtly filtered through silicon chips and electronics. It?s more amusing and less robotic than its predecessor. Unlike so many BMWs of late, the steering is lively and has some actual feedback."
And
"For the first time in a long time, we?re lusting after a new M5. It might not be the pure and competition-bred sedan of its youth, but the new iteration has stopped placing technology over tactility and numbers over enjoyment. The whole car is now better at integrating its tech and drawing the driver in. The performance data is more impressive than before, but the car is more than just something that generates an eye-popping test sheet. It?s better to drive than its predecessor, which is something we haven?t been able to say about an M5 since 2000."
Damn, has BMW actually gotten something right in this last decade!?