Now that BMW’s new hyper-sedan is out in the wild, pundits can finally shed the speculation aside and focus on the M5 CS’ impressive spec sheet. One such outlet is Bimmer Today, which found out that the new M5 derivative sports the best power-to-weight ratio of all M cars ever built.

The news has been brought to our attention by the guys over at BMW Blog. Essentially an infographic that looks at various power outputs and weights for a bunch of M cars, the analysis shows how the new BMW M5 CS bests every model in the past and current M GmbH stable.

For our readers in the U.S., note that the power output is expressed in PS, while the weight is measured in kilos. As per the infographic, the M5 CS, which tips the scales at 1,825 kilos (or 4,023 pounds), is good for 635 PS (or 626 horsepower). This means it has a weight-to-power ratio of 1,825 kilos divided by 635 PS, which gives 2.87 kilos/PS.

M5 CS speeding down the windy highway
Top Speed

Converted to pounds and horsepower, the ratio is 4,023 pounds divided by 626 horsepower, or 6.4 pounds/horsepower. This means the that in the BMW M5 CS, one horsepower moves 6.4 pounds.

It is also worth noting that in doing the number crunching, Bimmer Today used the car’s DIN curb weight plus 75 kilos (165 pounds) - the weight of the driver and luggage.

What we also learn from this infographic is that although modern (performance) cars are becoming larger and thus heavier than their predecessors (after all, the M3 CSL E46 tipped the scales at just 1,385 kilos/3,053 pounds), new technologies allow for more power to be extracted from an engine.

This, coupled with lightweight materials such as the CFRP BMW likes to use, can dramatically improve a vehicle’s performance credentials and, in this case, justify the hefty price tag or simply grant bragging rights to the respective owner, together with a higher dose of thrills behind the wheel.