I took Diane and a couple of friends to see the Tempest Rally yesterday, and then went on to a bonfire night and fireworks celebration. The rallying part of the day involved plenty of M5 excursions up muddy lane to find suitable spectator points in the forest; the car generally being used as a comfy HQ for weary spectators. It was even called upon to be our dining room at lunch time!

We had a great day watching some pretty spectacular fire-breathing cars tearing up the turf. I’d like to show a quick sequence of photos that Diane took of a lucky photographer escaping with his life when a WRC Hyundai failed to make a corner:

I guess a change of underwear was required there!

A good day out in the M5 in the rain and mud – heartily recommended! At one point I had to turn around in a narrow, muddy forest lane. It turned into a bit of an Austin Powers 1001 point manoeuvre, and I was amused to note I’d collected some mud from a bank in an exhaust.

Needless to say, a good dose of right hoof soon spat that out. In the evening we met up with more friends to visit the Chiddingfold bonfire night festivities. On the way there we popped into Tesco and once again the vast boot was extremely useful; the various rucksacks and bags full of changes of clothes, boots, camera gear etc could just be pushed to one side to permit space for beer, winter Pimms etc.

The evening involved the M5 being loaded with 5 five people, who had experienced ankle deep mud for a couple of hours, being moved a few miles down slimy, wet leaf covered Sussex roads. With all that extra weight on board the car still performed with excellence, generating cries of enthusiasm from passengers inspecting oncoming scenery through the windows.

Finally, at 1am Diane drove the 20 odd miles home. She’d only driven the M5 to the shops before, and it’s just another credit to the car that in the dark, wet and cold, someone with zero RWD experience can safely take the controls of this 400hp monster and guide it home in comfort. With auto-wipers active, heated seats on, xenons lighting the way and nanny watching over us, I almost drifted off to sleep which is most rare!

Bravo M5, in return I may even wash you next weekend!