OP, thanks for the detailed write-up and the pictures! Great stuff.
I think it is pretty cool that BMW is doing these M Town Tours, although in the end I know it is marketing.
I went to our local tour with one goal only: to drive the F90 M5C. I've been a die-hard M5 fan since the E39 M5 came out. I bought one in 2004 and still have it. I think that overall it is the best car I've owned. For various reasons none of the subsequent M5s gelled enough with me to purchase one. However, many of the reviews of the F90 have the "return to M39 M5 form" somewhere in the article, so I was keen to find out.
Well, did I, after a 3 mile loop? Of course not. The main impression that sears into your brain is how impossibly fast the car is. The secondary impressions are that of quality, impressive ride quality for what it is, and yes, heft. I couldn't discern most of the qualities I love about my E39 M5 during the drive, but I understand I would need more time to do so. However, the size and unavailability of a MT (luddite alert!) mean that the only M5 I will own for the foreseeable future is the one I already have.
However, I am picking up my M2C MT this week.
