This latest electrified iteration is to be the most powerful, but also the heaviest BMW M5 ever.
BMW has recently revealed its new 7th iteration of M5. And while it still features four tailpipes sticking out from its rump, the big news with this latest and greatest iteration of the Munich automaker’s venerable sports sedan also now sports a charging port on its left front fender.
Yes, the newest flagship performance BMW 5-Series has since gone PHEV. Though what should perhaps still please the true blue petrolheads is that this latest M5 still nevertheless comes packing a proper 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which incidentally is capable of revving to the heady heights of 7,200 rpm, while delivering 577 hp in the process.
Thanks to the electric motor sandwiched between it and the 8-speed automatic transmission adding another 194 hp and 280 Nm of shove to the proceedings too, this latest PHEV M5 currently is rated to send a whopping 717 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque to all four of its wheels. Figures that easily make this flagship performance 5-er the most powerful to ever be produced (to date that is, until the inevitable hardcore special editions come some time in the future).
Interestingly however, in spite of its 16% power bump over the prior iteration, the latest electrified BMW sports sedan is unfortunately fractionally slower than its predecessor to 60 mph (96 km/h). The prior F90 iteration after all managed the 0-96 km/h sprint in a claimed 3.2 seconds, with the CS then knocking that down further still into the sub-3.0s, but this most powerful M5 ever currently claims a 3.4 second time.
Now this relative slowness of the line likely has much to do with this latest electrified M5 tipping the scales a whopping 2,445 kg, which for context here is to be about 270 kg MORE than the battery-laden Tesla Model S Plaid and almost the same as a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Though in an attempt to defend what is admittedly the indefensible, it is probably worth noting here that the flagship performance 5-ers were historically never featherweights to begin with anyway. (2-tonnes was already the norm since the V10-engined E60 M5 from three generations prior after all…)
In rounding up the other performance metrics here, the top speed of this M5 is limited to 250 km/h) 155 mph, with that then jumping to 306 km/h (190 mph) when the M Driver’s Package option is ticked. BMW also estimates the 14.8 kWh drive battery in this PHEV M5 should be good for up to 40 km of travel in zero-emissions electric-only mode.
Touching on the chassis changes meanwhile, BMW has graced this latest M5 with its own bespoke five-link rear axle constructed from strengthened components designed to handle higher G loading. Custom hubs are to be found on its lightweight aluminium double-wishbone front axle as well, with this sports sedan gaining extra bracing to further stiffen up its chassis.
Naturally too, the M5 comes with Adaptive M suspension featuring electronically-configurable dampers. Drivers can also choose between up to 5 different drive mode configurations with this new M5 that range from Comfort, for when just a regular 5-series experience will do; to Dynamic Plus, where power is sent solely to the rear wheels and fully unlocks the M5’s track slaying or sideways skidding potential.
Other noteworthy performance-enhancing tech toys included with this M5 are an active rear steering system that turns up to 1.5º for more agile cornering, while its Active M Differential can sees it send power to one individual wheel to further counteract the effects of understeer. BMW has since introduced a new “Boost Control” system too, which upon pulling back and holding on the left paddle shifter, automatically set all the car’s systems into their most racy setting.
Discussing design now, M5 follows on from the other M-badged cars by featuring kidney grilles that are blanked-off black items with an optionally illuminated surround. This sporty BMW also nets a set of flared arches, which contain within them a staggered set of alloy wheels measuring 20-inches up front and 21-inches round its rear.
Hidden behind said alloys in turn are six-pot calipers clamping down on 16-inch disks up front, while single-piston floating calipers bite on 15.7-inch discs at the back. Even larger lightweight M Carbon ceramic brakes are available as an option, and are to be distinguished by gold-painted calipers.
And while the traditional front fender vents on prior M5s have since been replaced (on the left side at least) by a charging port, this latest iteration of BMW sports sedan still is to net the aero mirrors down its side. Other reminders down the side to this being the sportiest 5-er out there comes from the M5 logo embossed into the D-pillar trim that makes up the Hofmeister kink, with its rear topped off by a subtle lip spoiler and quad exhaust tips.
Finally to round things up with a quick discussion on its interior, the M5 nets an exclusive sporty steering wheel design and bucket seats, as well as the option of a carbon fibre roof (which saves 30 kg) over the stock Sky Lounge Panoramic Roof. Its twin-screen layout running BMW’s 8.5 operating system is to also come with M-specific displays and interior ambient lighting, with a heads-up display being standard as well on this sports sedan.
BMW will be debuting this new M5 sedan at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month, before following it up with a Touring some time in the future. The price of this latest and greatest iteration of Bavarian sports sedan follows in lockstep with its increase in weight, to now be starting from a similarly hefty $120,675 (RM 565,000) when it eventually goes on sale in international markets later this year.
