Hot M-powered sedan and its wagon brother are rumored to get a 718 hp version of the XM SUV’s plug-in hybrid, twin-turbo V8
May 4, 2024 at 07:37
- 2025 BMW M5 launches this year with plug-in power for the first time.
- Wagon option returns after more than a decade away and both body styles will come to America.
- Hybrid-assisted, twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V8 is rumored to deliver 718 hp.
This year is going to be a bumper year for new BMW M machinery. The crew at Garching is preparing to hit us with an M3 CS Touring, M4 CS, revised M2, and this, the all-new BMW M5.
The seventh-generation M5 isn’t expected to deviate too far from the familiar recipe of near-supercar speed wrapped up in a sensible premium-car body, but it will usher in some important powertrain upgrades that will have fans intrigued and outraged in equal measure.
Related: It’s Official, New BMW M5 Touring Confirmed For USA
Unlike its Mercedes-AMG E-Class rival, which will downsize from a V8 to an inline six, and more than make up the shortfall with hybrid assistance, the M5 will retain V8 power and throw in an electric boost for good measure.
Rumors suggest the M5 will inherit the XM Label Red SUV’s 4.4-liter plug-in hybrid V8, but detuned slightly to preserve the unloved SUV’s position as the flagship of the M fleet. The Label Red makes 738 hp (748 PS) but reports say BMW will wind that back to 718 hp (728 PS) for the M5, though the sedan allegedly gets the upper hand when it comes to torque, summoning 760 lb-ft (1,030 Nm) instead of 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm).
If those numbers are true, the 2025 M5 will be packing a whopping 101 hp (102 PS) more than the last M5 CS, but the downside is that the hybrid hardware making it possible will also add a stack of unwelcome pounds to the curb weight. The new sedan is reportedly going to tip the scales at a hefty 5,368 lbs (2,435 kg) – more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg) heavier than before – and the Touring wagon will be even fatter.
That’s right, after skipping two generations, the estate option is back on the M5 menu, and the really great news is that both versions will be coming to America, which never received an M5 wagon in the past and also missed out on the M3 Touring that’s been a smash hit in Europe.
We hear that the M5 launch is scheduled for July of this year, a timeline that makes sense of BMW’s decision to strip away most of the disguise on its latest prototypes. These spy shots show the front and rear LED lights in full, the shape of the lower bumper and the pair of horizontal grille bars located inside each kidney grille. They also show the charging port on the driver’s side fender just behind the front wheel.
Are you excited by the new M5 and would you go for the practical wagon or the slightly slimmer and more traditional sedan?
