Potent new BMW M5 unveiled with 535kW of hybrid power

BMW has taken the wraps off the seventh-generation M5, the high-performance flagship of the Five Series launched in SA earlier this year. It’s the most powerful version of the Bavarian sports sedan yet, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces supercar-like outputs of 535kW and 1,000Nm.

The M Hybrid system pairs a high revving V8 petrol TwinPower turbo engine with an electric motor, giving the all-wheel drive M5 the ability to blitz the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.5 seconds. Top speed is electrically governed to 250km/h, but the limiter can be raised to 305km/h with the optional M Driver’s Package.

The world premiere of the new BMW M5 will take place at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England in July. The worldwide market launch, including in SA, will start in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The 4.4l V8  engine revs to 7,200rpm and develops maximum outputs of 430kW and 750Nm. The electric motor makes 145kW and 280Nm, but a pre-gearing stage allows effective torque at the transmission input to be increased to 450Nm.

Power is channelled to the road via a rear-biased M xDrive all-wheel-drive system, with drivers able to select a two-wheel drive mode that sends drive exclusively to the rear wheels with the Dynamic Stability Control switched off. Leery power slides, anyone?

Thanks to an 18.6kWh battery located low in the underbody, the M5 is able to drive on purely electric power for up to 69km at speeds of up to 140km/h. The battery takes about three-and-a-half hours to juice up on a 7.4kW charger.

The new M5 rides on a double-wishbone front axle and a five-link rear axle and the electrically assisted rack-and-pinion steering with M Servotronic and variable steering ratio has a rigid connection to the front axle subframe to ensure optimal feedback and directional accuracy. Wide tracks and high torsional rigidity further contribute to the M5’s handling prowess.

The new M5 is a heavy car at 2,435kg, but to ensure it has everyday driving comfort and track-taming ability, the car comes standard with adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers. It also has integral active steering, which steers the rear wheels to improve high-speed directional stability and lower-speed manoeuvring agility.

Braking prowess is supplied by standard M Compound brakes or optional M Carbon ceramics, with an integrated braking system that gives the driver two pedal feel settings. The car rolls on M light-alloy wheels (20” at the front axle and 21” at the rear).

The new M5 flexes visual muscles with widened front and rear tracks, a bootlid spoiler lip  and a quartet of exhausts. An unusually high proportion of surfaces painted in body colour create a puristic appearance, said BMW.

The super sedan comes with a wider selection of standard and optional systems for automated driving and parking than its predecessor. Standard fare includes front collision warning, lane departure warning, evasion assistant and a speed limit info system, while optional systems include active cruise control, traffic light detection and active navigation.

A parking assistant and reversing assistant come standard, with the optional parking assistant professional allowing automated parking and manoeuvring over a distance of up to 200m to be controlled from inside the car or by smartphone from outside.

Inside, the new M5 has a control panel with a model-specific composition of buttons that can be used to tailor the driving experience with Road, Sport and Track modes. With optional M Drive Professional, drivers can make use of an M Laptimer and a Boost Control function that maximises mid-range sprints and overtaking manoeuvres. A Setup button provides direct access to the configuration of the drive system, Drivelogic, chassis, steering, braking system and M xDrive, as well as the intensity of brake energy recuperation.

Two vehicle set-ups can be stored and selected using M buttons on the steering wheel. Launch Control is available in all the M Setup menu with the exception of the M xDrive system’s 2WD mode.

The M5 features BMW’s Interaction Bar, a stylish backlit surface with control functions extending across the width of the instrument panel. A newly designed, flat-bottomed M leather steering wheel has illuminated M buttons. The M5’s sporting cockpit also lays on electrically adjustable M multifunction seats with heating, and a BMW Curved Display and head-up display with M-specific content.  

The interior is decked out in Merino leather trim and other niceties include four-zone air-conditioning, ambient lighting with M-specific interior lighting, wireless smartphone charger, panoramic glass sunroof and a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system.

Options that can be ticked include an M Carbon exterior package, Alcantara headliner, steering wheel heating, active seat ventilation, M Performance forged light-alloy wheels and exterior components made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).

Pricing will be announced closer to launch time.