We’ve been made to wait for a new BMW M5 Touring, 16 years in fact, but the new model has just been spied testing ahead of an expected release date later this year where it’ll debut alongside an M5 saloon.
BMW has already released its own teaser images of the Touring version but this is the first time we’ve seen it testing at the Nurburgring. Now the regular 5 Series and its all-electric i5 have been revealed, we know roughly what to expect from the upcoming M5.
The new M5 will retain many of the design traits typically associated with BMW’s big performance saloon. Things like a subtle rear roof spoiler, wider wheel arches and quad exhaust tips are all traditional M5 styling cues and immediately noticeable on this test car.
At the front the M5 will have the same size and shape kidney grille to the regular 5 Series, although we expect some bespoke M division inserts here. The air intakes for the grilles only open on the bottom half and the centre section will probably be used to incorporate the forward-facing radar sensor as it is in the 5 Series. The headlights themselves won’t adopt the split design seen on the latest 7 Series and XM, going for a similar look to the new X1.
Previous spy images of the saloon have revealed the lower part of the front bumper, where we can clearly see the aggressive, angular intakes helping to funnel air to the radiator, alongside some larger side vents to cool the front brakes. There’s also a lower lip spoiler beneath the bumper. The bonnet appears to have a raised centre section, which could potentially cover an indent flowing from the BMW badge in a similar vein to the M3 and M4.
To the side, we can see wider arches to house a new design of alloy wheels sitting over a huge set of brakes. BMW M division’s traditional door mirror design is also visible and to the rear, this is the first time we’ve seen the rear light clusters of the new 5 Series. The overall shape isn’t too far removed from the current car’s, with it divided between the fixed body and the bootlid. The classic BMW M car quad-exhaust tips remain.
Our exclusive image gives a better indication of how the next BMW M5 will look. The M5’s usual aggressive, performance-focused detail will remain and we expect those new headlights will also employ laser light technology, and the car’s front wings will share a similar design to those on the new 2 Series.
The M5’s cabin will be all-new, and mostly borrowed from the new 5 Series. It’ll feature BMW’s iDrive 8 infotainment system with features such as 5G connectivity and an augmented-reality navigation system. Just like the standard car, a 14.9-inch touchscreen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel on a single piece of curved glass will be used.
We’ve also spotted test cars wearing a small but significant label on the side stating “Electrified Vehicle”. That’s because the power on the new M5 will be hybridised, most likely coming from the new XM super-SUV.
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The last M5 Touring got a naturally-aspirated V10, but here we have a more contemporary engine – albeit more powerful. In the XM, the 482bhp turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 produces and 194bhp electric motor combines to produce 644bhp and 800Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the M5, however, we could see power bumped up to 748bhp if BMW decides to use the version set for the upcoming ‘Label Red’ variant.
The new M5 could even offer electric-only running thanks to the powertrain’s 25.7kWh battery. In the XM the system allows for 55 miles of EV-only motoring, which could increase in the M5 thanks to its more aerodynamic shape.
Now find out what happened when we pitched the BMW M3 against the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio…
