Munich, Germany. mobile.bg team from the venue.
While we were all focused on what a colossal ugly thing the XM was, this car acted as a Trojan horse, getting everyone warmed up for the introduction of electrification to BMW's iconic M cars. To be fair, the M badge is no longer a stranger to the EV world, and in fact today the best-selling M-badged car in the world is the all-electric i5 M60 sedan with all-wheel drive. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the new BMW M5 also uses electric motors and battery power. And yet… the main role remains for the ubiquitous V-shaped eight with internal combustion.
At the first dynamic tests of the new "M-five", which took place in Munich and were attended by our team, BMW gave us the unique opportunity to drive historical M5 cars - from the first E28 to the last. We also had an E60 with a V10 engine available from 2003, but the most interesting for us were the 3.5-liter straight-six engine of the first BMW M5 (E28), as well as the first M5 with an eight-cylinder engine (E39).
It is through these cars that we found out what evolution the Bavarians have achieved to get to the latest G90 on the M5. This car has become a plug-in hybrid for the first time in the model's history, and one with terrifyingly complex systems running under our familiar 5 Series guise. And that's before we get to the fact that the curb weight of the new "M -five" has grown to 2,510 kg. However, power is also not without importance. She is already... 730 horses.
Exterior and interior
Given that the M5 has, historically, always delivered a perfect balance of maximum driving pleasure and practical everyday use, we asked ourselves: How can something so heavy, complex and potentially over-bloated still be a real M5? If you've seen or driven any current Series 5 or i5, you know what to expect. The M5 may be the range-topper and iconic car for BMW as a whole, but the regular 5 Series is essentially what you get here, but with plenty of M-flavoured upgrades.
Space is very good front and rear, and while we've never liked the ergonomics of BMW seats, the new M5 is different. The car features a set of incredibly comfortable front seats that strike a near-perfect line between support in hard cornering and comfort on a long journey.
Four adults can fit without any complaints, although the boot is down 100 liters compared to the standard 5 Series due to the need to pack so much extra hardware, and its 466-litre volume feels a little sparse. But the Bavarians offer the new "M-five" and in a station wagon version - M5 Touring.
Otherwise, the dashboard has the same large combined 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster and 14.9-inch central infotainment screen you'll find in most current BMW products. All this is complemented by a perfect head up display.
Overall, this synthesis of tools is extremely informative, although we had a bit of trouble with some of the menu structures, as they are too complex to easily navigate on the go, and the graphics sometimes look too much like video games. Apart from that, everything else is like "by thread". The new M5 retains the traditional iDrive controller with on the center console, allowing you at least some tactility when digging through the on-screen menus, but please BMW – return the physical controls to at least the air conditioner.
If you are a true fan, however, you should know that when you dive into the settings - if you want to explore them all, then this operation can take a day of your life – but you'll find M-model-specific displays and color schemes, including one for tire pressure and temperature that uses the graphics of an original BMW M1.
The driving position is perfect, and the presence of touch controls and the few physical buttons look and feel good to use. The only exception is the power window controls, which have an unpleasant, cheap-feeling plastic frame.
The strip of light that runs in sections across the dashboard, besides being very spectacular, has its uses – it can alert you when needed, for example, although it's mostly there for ambient light. Its surface, which, like the seventh series, is a crystal style, does not look so "Vegas" here. And one more thing. Thankfully, BMW resisted the temptation to put an unnecessary touchscreen on the passenger side. The steering wheel is flat at the bottom and quite thick but feels great to hold, while the bright red 12 o'clock marker at the top is a nice nod to the car's sporting capabilities and is the same red color as the engine start button.
Behind the steering wheel are carbon fiber paddle shifters for the eight-speed automatic transmission, and in front of them are the small M1 and M2 memory buttons that let you preset two different sets of driving settings. Most drivers will probably set one to hybrid drive mode and the other to full max, so that's what we did and off we went.
Engine and driving characteristics
In addition to what's under the hood, we should also pay close attention to what's under the floor. Under the hood is our familiar friend - BMW's 4.4-liter V8 biturbocharged gasoline engine, which here produces a power of 430kW (585 hp). That's quite a bit less than the previous M5's V-eight, but wait, that's where electrification comes in.
BMW M5 (G90) sedan specifications
Engine - 4.4L V8 twin-turbo PHEV
diesel power - 430 kW (585 hp) + 750 Nm
Power of the electric motor - 145 kW (197 hp) + 280 Nm
System power - 535 kW (728 hp) + 1000 Nm
Battery - 18.6k Wh lithium-ion
Gearbox - eight-speed automatic
Driven wheels - AWD
Weight 2,510 kg
Electric range (PHEV) - 69km
Fuel tank capacity - 60 liters
Emission standard - Euro 6e
Under the floor is an 18.6kWh battery that charges in just over three hours from the AC outlet in the front wheel arch (no high-speed charging). The current feeds a 145-kilowatt electric motor included in a "sandwich" with the eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Combined, the petrol and electric motor produce a whopping 730bhp, which is almost comparable to F1 cars before the hybrid era. Added to that is an impressive 1000 Nm of combined torque. These are unheard of results for a car that is designed not only as a sports car, but as such to transport four people comfortably.
But the Bavarians have mastered their task. This car can be driven both as a "Euridean" and as a supercar. At low speeds, the M5 rides like any other 5 Series, albeit a little stiffer thanks to a more purposefully stiffened suspension.
Brand experts present at the event told us that BMW had considered fitting an active anti-rollover system, but decided against it, as it would have added too much weight and complexity. And that's a good thing, as the lack of such a system allows the M5 to lean minimally into corners, which helps maintain ride comfort and also telegraphs important messages to the driver about what the car is doing. In other words, the new M5 is predictable and easy to drive, despite its monstrous power.
You could easily commute every day in the M5, making the most of its official electric range of 69km (50km seems a more realistic figure to us) and never know a thing about the beast chained inside. However, if you find the right path and...
The right road in this case is the A9 autobahn outside of Munich and in the immediate vicinity of the BMW M headquarters in the city of Garching. The A9 is a busy route with both cars and trucks mainly from Munich to Stuttgart, but occasionally the right lane is freed up. And just then we saw the sign indicating that there is no speed limit. At that moment and with this car, there was nothing else to do - we pressed the gas to a hole. Clearly, 535kW will never feel slow, but in this case it doesn't feel as insane as you might expect.
The suffocating effect of curb weight certainly plays a role here, but so does the xDrive four-wheel drive system (there's a rear-wheel drive mode for those brave enough) and the M5's superb suspension. The car accelerates in a flash and without realizing it we reached the indicated 275km/h, with no apparent effort, the M5 could still accelerate, but slower traffic entered our lane ahead and discretion won out over courage. On paper, the M5 looks like a bit of a disappointment - its 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds is weaker than the old M5 CS, but in practice this is a much, much faster BMW.
The catch is in the acceleration, which in the G90 is monstrous, regardless of the instantaneous speed or rev modes. We definitely felt like the M5 was bending the laws of physics when overtaking. We hit a top speed of 275 km/h, but the M5 can top out at 305 km/h if you've opted for the M Driver Package option. After the adrenaline wore off, we decided to see how this heavy car handles on a twisty road.
To be honest, we were very surprised here, and a very pleasant one at that. You can only feel the weight when braking hard (the big brakes, optionally equipped with ceramic discs, do a great job, though) and when making very sharp changes in direction. In all other cases, the M5 feels neither thick nor clumsy. The steering is sharp enough to make even this big car easy to maneuver on tight roads, and the cornering rear wheels – for the first time such a thing is installed on the M5 – they make it look a lot snappier than it has any right to be.
And all this, aided by the brilliant active M differential, which can transfer the power between the rear wheels, makes the handling unique. Only someone who gets behind the wheel and pushes the M5 to reveal its true nature will really understand what we're talking about. But this perfection also has a price
Conclusion and price
The M5 is not the perfect supercar, and it doesn't want to be. This, as we have already said, is a car that can be driven both slowly and very quickly. At the same time, with management worthy of respect. Our conclusion is that the G90 is more than good enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with its illustrious predecessors. We expected the plug-in hybrid element to break this classic relationship between the M5 driver and the powerful engine.
Weight could suffocate all driving pleasure. But neither happened. The new M5 isn't perfect, but it's achieved a remarkable blend of old-school heroics with the electric prowess of 21st-century supercars. As for the price, the basic one starts at BGN 265,500 with VAT and can reach well over 300,000... Expensive or not, however, is a different concept for everyone, but if you decide to take this step, know that you won't regret it. The new M5 is the pinnacle of the evolution of this iconic Bavarian sedan.