The new, seventh-generation M5 represents the most radical shift since the model was first launched in 1986. For the first time, the M5 is a plug-in hybrid with an 18.6kwh battery and a single e-motor built into an eight-speed automatic that increases the performance of the familiar V8 engine with twin turbocharged from 575 hp to a whopping 717 hp, torque rises to 737 lb ft. Like the outgoing F90 M5, this one is distributed to all four wheels via xDrive, which is configured to send 100 percent of the drive. backwards until the rear tires can handle. BMW claims a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph (189 mph with the optional M Driver’s pack).
We got to see the car and drive a late-stage prototype at the Salzburgring, and first impressions are that it’s a much bigger and more imposing car than the F90 M5, which in CS form was our 2021 Car of the Year. For the first time, the M5 has custom flared front wheel arches at the rear as well, giving it the appearance of a scaled-up M3 CS, and those arches allow for a much wider wheelbase. Engineers say that even though the new car is taller, the width-to-height ratio has been improved, lowering the roll center and helping to achieve handling goals.
> There’s a brand new BMW M5 and it’s slower than the old one
After deciding to go hybrid, M GmbH decided to go all-in and make it a plug-in to provide noticeable electric-only performance. In EV mode, the new M5 delivers 197bhp and 206lb ft and allows for a range of 42 to 43 miles and a top speed of 87mph. The weight penalty is significant though, with the G90 weighing in at 2435kg, 570kg more than the outgoing M5 and more than 600kg more than the M5 CS. Increases in power and torque help offset this increase in a straight line, and integral active rear steering – a first for an M car – helps when cornering. Up to 60 mph, it turns the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees for agility, then turns them parallel for stability.
It was brave of BMW to choose a racetrack for the first drive of the nearly 2.5-tonne supersaloon, but it claims to have great dynamic bandwidth, with urban comfort and racetrack capability. However, the new M5 looks big – it’s basically the size of a Mercedes S-Class – and feels big too, as you sit quite high in the spacious cockpit.
The plan is to be led by the M4 CS pace car, the car I just drove around the circuit and it was very effective on its sticky Michelin Cup 2 R, putting out 542bhp with ease. As we glided quietly through the electric pit lane, it’s impressive to realize that once its V8 fires up, the M5 has the dimensions of a smaller M car. I’m wary of momentum as I descend the chicane on the first flying lap, but when I step on the brakes, the M5 it pulls down like it weighs half what it does, and when I turn around it makes a line for the top like it weighs half as well. Sure, this car comes with a few options, including carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon roof instead of the standard fixed panoramic glass roof, which saves 25 and 30kg, and it has one of the sports tires (Michelin PS 5 S), but for a 2435kg sedan she is incredibly sensitive.
The M4 still has an edge extending into the long hairpin that leads to the back straight, but once I switch to the sportiest preset, full power kicks in, the gearshifts are more snappy, and the M5 catches the M4 before we get there. to the next braking point. Impressive and the M5 is definitely stable even at speed. By the fourth flying lap I got the front tires a little cooked and it wants to push in the tighter ones. A little lift before each apex helps turn the car in, but the M5 always feels like a big car behind the wheel. And if it feels big on the race track, how will it feel on the road, how precisely and easily does it position itself?
Price and rivals
The new car will be presented to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​​​11. July, with UK deliveries from the end of the year, coinciding with the reveal of the M5 Touring. At £110,500, the sedan isn’t any more expensive than the current M5 Competition, which seems like good value for how much more tech is crammed in. With no sign of the new Mercedes-AMG E63 and Audi RS7 yet to get their next big update, direct rivals are few and far between. The new 671bhp Porsche Panamera Turbo e-Hybrid comes closest in terms of performance, but the £141,400 price makes it considerably more expensive.
The unanswered question is how will it feel on the road? The F90 M5, especially the beautifully damped CS, felt smaller than its dimensions and was remarkably usable and engaging, even on rough B-roads, but my instinct is that the G90 M5 won’t “shrink” in the same way. I look forward to being proven wrong.
BMW M5 (2025, G90) specifications.
| Engine | V8, 4395 cc, twin-turbo, plus 145kW e-motor |
| Power supply | 717 horses |
| Torque | 737 lb ft |
| Mass | 2435 kg (299 hp/ton) |
| Tires tested | Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 |
| 0-62 mph | 3.5 s |
| Top speed | 155 mph (189 mph optional) |
| Base price | £110,500 |