The all-new BMW M5 is here, and it’s slower than the old one

BMW’s highly anticipated seventh-generation M5 saloon has been uncovered, and while it does come with a charging port it also retains a V8 engine. Making its dynamic debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed on 11th July, BMW’s latest M car will be delivered to customers in November alongside the new M5 Touring, which will make its debut in August.

Beneath the G90 M5’s new muscular bodywork lies a slightly tweaked take on the previous F90’s 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, producing a lower 577bhp at 5600 - 6500rpm – the 2018 car made 592bhp with the Competition producing a peak of 616bhp. What makes the new car unique is the fitment of a 194bhp, 281Nm electric motor integrated into its eight-speed transmission, fed by a 22.1kWh battery pack (18.6kWh usable). The result is a striking combined peak output of 717bhp and 1000Nm.

While these numbers might sound impressive, this new hybrid componentry isn’t only contributing to an increase in output, but a drastic increase in weight too. At 2435kg DIN, the new car weighs 570kg more than the previous non-Competition (1895kg DIN), giving it a less favourable power-to-weight ratio than its predecessor launched six years prior.

The previous F90 M5 launched with a 312bhp/ton power-to-weight ratio before the Competition lifted it to 330bhp/ton, but the new hybrid car makes do with 294bhp/ton thanks to its increase in mass. Performance has taken a hit as a result, with the 0-100kmph time now a tenth slower than its standard predecessor at 3.5sec and two tenths slower than the old M5 Competition. Top speed stands at the same 250kmph or 305kmph with the optional M Driver’s Package.

Thankfully there are some benefits to the hybrid system, with BMW claiming an all-electric range of up to 69km (WLTP) and plugged into a charger, this can be replenished at up to 7.4kW for now, rising to 11kW in November. The M5 distributes power through a similar variable M xDrive all-wheel drive system as the previous car, with rear-wheel steering allowing for up to 1.5 degrees of rear wheel movement for improved manoeuvrability and agility.

Suspension is adaptive all-round to allow the driver to fine tune the ride depending on the use case, with even its standard six-piston front, single-piston rear steel brakes (carbon ceramic as an option) tunable from within the cabin. A set of 285-section front, 295-section rear Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres come as standard, mounted to staggered 20 and 21-inch wheels.

Design falls in-line with the rest of BMW M’s current range, with its enlarged, illuminated twin kidney grille the most prominent new addition, sitting within a more angular, aggressive front fascia. The arches are swollen at the front and rear for a more purposeful stance, with its newly sculpted rear bumper and diffuser section home to quad 100mm exhaust tips – while these do still guide the sound of a real V8, artificial BMW IconicSounds can be pumped into the cabin to add theatre to its electric motor.

Inside there’s a new flat-bottomed M steering wheel, but the popular dedicated M buttons remain, allowing the driver to assign custom modes to easily accessible, physical buttons. There’s a dedicated M control panel in the centre console, a full-width curved screen to display the BMW’s latest Operating System 8.5 and plenty of bold ambient lighting like its ordinary 5-series counterparts. 

The new 2025 BMW M5 will hit the road in November following a production start and debut next month. UK prices start from £110,500 (~ Rs 1.17 crore, in the UK, excluding Indian taxes and duties).