It’s shaping up to be a confusing and unusual time for performance cars, and the new BMW M5 is the most recent example of a cherished nameplate undergoing significant change. The latest fast Bavarian sedan is here, and wow, is there ever a lot to unpack. The first plug-in hybrid M5 borrows its powertrain from the flagship XM SUV, and while that does endow it with a modest all-electric range, there are a few elephants in the room worth addressing.
An M5 needs to be quick, and BMW says this new one will run from zero-to-62 mph in 3.5 seconds. Hang on, didn’t BMW claim that the old M5 Competition ran from zero-to-62 mph in 3.4 seconds? Yes, yes it did. Will you notice one tenth of a second? Probably not, but how often does a flagship performance sedan get slower over the generations?
It’s not slower for a deficit of power, at least. With 717 horsepower and 738 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the new M5 sees a considerable power boost over its predecessor. Granted, only 577 horsepower come from the S68B44T0 4.4-liter bi-turbo V8 engine, because this new M5 is a plug-in hybrid. A 14.8 kWh battery pack and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission adds the extra thrust to get a combined output north of 700 horsepower and an electric range of 25 miles, but it certainly doesn’t help the curb weight. Going by DIN curb weight, this thing weighs 5,368 pounds. Ouch. The old one had a DIN curb weight of 4,177 pounds, and even that wasn’t light in the grand scheme of things.
So, if the old M5 also rode on the CLAR architecture, what else could be bloating the curb weight? Well, rear-wheel steering of up to 1.5 degrees probably isn’t keeping things light, and although it can pay dividends in virtually shortening the wheelbase, it likely won’t help other conditions in which you’ll notice vehicle heft. Speaking of electronics, the new M5 features all manner of gizmos under the skin beyond four-wheel-steering. As with before, the all-wheel-drive system can be put into two-wheel-drive mode for smoky drifts, the stability control has multiple driver-selectable intervention thresholds, and the dampers are adaptive units.
Unlike before, BMW claims “near-linear” wheelspin intervention for the stability control, which should enhance the subtlety of the system when on track. Speaking of closed-course driving, the most hardcore preset for shutting down ADAS is locked behind an optional M Drive Professional package, a must for any M5 that could be seeing track time because while advanced driver assistance systems can be of great benefit on the street, they can be of great detriment in a high-performance driving environment.
Taking a step back, the new M5 doesn’t have the big sniff treatment given to the M3 and M4, but the design certainly isn’t without sin. Why are the kidney grilles largely blanked off? Why is there a Camry dent in each corner of the rear bumper? This new executive express just doesn’t look as executive as the last one, and it’s not a traditionally handsome sedan that happens to be bonkers quick. On the plus side, being 2.8 inches wider than a standard 5 Series thanks to seriously pumped fenders ought to give the new M5 serious on-road presence.
Moving to the inside, the new BMW M5 is fairly standard 5 Series fare with some sporty bits. However, this upholstery choice certainly stands out, and by not rocking the boat too much, BMW’s done well with the cabin. Of all areas on the new M5, the interior ought to be the most widely agreeable, as it should be, because that’s where drivers will spend the most time.
On paper, the new M5 doesn’t exactly seem like the greatest possible successor to the outgoing car, but I will admit that I’m not the target market for this car. So, with that in mind, let’s go check and see what actual F90 M5 owners are saying on the Bimmerpost forums:
Well, we certainly know where that M5 owner stands, and they aren’t the only one. It seems that the new G90 M5 is receiving a lukewarm reception from many current M5 owners, largely due to the specs on paper.
Alright, so an extra 15 kilograms or 33 pounds isn’t a lot more weight than an X5 M Competition, but not only does the math check out, the X5 M Competition is a midsize SUV. That’s a hefty benchmark.
Not much to say about this one, except ouch. Then again, the outgoing M5 was a brutally fast performance sedan, and following it up in an era of increased emissions sensitivity in a way that pleases everyone was going to be a nigh-on impossible act.
If there’s one widely agreeable positive first impression of the new M5 that we can end on, at least BMW launched the new M5 in a good color. That green is pretty solid, and would look good on a variety of cars. Past that, it’ll be interesting to see how this thing shakes out in the real world. BMW hasn’t been a mainstream enthusiast brand for years now because mainstream enthusiasts generally don’t buy new luxury cars, but when a niche high-end product like the new M5 isn’t getting flowers from late-model M5 owners, it might be a good idea for the brand to do some reflection.
(Photo credits: BMW)
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Well at least they kept the iX and 4-series design team away from it.
As others have said, I wonder how much BMW really cares about “real enthusiasts” at this price point. They know who is going to buy a $130k (?) sedan, and maybe they don’t really care about much other than it says “BMW M5” on the outside and has a lot of power to brag about. Maybe they save that effort for the M2.
And come on, if you are buying a M5, do you really take it to the track? Even if you are someone who likes going to the track? At that income level, doesn’t that person have a track car? Why would you take your brand new $130k sedan out there?