BMW isn’t making the M5 all-electric—yet—but the new 2025 M5 will be a plug-in hybrid. Code-named G90, this new-gen M5 will borrow its hybridized twin-turbo V-8 from the XM performance SUV. Will the new M5 deliver stupid speed and incredible handling? Probably—the outgoing M5 (shown in our gallery) is a riot, particularly in CS form—and the new XM SUV is a sweet driver, too, even if its face looks like Rocky Balboa’s after losing a title fight. The new 5 Series’ styling still seems conventional by modern BMW standards, so the M5 variant likely won’t strike most as full-on repulsive. Huge power and not-ugly looks? Bring it on.
BMW’s M sedans represent the molten core of the brand, with the Bavarians intent on improving their statistics and capabilities with each successive generation. The newest BMW 5 Series on which this M5 will be based isn’t available with a purely gas-fed powertrain—every version is electrified to some extent, culminating in the all-electric i5 variant—and thus electrification will enable the M5 to stay in step with the march of progress, not just at BMW but throughout the automotive world at large.
The hybrid gear from the XM means the M5 will pack at least 644 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. BMW could also spec a gonzo version with the XM Label Red’s 738-hp, 738-lb-ft powertrain. That would be more than enough power to offset what likely will be a several-hundred-pound weight gain over today’s M5. The current M5 maxes out at 627 hp and hits 60 mph in as little as 2.6 seconds in our testing. Even being heavier, the new M5 could improve on that time thanks to the motor’s instant torque. Handling could be sharpened via the adoption of rear-wheel steering, too. Worried about the baby seals and trees and stuff? Depending on what size battery the next M5 packs, it could deliver at least 30 miles of electric-only driving range at speeds up to 87 mph.
The top tier, highest performance BMW 5 Series will come with the requisite six figure price tag. Expect it to start somewhere in the $125,000 range.
Look for the new 2025 BMW M5 to debut in the summer of 2024.
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