- A new generation of the BMW M5 is on the way, codenamed G90.
- It will share its plug-in hybrid powertrain with the BMW XM SUV.
- A wagon version of the M5 is being considered for America.
A new generation of the BMW 5 Series is on the way and is codenamed G60. But the most exciting news will come in July 2024, when the M division will introduce the new M5. Dubbed G90, the top-of-the-line model will only be available in Label Red high-performance guise rated at 735 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque. You guessed it—the next M5 shares its plug-in hybrid powertrain with the polarizing XM SUV due out this summer. While it will again be offered as a sedan, we hear that the M5 Touring station wagon (G99), which will go into production in late 2024, is finally being considered for export to North America.
The new M5 should have an electric range of nearly 60 miles and a top speed of 87 mph in EV mode, sources say. On the debit side, it carries a weight penalty of more than 440 pounds compared to the outgoing M5. While the extra grunt is said to reduce the 60 mph time by a few ticks (we’ve already managed a blistering 2.8 seconds in the current M5 competition), it remains to be seen what effect—if any—the extra body fat on has the best handling in its class.
BMW M5 sedan
According to those in the know, the next M5 stays loyal to the classic steel suspension, but introduces rear-wheel steering, bigger brakes and optional 22-inch wheels. Drivers can choose between three energy regeneration stages, two calibrations for the steering and brakes, and five different drive modes including eControl, which prioritizes the electric motor. The 644-hp unit fitted to the “base” XM will not be offered in the new M5. If anything, there might be an even beefier Label Black high-flyer that would mate the 627-hp V-8 from the defunct M5 CS to a larger electric motor.
Electric BMW i5 M can have more than 1000 HP
How about an i5 M, you ask? The electric i5 range will probably compromise these three models: i5 eDrive40 and xDrive40 (340 hp), i5 M50 xDrive (544 hp) and i5 M70 xDrive (650 hp). Not only is the M70 the most powerful version, it’s also said to be able to charge faster, is equipped with special high-performance batteries, gets active steering, larger 21-inch wheels and suspension tweaks, plus the usual M color inside and out, but is not yet a fully-fledged hardcore M car.
That role belongs to the i5 M, which won’t debut until 2026 as a wide-body four-door, four-motor 1,136-hp cracker jack, as it follows on the heels of the 1,000-hp electric M4 replacement. Codenamed Katharina, the new high-performance electric drivetrain boasts ultra-fast wheel-to-wheel torque vectoring, multi-stage cooling, a supplemental brake-to-motor energy regeneration system and new dynamic features such as pilot steering and the ability to tank turns to feed. The key to the new talent level is a complex advanced control unit known internally as “Hand of God.”
Whether this DNA will also eventually spawn the rumored new BMW M supercar is still open to debate – talks with McLaren on the subject have reportedly reached an impasse.
