The latest BMW M5 is the seventh son in a long line of quietly spectacular super saloons. However, this time I changed the recipe significantly. Instead of the usual “bigger engine” idea, the M5 is a plug-in hybrid with an 18.6kWh battery and an EV-only range of 42 miles.
You can also charge up to 7.4kW in a regular domestic wallbox and take advantage of convenient tax breaks. To be honest, it doesn’t sound like an M5 at all.
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But there is a price to pay. When the battery isn’t busy providing the sole motivation, power is generated by the familiar 4.4-liter biturbo V8, producing just under 200bhp/200-ish lb ft through an eight-speed Steptronic gearbox. Add. Total system output is 727bhp, 737lb ft. That’s enough for a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph with limiter, or 189mph (still limited) if you opt for the M Driver’s Package and commute on the autobahn.
Does that seem like an exorbitant amount?
No matter how you look at it, that’s a lot. But it has an active rear differential and stepped traction aids that can be customized to your needs, making it a Pussycat. Additionally, the M5 has all-wheel drive. It’s always a little biased towards the rear, but you can tweak the system to make it even more biased, or just put it in two-wheel drive mode and fire up the rear tires. The new M5 isn’t a subtle burnout. The rubber just evaporates. Stable, safe and confident to play if you are not busy playing as a hooligan.
Although it doesn’t seem like a crazy thing?
The 5 Series isn’t the most beautiful car in the world, but the M5 tries hard to walk the line between looking like a muscle-up and a strap-on bodykit. So there’s a new front end with a serious cooling gap, new brake cooling vents, a 75 mm increase in width at the front and a 48 mm bulge in the rear arches linked by a deeper sill. But they’re not just wrap-over arches or flares bolted onto the 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels. These are proper wide arches with a bit of shape.
And there’s a new rear diffuser, staggered quad exhaust pipes and a small M-specific trunk lid spoiler. Plus the usual M-Power rearview mirror and various carbon options. In fact, you can also choose the panoramic roof or carbon version, which is 30 kg lighter. It’s still not pretty, but at least it has purpose. However, when someone points out that the rear bumper looks like stylized pants, you can’t ignore it.
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Is it fun to drive?
ah. Here’s the interesting part. The new M5 is voraciously fast and capable of more than its numbers. Launch control is regular and impressive, and grip is very good overall. Setting up the car using the various menus allows you to find a balance between chassis dynamics and traction that nicely hides the nearly 2.5 tonnes of curb weight. It doesn’t actually feel that heavy.
On wide-open highways, the M5 can close distances in an intimidating manner, and on the autobahn it’s likely to be a dominant force. But somewhere in your heart, you are aware of the masses. You will also notice that a myriad of systems confuse physics and experience. In other words, the M5 feels less natural and almost gamed.
Example: Define a “boost” setting by pulling the left paddle for more than 1 second to maximize all power settings for overtaking. At that point, the heads-up display will flash and flash “BOOST” in capital letters. Like a disco. This is essentially what we used to call a “kickdown,” accessed by the simple expedient of pushing the throttle pedal into the carpet.
Yes, all parameters, including brake feel, can be programmed and stored on the two ‘M’ buttons on the wheel, but there’s so much variation in the system that finding that Goldilocks moment can be frustrating. It’s difficult.
The noise is captured inside the cabin and digitized. It’s not loud at all from the outside of the car, and the “pop” sound from the exhaust in more aggressive modes is the same every time. This is a map, not an organic representation of effort.
There’s also a rubbery bounce in the box when upshifting, which is meant to feel more aggressive, but makes the engine mounts feel like they’re drunk. It’s fun for a little while, but then you wish it had been a simpler car with a more focused idea of what it wanted this to be. It’s certainly convenient to drive only in EV mode, and it actually has an effect, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to define the M5 solely by convenience.
Our selection from the range
BMW
M5 Competition 4dr DCT
£105,450
See price and specs
What is the verdict?
“The way the car has adapted and changed to deal with the additional weight is not very ‘M5’. ”
This car has become a car defined by its control system and cleverness. This is a great car in many ways, overwhelming and absolutely capable in certain situations. But the M5 has always been a bit of a hot rod. Something with a rebellious edge. The addition of the plug-in hybrid element, the way the car itself has been adapted and modified to deal with the additional weight…it’s not very ‘M5’.
That’s not to say super saloons need to go manual and do away with airbags, but this feels like a tipping point between the top-spec 5 Series and M5. It’s fast and impressive, but it doesn’t have the soul we’re looking for.
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