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Pros: stunning performance, deft handling, great looks, terrific interior, price cut
Cons: its weight, small boot
BMW M5 Saloon Design
The whole point of a BMW M5 — ever since the first version was created back in 1984 — is that most people don’t know what it is. It’s supposed to be quiet, subtle and understated, with just a few hints for the keen observer as to what’s under the skin. This new M5 is possibly just over that line of subtlety when it comes to styling. The wider wheelarches, the gorgeous 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) alloys, the big aerodynamic panels in the front and rear bumpers… It’s a fabulous looking car, especially in some of the M-specific colours, but compared to previous M5 models, it might just be a bit too obvious. Is that necessarily a bad thing?
BMW M5 Interior
The M5’s interior is basically the same as that of any regular 5 Series using the same sweeping curved digital panel on top of the dash which houses a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. There’s also the same light-up, crystal-look ambient lighting strip which flashes and changes colour depending on which function you’re using.
And then you start to notice the differences: the bright red engine-start button, the equally red strip in the steering wheel which tells you when you’re pointing straight ahead, the high-backed bucket front seats which might just be the most comfortable of any car we’ve ever sat in. As with the exterior, this is all regular 5 Series stuff, but amped up, just enough to let you know you’re in something special.
The big screens look great, but the menu system can be awkward to find your way around, even with the physical click-wheel controller on the centre console. It’s a shame that BMW has taken away all of the physical buttons for climate control, as some of those would make life much easier.
Space in the back seats is good, and they’re just as comfy as those in the front, but the boot is actually quite small — 466 litres is less than you get in a standard 5 Series or electric i5.
BMW M5 Performance & Drive
Somewhat shockingly for traditional M5 fans, this new model is a plug-in hybrid. BMW has kept the classic 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, but now it works hand in hand with a 145kW electric motor and an 18.6kWh battery stashed under the cabin floor. Obviously, BMW has done this to improve the M5’s official environmental figures — and 39g/km and an official electric range on a full charge of 69km are pretty good — but the upshot is power. A lot more power. This M5 is packing a combined 727hp and 1,000Nm of torque, making it the most powerful M5 of all time.
Surprisingly, though, it’s actually slower to hit 100km/h from rest than the old M5. For that, you can blame the weight, which thanks to the hybrid system has ballooned to 2,510kg — that’s SUV weight, not saloon weight. Consequently, the new M5 takes 3.5 seconds to reach 100km/h.
That doesn’t tell the full story, though. While it’s slower off the line, the new M5 is staggeringly fast once you’re rolling, taking a mere 2.2 seconds to go from 80km/h to 120km/h in fourth gear. When you’re driving, you won’t even think about the 0-100km/h time as the M5 just feels monstrously fast whenever you want it to. Surprisingly, though, with all that power, it never feels like too much and as it has always been, the M5 is just as adept at slowing down and cruising in refinement and comfort.
The suspension is surprisingly soft for a car with such potent performance, but that’s good on a twisty road, as it helps you better understand what the car is up to and how it’s dealing with each corner. While there were — justifiable — fears that the M5 would feel clumsy in corners thanks to its weight, BMW has worked some magic on the suspension and steering, helped by the Active M Differential in the back and rear-wheel steering. The M5 sends back so much information to your fingertips that it feels hugely confidence-inspiring on tight roads, and with four-wheel drive and astonishing agility for something this big and heavy, it’s every bit the performance driving masterclass you’d hope for. Yes, the old M5 felt a bit more agile thanks to its lower weight, but this new one is still phenomenal and has the added appeal of electric driving ability when you need it.
BMW M5 Pricing
Is it possible for a car with a six-figure price tag to be called a bargain? Well, the M5 just about manages that. Thanks to the plug-in hybrid system and the low CO2 emissions, the new M5 is in a much lower Vehicle Registration Tax band than the old one, which results in a… wait for it… €60,000 price cut, pricing this new one at €137,055. That’s a lot of money, but it’s actually cheaper than the smaller, six-cylinder, 530hp BMW M3 saloon and given the M5’s astonishing breadth of capabilities, we’d have to say — yes, it’s a bargain now.
Carzone Verdict
This BMW M5 will doubtless upset purist fans of the badge with its weight, its complication and its part-electric power. However, it combines all of that into a classical package of luxury and comfort mixed with supercar-baiting performance and poise. This M5 might be a thoroughly modern car, but it feels like a classic in the making.