► 2024’s new M5 to electrify
► PHEV powertrain puts out 650+bhp
► Tech from i7 and XM underneath
BMW is already amping up for the next-generation M5 super saloon. Arriving in 2024, this new version will be a dramatic change from the current F90.
Why? Because it’s expected to be the first M car to be exclusively electrified, using the same brawny 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 plus 25.7kWh battery and e-motor combination as the XM.
The 5-series range-topper coded G90 in saloon and G99 in Touring form (the new 5-series is codenamed G60, for reference) musters 653bhp, sources say. And there may be even more to come, like the M5 CS version destined to share its 750bhp drivetrain with the Label Red version of the XM SUV.
We’re promised an improved version of all-wheel steering, active anti-roll bars with automatic ride-height control and more powerful brakes, interacting with the various electronic systems to recycle surplus energy.
The new M5 will most likely again offer a choice of steering and braking calibrations in addition to the usual list of dynamic adjustment opportunities.
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What happened to an electric M5?
Theoretically, BMW could extend its parallel-universe principle to the M model. After all, the 650bhp i7 M70 is only nine months off, and its scalable powertrain could be shoehorned into the G60 matrix without much hassle.
That’s the smart thing about Munich’s current open-technology approach: you can go all-in when the time is right, you can hang on a bit longer with more conservative options, or mix and match until legislation intervenes or the rate of electric adoption changes.
When will the new M5 launch?
It’s expected to be revealed in 2024, after the new G60-generation 5-series later in 2023.