The BMW M5 Touring will return with a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain.
It’s been 16 years since we saw a new BMW M5 Touring launched, but before the long-awaited return, we’ve been treated to a couple of teaser images of the newcomer – our first official glimpse of BMW’s hybrid super estate.
Now the regular 5 Series and its all-electric i5 have been revealed, we know roughly what to expect (for the sedan version at least) from the upcoming M5. We’re still yet to see the new 5 Series Touring, but these new images reveal some key design details.
Despite the camouflage on this car we can see it’ll do away with the German firm’s iconic Hofmeister kink on the rear pillar, gain a large rear spoiler similar to the new M3 Touring and retain the customary M division quad-exhaust set up.
Previous spy images of test cars have also revealed plenty of the car’s design. BMW has decided to shrink the kidney grille to place it more in line with the headlight units. The air intakes for the grilles only open on the bottom half and the centre section could be used to incorporate the forward-facing radar sensor. The headlights themselves won’t adopt the split design seen on the latest 7 Series and XM, going for a similar look to the new X1.
The lower part of the front bumper has lost its camouflage, so we can clearly see the aggressive, angular intakes helping to funnel air to the radiator, alongside some larger side vents to cool the front brakes. There’s also a lower lip spoiler beneath the bumper. The bonnet appears to have a raised centre section, which could potentially cover an indent flowing from the BMW badge in a similar vein to the M3 and M4.
To the side, we can see wider arches to house a new design of alloy wheels. Underneath are huge front brakes glowing red hot from this Nurburgring test session. BMW M division’s traditional wing mirror design can be seen on this test car. To the rear, this is the first time we’ve seen the rear light clusters of the new 5 Series. The overall shape isn’t too far removed from the current car’s, with it divided between the fixed body and the bootlid. The classic BMW M car quad-exhaust tips remain.
The M5’s cabin will be all-new, and mostly borrowed from the new 5 Series. It’ll feature BMW’s iDrive 8 infotainment system with features such as 5G connectivity and an augmented-reality navigation system. Just like the standard car, a 14.9-inch touchscreen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel on a single piece of curved glass will be used.
On the test car we’ve spotted there’s a small but significant label on the side stating “Electrified Vehicle”. That’s because the power on the new M5 will be hybridised, most likely coming from the new XM super-SUV.