Here’s What You Should Be Excited and Cautious About in the New 2025 BMW M5
Image Credit: BMW
The arrival of a new generation of BMW M5 is always a momentous occasion. It’s one of history’s greatest automotive icons. Since BMW and its performance M Division conceptualized the idea over 40 years ago, the M5 has served as the benchmark of what luxury sports sedan perfection is and should be. It’s a reputation that’s defined the M5 as the yardstick for everyone else to beat. So when a new generation arrived just yesterday, it certainly generated quite a buzz.
When a car like the M5 defines and leads an entire niche, one that also influenced Mercedes-Benz to create the E-Class AMG and Audi with its RS6, all of which are performance icons in their own right, it immediately has some big shoes to fill. The automotive world wouldn’t be right if the BMW M5 ceased to exist or took some other shape or form.
With all eyes on BMW’s latest G60 M5, including yours, marking the seventh generation of M5 to ever grace existence, the pressure is on. Here are some thoughts to consider.
The Design
The exterior design of the eighth generation G60 5 Series, which arrived earlier this year, met with mixed reviews. Initially, you might be skeptical about its somewhat generic appearance. But in the midsize luxury or executive sedan space, a low-key look has always been part of the appeal. German executive sedans were primarily meant to appeal to yuppies or the old German door-to-door fax machine salesperson types, not your average young-buck teenage racer.
Thankfully, cars like the BMW M5 and even the 5 Series have shown that being an old fax machine salesperson doesn’t have to be boring, particularly if you like to drive. The 5 Series’ exterior designs have always been a point of contention. Previous generations of 5 Series models were often received with mixed reviews about their aesthetics. The arrival of the E60 generation, known for its “Bangle Butt” design, was particularly controversial. However, Bangle’s and Hooydonk’s designs left a lasting legacy.
The new 5 Series exterior design doesn’t seem so bad in hindsight. With the M5’s far more aggressive design, pronounced wheel arches to accommodate wider axle track widths, sportier front fascia, and wicked rear lower spoiler with quad exhaust tips, it stands out. The pictures, especially the eye-catching Frozen Isle of Man green paint, make the new M5 look impressive. It’ll certainly make a statement as it charges up behind you and into your rear-view mirror.
Image Credit: Road & Track
Performance
Performance is a highlight of the new M5. The 2025 M5 inherits the twin-turbo V-8 gas-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain from the XM crossover SUV. It’s been tweaked to fit the M5’s slightly lighter chassis and sportier driving persona. BMW claims a total system output of 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, which is remarkable.
To put that into perspective, that’s 317 horsepower and 338 pound-feet of torque more than the E39 M5 from the late 1990s and early 2000s, which still isn’t a slow car by today’s standards. The E39 M5 produced 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque from its 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V-8.
Some have already noted that the new M5 is slightly slower to 60 mph than the outgoing model, according to BMW’s records. But the difference is only a couple of tenths of a second and is largely negligible. What’s likely to be most impressive about the M5’s performance is its ability to accelerate while rolling, making overtaking a breeze.
With a fabulous twin-turbocharged V-8 coupled with the extra and smooth power assist of an electric motor, the acceleration of the M5 is going to be outrageous and sublime. Yes, both electric and gas cars can be insanely fast in their ways, but something is intoxicating about the effortlessness of acceleration when you combine classic ICE power with electric power.
The M5 Wagon
You may not be the biggest fan of wagons, but the M5 Touring estate wagon isn’t news either. However, you might appreciate their purpose. They drive nearly the same as their sedan counterparts but offer more space. What’s not to love?
It’s exciting for any petrolhead to see an M5 Touring coming to the U.S. Even though M5 wagons have existed in Europe since the E34 generation, they’ve always been forbidden fruit for North Americans. That is, until now.
Recent reports confirm that the M5 Touring will make it to our shores for the first time in history, likely in a bid to compete with the Audi RS6. This is fantastic news for enthusiasts who have been waiting for a high-performance wagon.
Handling and Weight
One concern with the new M5 is its weight. The new M5 weighs an astonishing 1,045 pounds more than the old M5 Competition, bringing it to a total of 5,390 pounds. That’s a whole half-ton more, which is no small number, especially on the scales.
The old M5, which weighed about 4,345 lbs, was already pushing the limits of what you can do with two-plus tons worth of car. Sure, the new M5 will likely find some way to defy physics with breakneck performance and handling, but two and a half tons does not sound promising. Weight affects everything—ride, handling, performance, fuel economy, and even maintenance with tire wear.
Ride Quality
Another concern is the ride quality. While most BMWs have a smooth ride on perfect, freshly paved asphalt, any imperfection resembling a pothole can be jarring. Newer BMWs have improved their ride, but with the new M5 weighing as much as it does, you can only imagine how cringe-worthy it might be.
No matter the suspension engineering, nothing can hide the heaviness of electric drive gear and equipment. It’s mainly down to the central battery pack, which makes up most of the new M5’s added weight.
BMW M engineers are some of the best, but there’s only so much they can do. Heavy performance cars often suffer from ride quality issues, and you might anticipate the new M5 feeling hefty, especially as its wide and stiff performance tires hit the road.
Of course, this is all speculation as you have yet to drive the new BMW M5 and experience it firsthand. As a longtime BMW fan, you might have accepted that we’ll never see vehicles like the E28, E34, E39, and even E60 generations of M5, which have become legendary icons for their pure driving experience in a practical package.
You might not doubt that the new M5 will be fast, fun, and impressive to drive like all other M5s have been in the past. It will certainly deliver on its promise of supercar performance in a practical, commuter car package. However, you won’t know for sure how you feel about it until you drive it.
Conclusion:
The new 2025 BMW M5 brings a mix of excitement and concerns. Its aggressive design, powerful performance, and the introduction of the M5 Touring to the U.S. market are thrilling developments. However, the added weight and potential ride quality issues are points of concern. As always, the true test will be getting behind the wheel and experiencing the new M5 firsthand. Until then, the anticipation continues.
