Ever since the M3 and M4 were launched a few years ago with large kidney grilles, BMW has come out with increasingly controversial designs. We’re not just talking about a polarized XM, but also a radically facelifted Series 7 and X7. Some would argue that the M2 also looks a bit odd from some angles, so it’s understandable why fans of the Bavarian brand are worried about which direction the future model will take.
Early signs hint at an evolution rather than a revolution for the 5 Series, which will enter its eighth generation in 2023. The spicy M5 is not far behind as Munich insiders claim production will begin in mid-2024. New renders of the super sedan from motor.es an attempt to peel away the camouflage we’ve seen over the last few months on prototypes. The test vehicle gives the impression BMW designers have sharpened the AMG E63 competitor.
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The M5 will avoid BMW’s larger love/hate split headlight design and will also have a normal grille size. It will add a charging port on the left-hand front fender to charge the battery portion of the confirmed plug-in hybrid powertrain. As we’ve seen in the latest product, the Series 5/M5 will switch to a new flush door handle design for better airflow. That will pay dividends in terms of efficiency, especially in the case of the pure electric i5.
Both the ICE and EV models will use the company’s iDrive 8, which will effectively turn off the physical controls for climate regulation. Instead, BMW will simplify the dashboard by installing a 14.9-inch touchscreen from which the driver will access most of the car’s functions. The fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster will be housed within the same slightly curved glass as the infotainment.
If XM is any indication, the new M5 will deal a serious blow as it has been confirmed to combine a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with an electric motor. In a plug-in hybrid mastodont, the PHEV is good at producing 644 horsepower (480 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque. By 2023, the XM Label Red will have 738 hp and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm).
While all the spy shots of the M5 have shown the sedan out and about, it’s only a matter of time before the wagon will join it. M CEO Frank van Meel recently suggested the M5 Touring is in the works and could even be sold in the United States where the smaller M3 Touring is unfortunately a forbidden fruit.
