The seventh-generation BMW M5 is unlike any before it. That’s because the newest iteration of the performance division’s flagship model comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. That’s not the only thing that separates this version of the sporty sedan from its predecessor.
It’s also more than a half-ton heavier. The big story here is, of course, the new powertrain. The setup includes a twin-turbocharged V-8 and a permanently excited synchronous electric motor that combine to pump out 717 horses and 738 ft lbs of twist (577 hp comes from the engine, 194 hp from the e-motor).
That’s significantly more grunt than the 627 hp and 553 ft lbs of torque produced by the outgoing M5 Competition. The electric motor is integrated into the eight-speed manual transmission and gets power from a 14.8-kWh battery housed in the vehicle floor.
With that much power available, it’s little surprise that the M5 offers impressive performance numbers. BMW says the four-door can rocket from zero to 60 in just 3.4 seconds, which is actually 0.
2 seconds slower than its predecessor. The unchanged top speed, meanwhile, is 155 mph, but jumps to 190 mph with the marque’s optional Driver’s Package. In electric-only mode the sedan has a range of 25 miles and a top speed of 87 mph.
There is a cost to all that extra power, though. The new M5 is bigger and heavier than before. It’s 1.
2 inches longer bumper to bumper, 0.9 inches longer between the wheels, 2.7 inches wider, and 2.
1 inches taller. I.
