The current-generation BMW M5 has been on the market since 2017, and the mid-cycle facelift from 2020 guarantees that we will find it in showrooms for another two to three years.
But the German carmaker is already working on the next-generation model, and it seems that it will be more radical than we think. Rumors suggest that the M5 nameplate will include both plug-in hybrid and electric versions, and a new report claims that BMW is also working on an extreme variant with around 1,000 horsepower. Yes, that's not a typo, the next-generation M5 could be a four-door hypercar.
Say goodbye to the gasoline-only BMW M5
Like most automakers out there, BMW is looking to electrify its entire lineup, and this process will begin in just a few years. According to Car Magazine, the next-generation M5, known internally as the G60, will no longer be a gas-only sports sedan. The beefed-up 5 Series will continue to feature a V-8, but the twin-turbo mill will be paired to a couple of electric motors. Additionally, BMW will also offer an all-electric M5 with even more power.
The SUV will combine a V-8 gas engine, most likely a version of the current twin-turbo, 4.4-liter, and a pair of electric motors. This setup is said to generate 750 and 737 pound-feet of torque, 133 horses, and 184 pound-feet more than the current M5 Competition. The hybrid will provide an all-electric range of around 40 miles.
The all-electric BMW M5 could be a hypercar in disguise
The recently unveiled iX3 electric SUV features such a motor, but it seems that BMW will combine three more powerful units to turn the electric M5 into a hypercar. The same report claims that the layout will include two 250-kW motors in the rear and one similar unit in the front. The combined output of these motors will be around 1,000 horsepower. That's more than the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S are capable of right now, but the American company will launch a more powerful tri-motor Plaid version sometime in 2021.
BMW aims for a 0-to-60 mph sprint under 2.9 seconds and a maximum projected WLTP range of around 435 miles. The next-generation 5 Series is said to arrive in 2023, so the M5 will follow sometime in 2024. However, the hybrid will probably arrive first, and the more powerful, all-electric M5 could actually see the light of day in 2025.