FIRST LOOK: New 717bhp BMW M5 – The Boss is Back… But Hybrid

This is the new BMW M5. That’s BIG NEWS, because this is both the halo offering from BMW’s M Division, and the super-saloon that’s long been the swaggering king of the jungle with enough nous to see off the likes of whatever rivals Mercedes AMG or Audi RS could cook up.

The first signs appear promising for this new-gen M5 too, with a twin-turbo V8 powertrain offering 717bhp and 737lb ft, plus an updated version of the switchable M xDrive chassis tech, which offers sensible 4wd, rear-biased 4wd and showboating rear-drive.

But… the M5 is now a hybrid. Which brings a power boost – as the V8 alone is good for only 577bhp and 553lb ft – but also some weight gain. Okay, a lot of weight gain, as this isn’t a new Porsche 911 GTS-style small battery, fast discharge/fast recharge set-up. Rather, it’s a plug-in hybrid with a 22.1kWh battery and an EV range of over 40 miles. Before there’s a driver onboard, it’s 2,435kg…

So, can it be any good? Alongside time in an echoey studio with a static BMW M5, Top Gear Magazine’s Deputy Editor, Ollie Kew, has also been behind the wheel of a pre-production prototype. Over to him…

WATCH MORE TOP GEAR:

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Walkaround
04:29 - Interior
07:46 - Drive
14:13 - Conclusion

MORE ABOUT TOP GEAR:

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[seanpburke]

2400kgs is insanity. That centre console is a mess too, really needs a gear knob and real buttons.

[nicholas]

Dangerously close to the tasteless design you get from Mansory.

[the-boring-car-guy]

It really adds insult to injury having a carbon roof on a 2.5 ton monster

[denshidirect]

This car is not for people who like driving, but rather people who like to be seen driving. Also nobody with a brain is convinced a 2400kg car is more environmentally friendly just because it's a hybrid.

[giulbeast]

Proud to have lived golden era of Bmw...

[DioTheGreatOne]

They even gave Top Gear a black car because they hoped people wouldn't notice how hideous it looks.

[RaphRoel]

Compared to the F90 M5 and older generations, this looks bulky, overstated and has strange proportions..big fail

[jcdenton]

While the outgoing M5 weighed just over 4, 300 pounds, the new one tops that by a cool thousand, checking in at 5, 390 pounds.
What a joke!

[EnzoNotFerrari]

Bmw went from having one of the most hardcore fanbase to a fanbase that just roasts the brand now 😭

[KnighTs]

The only car I thought BMW wouldn't fk up. They fked it up

[NasserShakaa]

I don't know what the people at BMW are thinking anymore. There's no passion influencing the design of the cars anymore

[tcmustang]

I don't understand why it's so heavy, considering that battery isn't that big. 2.5 tonnes, ridiculous.

[banaanbosse]

Alright, all is good and great, but 2.4 TONS?! Absolutely unacceptable. Weight kills all things that are good about driving.

[roysgamingyt]

It was about time before they killed the M5’s design…

[ScottPC]

What on earth.. so a worse power to weight than the old one and a worse 0-60… this will flop like the AMG’s if there not careful.

[filipecoelho]

The more we say we hate this “new” design, more BMW applies it. So be it. Great design BMW! This is what we are waiting for.

[melondoc]

Calm down - Enthusiasts are not the target market for M cars any more.

[electrikoptik]

"The boss is back"
And he should resign.
BMW design is a shadow of its former self.

[plastiquemaraj]

I’m sorry what’s the point of having a front grill if 2/3 are blocked off

[nwankwonwachukwu]

No need putting a V8 if it would be detunned😂