Yahoo News 2025 BMW M5 Arrives with a 717-HP Plug-In-Hybrid Powertrain
The seventh-generation BMW M5 has been revealed, with the flagship M car featuring a plug-in-hybrid powertrain for the first time.
A 194-hp electric motor supplements the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, and the two combine to generate 717 hp and 738 pound-feet of torque.
Along with the added power, the new M5 adds a considerable amount of weight, tipping the scales at 5390 pounds. Pricing starts at $120,675.
The new BMW M5 is a lot of things, and one of them is heavy. For all of the legendary sports sedan's crazy metrics, there's simply no way around it. For starters, the flagship M car's dimensions have grown. Compared to the outgoing-generation M5 Competition, the M5 has grown 1.2 inches longer overall, 2.7 inches wider, and 2.1 inches taller. Its wheelbase is also stretched by 0.9 inch. Then there's the added weight. BMW claims the 2025 version tips the scales at an astonishing 5390 pounds. That's 1153 pounds heavier than the old car—hell, it's even heavier than the fully electric 2024 i5 M60 xDrive sedan.
Now with Plug-In Technology
The M5 adds a bevy of new technology as it enters its seventh generation. Power is still sourced by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, though this time it's paired with a permanently excited synchronous electric motor, which together generate a combined 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Both figures are quite a bit higher than the outgoing M5 CS, which boasted 627 horsepower and 553 pound-feet.
A 14.8-kWh lithium-ion battery housed under the floor provides power for the 194-hp electric motor stored in the eight-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to temporary pre-gearing in the car's launch-control system, the electric motor's torque can be boosted from 206 to 332 pound-feet.
With the addition of the e-motor's instantaneous torque, BMW's on-paper claim of a 3.4-second zero-to-60-mph sprint feels conservative. The company lists a top speed of 190 mph with the optional BMW Driver's package (155 mph without it).
Personalized Control
The M5's powertrain is all about customization. There are five drive modes ranging from Electric (which is good up to 87 mph and has around 25 miles of range), Hybrid (the M5's default mode), and the eControl battery-saver mode. The Dynamic and Dynamic Plus modes are locked behind the optional M Drive Professional package and are intended for track use.
Beyond the drive modes, there are three levels of shift aggressiveness, and drivers have control over the throttle mapping, transmission, chassis, steering, and brakes. The all-wheel-drive system is also customizable, with the option to choose where to distribute power between the front and rear axles. There's also a new boost control function, which is engaged by pulling the left-hand shift paddle between 20 and 90 mph and then switches the powertrain and chassis systems to their sportiest settings.
Under the skin, the new M5 has a stiffer body structure, reinforced suspension mounts, and additional cross-bracing under the hood. The new M suspension utilizes steel springs and adaptive dampers with electromagnetically controlled valves generating damping forces for each wheel. The new car adds four-wheel steering to reduce the large sedan's turning radius at low speeds and also improving the M5's agility on the track.
Braking is handled by either a large set of standard brakes or an extra-cost set of carbon ceramics. Both have six-piston fixed calipers on the front axle and single-piston floating calipers at the rear. Along with increasing stopping power and reducing brake fade, the carbon ceramics are said to weigh about 55 pounds less than the standard stoppers. While the outgoing car featured 20-inch wheels all around, the wheels now measure 20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the back. The M5's track width has also grown by 0.4 inch.
Bold New Look
Unsurprisingly, the new M5 features a more extreme appearance than the standard 5-series, with bulging carbon-fiber channels extending backward from the redesigned kidney grille. Wider fenders mark the M5 as greater than standard models with the wheel arches stretching a full 3.0 inches wider at the front and 1.9 inches at the rear. The car's tail is also highlighted by quad exhaust tips sticking out through the diffuser. While BMW will let you pay more for a BMW Individual paint color, the standard list is limited to one solid color and nine metallic options.
Inside, the M5 looks similar to any other 5-series, though with considerably more carbon fiber. There's a new three-spoke M leather steering wheel with a flat bottom and red center marker at the 12 o'clock position. The programmable M buttons are slightly redesigned, as are the paddle shifters mounted behind the wheel. As with other recent M cars, the control panel in the center console houses permanent buttons for changing the DSC settings.
The M5 is scheduled to make its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. It will enter production that same month while going on sale around the world in November. Pricing for the seventh-generation car is set to start at $120,675—nearly $9K more than a 2023 M5's base price.
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