Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

BMW M5 (G90) – engine, gearbox and technical highlights

BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 combines with an electric motor to deliver supercar levels of power, harnessed by a bespoke M chassis

Evo rating
RRP
from £111,405
  • Still does everything you’d expect of an M5
  • Plus some stuff you don’t

The big news, of course, is the G90’s adoption of plug-in hybrid power. Why hybrid? For one, it potentially extends the model’s life, as opposition to the EU’s 2035 outright ban on ICE car sales grows. And, as explained by BMW M boss Frank Van Meel, if you’re going to go to the trouble and weight of a mild hybrid, you might as well go the whole hog and have some proper plug-in EV ability. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Thus BMW’s familiar 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 works with an 18.6kWh battery pack and 197bhp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox, delivering up to 42 miles of electric range. The heavier M5 Touring (codenamed G99) falls one mile short of the saloon’s e-range. 

Speaking of weight, the M5 has a lot of it. At 2435kg it’s 540kg heavier than the outgoing M5 Competition and over 600kg more than our favourite F90, the M5 CS. The Touring, meanwhile, is a 2550kg car. To manage all that mass the M5 has a comprehensively reworked chassis, including wider tracks, staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels and tyres, and optional carbon ceramic brakes. Drive is sent to all four wheels through an M xDrive system with an active rear differential. 

The M5’s suspension kinematics are bespoke, and its M Servotronic variable ratio steering rack is rigidly mounted to the subframe for more accuracy and feel. M-tuned adaptive dampers are standard fit, so too is rear wheel steering, which can turn the rear wheels by up to 1.5 degrees. 

Typical of an M car, there’s a huge variety of parameters to adjust if you delve into the M5’s drive mode menu. The dampers, steering, four-wheel drive system, regenerative braking and even the feel of the brake pedal itself can be tweaked, along with the energy strategy and delivery from the hybrid powertrain.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

BMW M5 Touring 2025 review – 717bhp heavyweight is impressive if not enchanting
BMW M5 Touring review front
Reviews

BMW M5 Touring 2025 review – 717bhp heavyweight is impressive if not enchanting

BMW’s M5 Touring manages its weight issue enormously well, but its impressive performance and agility stop short of snatching your heart
5 Aug 2025
BMW M5 (G90) review – more power, more weight, same old M5 desirability?
G90 BMW M5 saloon
In-depth reviews

BMW M5 (G90) review – more power, more weight, same old M5 desirability?

So much has been written about BMW’s new plug-in hybrid M5, but now it’s time for the talk to stop. Does it feel like a true M car?
8 Nov 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years
Nissan GT-R finishes production
News

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years

The Nissan GT-R has finally ended production, at over 48,000 units after 18 years on sale. It’ll be missed.
28 Aug 2025
Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series
Cheap M cars
News

Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series

£32k will buy you a bog standard 2025 120 or a 552bhp M6, and many greats besides…
29 Aug 2025
Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive
HORSE powered Caterham
Reviews

Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive

Caterham needs a replacement for Ford’s out-of-production Sigma engine. Its solution is a 1.3 turbo from Horse. We drive it
28 Aug 2025