BMW M5 Touring returns with 790bhp V8 PHEV punch
The new M5 Touring is the first such model to be available in more than a decade
Super-estate is set to rival Audi RS6 by combining 4.4-litre V8 with rear-mounted electric motor
The forthcoming BMW M5 Touring has been spotted testing on the Nurburgring ahead of its launch in 2024, having gone on hiatus since the E60-generation model was discontinued in 2010.
It will arrive in showrooms alongside the saloon using a plug-in hybrid pairing BMW's 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged S63 V8 with a rear-mounted electric motor, as previously reported by Autocar.
Sources close to the German manufacturer claim the two units combine for power and torque outputs in the region of 790bhp and 737lb ft.
It was pictured turning the mini carousel on the Nordschleife in heavy camouflage with wideer front grille openings, a ground-hugging stance, muscular rear apron and signature M5 quad exhausts.
It is currently undergoing testing not just at the Nurbrugring, but urban areas, country roads and motorways around Munich and at the BMW M headquarters in Garching.
Early prototypes of the new M5 were said to use a lithium ion battery similar in capacity to the 12.0kWh unit found in the outgoing BMW 545e. Whether this item will be used for production versions of the next M5 remains to be seen, although suggestions were made that BMW M is developing its own performance battery with ultra-rapid discharge properties.
That the upcoming 530e and 550e PHEVs receive a 19.4kWh battery hints that the super-saloon and estate may too receive a more capacious pack.
“We are now also installing a hybrid drive system with typical M performance in other high-performance cars,” said BMW M development head Dirk Häcker.
Power is set to be delivered through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, with a rear-biased xDrive four-wheel drive system.
The next M5 is also set to adopt a heavily reworked chassis, with distinguishing features including a wider front and rear track.
The new BMW i5 is not set to spawn an all-electric M5, but the M division has fettled the zero-emission saloon. The i5 M60 is not as overtly performance-focused as the M5, but still dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in 3.8sec thanks to a dual-motor powertrain producing a combined 593bhp and 605lb ft.
The original BMW M5 touring was launched in 1992 as a more practical variant of the second-generation car. It did not return for the third-generation (E39) model, reportedly due to financial constraints, although a one-off prototype was built. The Touring came back for the fourth-generation (E60/E61) car, but it was exclusive to Europe and just 1009 were sold.
*Additional reporting by Charlie Martin*