BMW officially confirmed Monday that the new M5 is a hybrid, and what’s more, a touring version of the car will be produced. The automaker’s announcement states that the M5 in all its variations has “entered the practical phase of its series development process,” which means we’re about to see a lot more of the car testing on public roads, at least in Germany.
Whether or not the wagon version of the M5 will be sold in the United States is unclear. A 5 Series Touring has not been sold here in more than a decade. Likewise, the wagon version of the M3 is only sold in Europe.
The wagon news is only part of the announcement. BMW also mentioned the car’s new “partially electrified drive system.” To be clear, we’ve known the new M5 is a hybrid for a while, despite the German automaker being silent on the matter. Test cars on the Nurburgring have been spotted with stickers on them stating it’s electrified. Details have been slim, though, and they still are. Besides saying the car is a hybrid, BMW mentioned no other details of the M5’s drivetrain aside from the fact that it will be all-wheel-drive.
A little informed speculation is appropriate here, though. The new M5 will all but certainly be V8-powered, and BMW already has a hybrid V8 in the XM SUV. The automaker has likewise said that this hybrid system will be used in other cars. Put the two together, and it’s likely that the new M5 will be getting at least 644 horsepower, and perhaps as much as 738 hp.
We’ve also already seen the new 5 Series, so we know mostly what to expect in terms of the new M model’s styling. BMW hasn’t given any timeline for when to expect the new M5 in any flavor on our shores, but official testing on public roads begins in just a few days.
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