Audi Sport intends to give the RS 6 Avant some plug-in hybrid assistance, whereas the E 63 is expected with a 3.0-liter I6 plug-in powertrain. As for BMW, the Bavarian automaker is reinventing the M5 with plug-in muscle as well. But as opposed to Mercedes-AMG, the M5 is getting a V8.
Recently spied testing in Munich, the M5 Touring sports 21-inch rear wheels and 20-inch fronts. A set of staggered Michelin Pilot Sport rubber also needs to be mentioned, along with beefy calipers in silver up front and gold for the rear axle. Camouflaged like there’s no tomorrow, the M5 Touring before your eyes will be joined by a four-door brother.
BMW refers to the station wagon as G99, whereas the four-door sedan is called G90. Lesser versions are codenamed G61 and G60, respectively. Based on a development of the CLuster ARchitecture of the previous-gen 5 Series, the newcomer is further expected with trick active anti-roll bars, adaptive dampers, as well as Integral Active Steering.
Four-wheel steering means the rear wheels turn up to 2.5 degrees in or out of phase with the fronts. In the i5’s case, Integral Active Steering also lowers the ground clearance by 0.3 inches for a lower center of gravity, resulting in better handling.
The elephant in the room, however, is curb weight. A high-voltage battery and the ZF 8HP automatic transmission-integrated electric drive unit will make the M5 a rather porky car. Expected to weigh more than two metric tons compared to 1,825 kilograms (4,023 pounds) for the F90-gen M5 CS and 1,865 kilograms (4,112 pounds) for the F90-gen M5, the G90 will be the heaviest M5 ever.
Photo: SH Proshots
It goes without saying the G99 weighs more still, although it’s not clear how big of a difference there is between it and the four-door sedan. What’s under the hood? Obviously enough, we’re dealing with a 4.4-liter V8 mill with twin-scroll turbos.
Rather than the N63-based S63, this engine is the S68 that BMW introduced with the X7 M60i. This full-fledged M engine is further used by the X6 M60i, X5 M60i, and 760i xDrive for the US market. Pretty different from the S63 despite sharing the same 89-mm bore and 88.3-mm stroke, this eight-cylinder lump was developed with Euro 7 in mind.
European countries agreed on Euro 7 emissions rules in September 2023, watering down the regulations to a realistic level. More specifically, Euro 7 is basically the same as Euro 6 for cars and vans, albeit much tougher for buses and heavy trucks.
BMW may be pouring billions into next-gen EVs, but Munich’s favorite son won’t abandon the Otto-cycle internal combustion engine anytime soon. However, the manual will sadly go the way of the dodo in 2029 with the discontinuation of the G87 M2.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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