During a two-day dealer meeting in Las Vegas, the folks at BMW assured retailers that it's going to build what consumer want rather than what regulations dictate. A dealer source told Automotive News that BMW won't discontinue its twin-turbo V8 anytime soon, which is good news for the internal combustion loyalists out there.
First and foremost, Munich's favorite son understands that EV demand still isn't good enough to justify going all-in. We also have to remember that S68 is the largest and most powerful engine that BMW produces for Bimmers at the moment of reporting. The N74 twin-turbo V12 is, unfortunately, exclusive to Rolls-Royce. In combination with plug-in hybrid assistance, it makes in excess of 700 horsepower in the XM Label and the forthcoming G90- and G99-series M5.
The dealer meeting, which featured a performance by the one and only Snoop Dogg, was attended by top executives Oliver Zipse, Frank Weber, and Jochen Goller. At the meeting, which took place at the Aria Resort & Casino, the German automaker also revealed the heavily anticipated G99 M5 Touring without any camouflage whatsoever.
Why meet in the United States and not a different one in Europe or China? According to the cited publication, because the US market accounts for a staggering 40 percent of the M division's global sales. BMW dealers were also shown the MINI Aceman, a small-ish crossover that will slot below the electric version of the Countryman. To be produced by Spotlight Automotive in China, the Aceman will come with electric muscle only.
Dealer sources report that nearly 40 updated and new vehicles will hit showrooms in the next five years, including the all-new X3 and X5. A mid-cycle refresh of the front-biased 2 Series Gran Coupe and CLAR-based i7 are in the offing as well, along with the all-new M5s mentioned earlier.
Photo: SH Proshots
M5 first leveled up to a V8 in 1998 for the E39 generation, after which the M division switched to a high-revving V10 for the E60 sedan and E61 wagon. A whopping 14 years later, the G99 will serve as the successor to the incredibly rare E61. How rare? According to BMW M GmbH, only 1,009 examples of the breed were manufactured.
Tipping the scales at 1,955 kilograms or 4,310 pounds, the great-sounding E61 isn't exactly light. However, you will be shocked by how much the G99 weighs. According to a tipster close to all things BMW M, the G90 sedan is estimated at 2,435 kilograms or 5,368 pounds. That, in turns, means close to 2.5 tons for the G99 station wagon. Then again, what did you expect from a mid-sized longroof with a high-voltage battery and an electric motor integrated into the ZF 8HP transmission?
It's also understood that BMW's twin-turbo V8 makes 577 horsepower in this application, while the electric motor is allegedly rated at 194 ponies. All told, the G90 and its roomier sibling are said to make 718 horsepower at full chatter. Torque is estimated to be 760 pound-feet or 1,030 Nm.
If the numbers presented above turn out to be correct, the M5 would be 20 ponies down on the XM Label and 22 pound-feet (30 Nm) up on the aesthetically challenged sport utility vehicle. It's also worth noting that Mercedes-AMG produces a punchier direct rival in the form of the GT 63 S E Performance 4-Door Coupe, a five-door liftback with 831 horses and 1,082 pound-feet (1,467 Nm).
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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