Remember when the Need For Speed franchise was more focused on street racing than on Hollywood-inspired dramatization? Yours truly remembers, but then again, I can’t blame Electronic Arts for changing the recipe so much. Ultimately, though, it’s a fall from grace.
The video trailer for the latest game in the series, called Payback, is as cringy as they come. Sure the animation is pretty nice for a racing game, but the plot and even the voice acting are bad. Like really bad. Here’s how Electronic Arts describes Need For Speed Payback: “Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, you and your crew are reunited by a search for vengeance against The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals, and cops.” Depressing, to say the least.
Having finished my rant, it should be highlighted that two promotional photos of the new game depict the 2018 BMW M5 in all its glory. Recently previewed by the Bavarian automaker wearing a little camouflage here and there, Electronic Arts went one step further by depicting the all-new model in what appears to be Monte Carlo Blue.
Zooming in on the headlights, grille, and front bumper design confirms that this is, indeed, the F90 M5 we’ve all been waiting for. Heck, there’s even an M5 logo integrated into one of the kidney grills, so that’s that. And in a way, I’m starting to think that this isn’t just your average leak, but something BMW and EA have done intentionally.
Confirmed to debut later in 2017, the F90 M5 is the sixth generation of the mid-size super sedan breed, and it’s an auto-only affair. The dismissal of the stick shift is counterbalanced by the addition of M xDrive, an all-wheel-drive system that can be set to deliver all the engine’s torque to the rear axle for maximum hoonage in the twisties.
Under the hood, the F90 M5 hides the latest iteration of the S63 V8, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo engine rumored to be rated at 608 PS (600 hp) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft).
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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