BMW has fast wagon fever: it’s not been that long since the Bavarian brand launched the long-anticipated M3 Touring and now they’re teasing an even bigger, even faster M5 Touring – even before they’ve shared any sneak peek at the M5 sedan.
Only last month, BMW revealed the eighth-generation 5 Series: their boldest take on the large sedan yet, which features angular, handsome good looks and a smorgasbord of drivetrain options including petrol, diesel, PHEV and the new all-electric i5. It was also confirmed that an M5 variant was also on the way, although BMW didn’t give us a look at what that would look like.
Now, BMW has confirmed we’re also going to be blessed with an M5 Touring, which will take on the Audi RS6, Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon and Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo in the big fast station wagon stakes, sharing mostly camouflaged but still telling details about the upcoming M-car.
In short, the new M5 (and therefore the M5 Touring) will be the fastest M-car ever… And a wagon variant will mean it’ll also be the fastest grocery-getter on the planet, too.
WATCH BMW’s teaser for the new M5 Touring below.
BMW has confirmed that the new M5 and M5 Touring (which will likely be designated the G90 and G99 respectively) will use “a hybrid drive system with typical M performance” – which means it’ll probably use the same powertrain as the XM Label Red super-SUV, which currently holds the title of “most powerful BMW ever” and boasts a 4.4L S68 V8 twin-turbo working in tandem with a hybrid system which makes 550kW/1,000Nm and does 0–100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
A hybrid M-car might sound like sacrilege to some, but those sorts of meaty figures should assuage any fears. And as the M5 will almost certainly weigh less, feature a more aggressive tune and have superior driving characteristics than the high-riding XM, we can expect bigger power figures and an even faster 0-100 time out of the M5 – and performance figures will be the same for the Touring wagon variant.
The XM Label Red also has an electric-only driving range of up to 80km, meaning that the M5 Touring might also feature a similar (or better) electric-only range. It’s a responsible supercar!
The sneaky shots BMW have shared with us of the G99 M5 Touring also show some other cool details, including an aggressive bumper with quad exhausts and a staggered wheel and tyre setup, with chunky Michelin Pilot Sport 5 rubber in the rear.
This new M5 Touring will be the first proper M version of the 5 Series Touring wagon since the fifth generation of the 5 Series, the E60/61. The E61 M5 Touring, which was produced from 2007 to 2010 but only sold in Europe, was powered by a 5.0L S85 V10 which made 373kW/520Nm and did 0-100 in 4.8 seconds.
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BMW has confirmed that testing of the first G99 M5 Touring prototypes will commence “in the next few days” in urban traffic, country roads and motorways around Munich as well as at the BMW M headquarters in Garching. They’ve also said they’ll be taking it to the Nürburgring Nordschleife for suspension and drivetrain testing. Hopefully, we’ll see some cool shots of the new long boy carving up The Green Hell…
An M5 Touring isn’t the only fast wagon we’ve got to look forward to, either. Audi is also developing a next-generation RS4 Avant, with spy shots of the vehicle with and without camouflage emerging earlier this year in May.