2025 BMW M5 Gains 100 HP and 1,000 Pounds (2024)

It's the most powerful M5 ever—but also the heftiest.

BMW late Tuesday revealed the 2025 M5. The latest in a 40-year-long run of super-powered executive sedans, this newest iteration now features plug-in hybrid power, boosting the headline figure to 717 horsepower. The electrified powertrain comes with a big weight gain however, as the '25 M5 now tips the scales at 5,390 pounds (2,445 kilograms).

That beating heart is essentially the rabid setup found in the XM, pairing a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with a transmission-mounted electric motor. The former spits out 577 hp and 553 lb-ft—a little bit less than the last M5—but the electric quotient is good for 194 hp and 207 lb-ft. Combine the two very different power curves and you're left with the headline horsepower figure, plus 738 lb-ft of torque. A 14.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack sits low in the floor, providing enough juice for an all-electric range of around 25 mile (40 kilometers). An M-tweaked eight-speed automatic is the sole transmission for the new M5, sending power through a standard xDrive all-wheel drive system. Yes, drivers can still switch it to rear-drive mode for slideways shenanigans.

Performance? BMW quotes 3.5 seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h); quick, and no doubt conservative like most of the brand's official acceleration figures. Yet it's still fractionally slower than the outgoing M5 Competition. The likely culprit—or at least one of the main contributors—is likely the hybrid setup. That can't be all though: even the fully electric i5 M60 is lighter at 5,247 lb (2,380 kg).

And indeed, it isn't. The new M5 debuts rear-wheel steer for the brand, dubbed Integral Active Steering in BMW-speak. Capable of turning the rear axle up to 1.5 degrees, the setup is said to provide more high-speed stability—where the rears turn in phase with the front wheels—and improve low-speed agillity—where they rear wheels point in the opposite direction.

That standard metric is only one way to measure performance of course. BMW's press release calls out the improved in-gear acceleration, with passing maneuvers like 50–75 mph (80–120 km/h) happening in just 2.2 seconds in fourth gear. The top speed is 155 mph (250 km/h) as standard, but the optional M Driver's Package will boost that to 190 mph (305 km/h).

The PHEV powertrain also boasts a Boost Control feature. Pulling the left-side shifter paddle for more than a second "enables a nearly instantaneous burst of speed" between 20 to 90 mph (30 to 150 km/h). Boost Control is part of the M Drive Professional package, which is optional in America but standard in Canada. The package also unlocks two additional drive modes: Dynamic and Dynamic Plus.

There are further tweaks under the skin for M5 duty, too. BMW has improved structural rigidity with more underfloor bracings and shear panels at both axles. The double-wishbone front suspension has "optimized longitudinal and lateral rigidity," while the five-link rear gets a unique design to reduce unsprung mass.

Outside, the M5 has punched-out wheel arches, adding 3.0 inches (75 millimeters) of width up front, and 1.9 in (48 mm) out back. This allows for larger wheels which, like the M3 and M4, are staggered in size. Big 285/40-size rubber wraps 20-inch alloys up front, with 295/35s hung off 21s out back. These hide equally enormous brakes, with six-piston calipers clamping down on 16.1-inch (410-mm) discs as stock. Opt for the carbon ceramic stoppers and along with gold calipers, the front discs grow to 16.5 in (420 mm). The rear brakes measure 15.7 in (398 mm) in both applications.

Other visual tweaks include a mostly filled-in (and illuminated) front grille, similar to the one we've seen on the i5 M60. True to M tradition since the beginning of this century, there are four exhaust tips out back, flanking a dramatic rear diffuser. BMW will offer the new M5 in 10 standard colors, with additional BMW Individual choices available at launch.

Inside, it's pretty standard new 5 Series, with the addition of a flat-bottom M steering wheel. There are also M-specific controls down on the center console. The M5 will debut what BMW is calling Individual Full Merino Metallic leather, available in either a combo of black and Dark Violet or Taupe Gray with Deep Lagoon Pearl Effect. These will come on-line in spring 2025, and we're very curious to see them.

Way back in November 2023, BMW invited us to an early hands-on preview of the new M5. It is a very big car now, though the styling tweaks do give it serious road presence. Like every new BMW, pictures do not do it justice. The cabin was also impressive: light on surprises, but the M treatment works well on the new 5er.

At the time we knew of the PHEV powerplant but not the precise output. Nor did we know about that prodigious curb weight. BMW has a mixed track record of masking mass: the XM Label feels heavy but not 6,000-pounds heavy, while the latest M2 feels chunky on the road. Meanwhile the M3 CS we recently drove didn't feel close to 4,000 pounds. We'll have to see how this new M5 fairs, both on road and track.

Pricing for the 2025 BMW M5 will start at $120,675 (including destination) in America, and $135,000 CAD (not including destination) in Canada. Deliveries will start later this year.

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