Having debuted the new M5 sedan in June, German luxury brand BMW has used the Monterey Car Week being held now in California, the US, to reveal the new M5 Touring — the wagon version of the performance sedan.
Market launch is in November 2024, and the company says Germany, the US, UK, Canada and Switzerland will be the first to get it. BMW SA confirms the model will not be on sale in SA.
With this bitter pill out of the way, the premise of the M5 Touring is of a vehicle that can load more stuff and blitz racetracks with equal aplomb. The load capacity can be expanded from the standard 500l to a maximum of 1,630l, with the option of a trailer coupling to pull a maximum 2,000kg.
Apart from the ability to cart a couple of Labradors at hairy speeds, the model is a rarity in the company’s catalogue. The last BMW M5 Touring the company created was the V10-powered E61 from 2007, preceding the 1992 E34. This makes the new model only the third estate version to come out of the storied 40-year legacy of the M5 that spawned seven generations.
The latest model with the internal G99 code name is powered by the same M Hybrid drivetrain in the sedan. It pairs a 430kW/750Nm 4.4l twin-turbo petrol V8 with an electric motor with outputs of 145kW/280 Nm. The power train's just as adjustable, with potential to drive 67km on electric power alone at speeds of up to 140km/h.
When both motors are on song the total system output is 535kW and 1,000Nm, and the M5 uses the standard all-wheel drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and to reach a top speed of 250km/h. The top end can be raised to 305km/h with the optional fitment of the M Driver’s Package.
The M xDrive all-wheel-drive system is a multiway, too. By default it's 4WD, but drivers can fine tune its attitude for the 4WD Sport mode where the system turns rear-biased without losing the all-paw traction; or choose to drive in classic BMW rear wheel drive (2WD mode) but only with the dynamic stability control switched off. An active M differential and M-specific chassis technology ensure the M5 Touring sticks to tarmac on bends.
To a large degree the M5 Touring is similarly sized to the sedan, with the same 5,096mm length, 1,970mm width and 3,006mm wheelbase however, the Touring’s equally adaptive suspension stands marginally higher off the ground (118mm) compared to the sedan's 115mm.
The frontal expression of the redesigned BMW M kidney grille that now glows, and with slimmer headlights is also similar to its booted cousin, though BMW has ensured the model-specific side frame design of a wagon incorporates prominently flared wheel arches that house 20-inch front/21-inch rear wheels. M Compound brakes are standard with M Carbon ceramics as options.
The more functional M5’s just as luxurious and safe tech-savvy inside. It benefits from the wide range of track play toys and assistance systems for automated driving and parking, and as an option, customers can also order their car with the driving assistant professional or the parking assistant professional that allows parking and manoeuvring to be controlled by smartphone from outside the car.
Inside the driver-focused cockpit is a newly designed M leather steering wheel, BMW curved display, head-up display, Merino leather trim, four-zone automatic climate control, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system and a panoramic glass sunroof and much more.
MotoGP
In other BMW M5 news, the company has announced the high-performance sedan will be awarded to the fastest qualifier in MotoGP at the end of this season. Since 2003, the German brand has awarded the MotoGP rider with the best qualifying results.
The record holder for the BMW M Award is Marc Márquez, who won the accolade seven times in a row from 2013 to 2019. In the past two years, Francesco Bagnaia has won the prestigious prize.
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