BMW is working on a completely new 5-series that does a number of things slightly differently than the current model. Not only will there be a fully electric i5, but also an M5 with plug power!
The current BMW 5-series was presented about 5.5 years ago, so it is not surprising that BMW is already busy developing a new Fünfer. A number of things will change with the introduction of the new 5-series. For the first time in the history of the 5-series, there will be an all-electric variant. However, it will not be called a 5-series, but just like the electric versions of the X3 (iX3) and 4-series Gran Coupé (i4), it will have an i-name: i5. The electrification also continues high in the top of the 5-series range. The M5 will have a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
This series of spy photos shows the new plug-in hybrid BMW M5 from all angles for the second time. How do we know it’s a plugin? You don’t need to have a hawk’s eye for that. BMW has applied stickers with the text ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ to the car and on an earlier series of M5 spy plates a tailgate was visible on the left front fender. The thick exhaust pipes and the serious slippers reveal that BMW is testing the new M5 here.
For the time being, it seems that the new M5 will simply retain its eight-cylinder despite the addition of electrical power. With the XM Concept, BMW gave a preview of a new huge M-SUV, a car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain where the combustion engine was a V8. We aim for BMW to also spoon a similar powertrain into the M5. Count on a power of between 700 and 750 hp. Certainly not wrong, especially when you consider that the current M5 in its most powerful form kicks up to 635 hp. We expect the new BMW 5 Series on the market next year. The M5 is probably planned for a year later.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl