When it comes to high-performance sedans, BMW M5 is synonymous with the category. The legendary German Super Sedan has built a name by offering an impressive mixture of comfort and sport. It is perfectly suited for high-speed driving on the autobahn and weekends on the Nurburgring! However, it’s more than capable of handling rough roads like in countries like ours. It is always eventful when a new generation launches a M5 as every generation represents a leap in absolute performance but not at a compromise of comfort. However, the G90 generation, the latest and greatest, might represent things which create mixed feelings in the hearts of red-blooded car enthusiasts. Let’s have a closer look at the 2025 BMW M5 from an objective lens.
The new M5’s styling has been controversial. Some people have called it a GTA unlicensed version of the real M5. However, there are things to like about the G90 too. One of the main reasons why you will like it is because, there are next to no fake vents in this generation which wasn’t the case with the previous generation which, in our opinion, makes the car lose respect as it is trying to be edgy. The front end is the most aggressive and looks chunky. Part of the reason is the kidney grilles which have taken inspiration from XM and i5 M. The grilles, which are illuminated, are functional to an extent but the integration of the front camera and Radar sensor could’ve been better. However, the lower portion of the front fascia is menacing with large intakes to allow the M5 to deliver its performance. From the side, the little M5 fake vent has been replaced by the charge port as it is a plug-in hybrid. From the rear, it looks generic and there are underwhelming aspects such as the rear reflectors and the lights which could’ve been styled better to give a unique look. An interesting aspect of the rear is the diffuser. Even after opting for the carbon pack, you don’t get a carbon fibre rear diffuser and the diffuser is split to allow for a towbar to be mounted on the back of the M5 to increase practicality.
On the inside, we would like to say it is a welcome improvement as the interior feels futuristic drawing inspiration from the i range of BMW’s. The realisation of the M Performance Car is neatly shown by things such as the M animation that plays on the front screen and wrap-around ambient lighting which is cool. The M steering wheel feels thinner than the last model and has a flat bottom to give the performance car feel. You get the traditional M stitching on the steering wheel and the M1 and M2 buttons but the paddles feel a bit disappointing as they are plastic whereas on the G82 M4, they are carbon fibre. The seats feel good hug you well and have an illuminated M5 logo. The M lap timer gives you the feeling of piloting a car with serious performance. The backseats offer a 20mm increase in the rear legroom and overall it is a nice place to be.
Under the hood, you get the 4.4 Litre Twin Turbo V8 which produces 585hp and 750 Nm of torque and an electric motor which produces 197hp and 280Nm of torque. A combined output of 727hp and 1000Nm of torque is the result which makes it the most powerful M5 to date mated to a 8 Speed Torque Converter Automatic. More power is always better but due to the electric motor, this M5 weighs 2,435Kg which is 500kg heavier than the previous generation. This means that the power-to-weight ratio of this M5 is 299hp/tonne which is worse than the last two generations of the M5 i.e. F90 and F10 which were 335hp/tonne and 321hp/tonne respectively. As a result, the 0-100 time is also slower at 3.5 seconds which is slower than the F90 M5 Competition which did it in 3.3 seconds. BMW does lie about its times as publications have clocked a sub 3 second 0-100 in the case of M5 CS. However, this was sending mixed signals when the newest M5 was supposed to push the boundaries of performance.
We expected various things from the M5 such as the powertrain to be more unique or more powerful than just borrowing it from the BMW XM. The weight should’ve been lower than cars like the Rolls Royce Ghost and Mercedes Maybach.
We live in a day and age where machines like the Tesla Model S Plaid exist which produces 1000hp and is lighter than the M5 where improvement could’ve been made. Not to mention, we would’ve appreciated the use of DCT which is performance-oriented and reduced the laziness of a conventional automatic transmission. However, we should remind you that the V8 is a proven platform for modifications as previous generation M5s regularly made 1000+hp without any problem.
The new M5 fails to capture the attention of red-blooded car enthusiasts in a few ways. According to BMW, there won’t be a competition version to correct all the wrongs of the M5. On the bright side, it is more practical with added rear seat space and better fuel economy than the last generation. Ultimately, adhering to emission norms is necessary and BMW has chosen to do it this way. And to not forget, it is roughly the same as before coming in at Rs. 1.6 crore.
We always suggest never judging a book by its cover and there are various chassis improvements such as lowered stiffened adaptive suspension, engine mounts and front strut braces have been strengthened, the connection between the steering rack and front subframe is more rigid, stiffer rear axle mounts and rear axle steering is standard. BMW has tweaked the AWD system with the RWD mode to do the hybrid drifts! It is safe to assume that the new M5 can guarantee a good driving experience.
