New BMW M5 track drive: Heavyweight champ

"It’s fat, it’s slow, it’s a plug-in hybrid, it’s got an EV mode," they said. "Is it even an M5," they asked? Yes, the new seventh-gen F90 M5 has attracted a lot of criticism, but naysayers also forget that this is the most powerful M5 ever built. And, unlike a few of its compatriots, going hybrid hasn’t sacrificed some of its cylinders. So, is this really an M5 then? We got to spend some time behind the wheel at the Buddh F1 circuit to try and figure out just that.

BMW M5 engine and performance

Let’s begin with the heart of the matter. The good news here is that while the new M5 is a hybrid, the engine is still the 4.4 litre V8. Let’s not forget the recently updated Mercedes AMG C 63 went hybrid, too, but it lost four of its eight cylinders. In the M5’s case, it’s added on a 197hp, 280Nm motor powered by an 18.6kW lithium-ion battery. Together with the 585hp, 750Nm V8, total system output stands at an impressive 727hp and 1,000Nm; hence, the most powerful M5 ever built.

Sure, folks have called this M5 slow and that’s driven by the fact that at a claimed 0-100kph time of 3.5 seconds is a smidgen slower off the blocks than the previous car's 3.4-second claim. But you really can’t tell unless, perhaps, you drove them back-to-back. But leave the standing start aside and it's brilliant on the move – mash down on the throttle and off you go in an instant, with the electric system filling in nicely while the turbo spools up. Down the start-finish as well as the back straight, it was ridiculous seeing how quickly I was reeling in the XM, our lead car. I had to lift off each time.

BMW M5 handling

So it’s quick, now to figure out the issue of its weight. Coming in at just under 2.5 tonnes, the M5 is very heavy – remember, it’s got all-wheel-drive, has retained the V8 and added a motor and battery. But modern chassis systems do wonders at melting away fat. Sure, the M5 provides ample grip and good body control, but you do feel the weight. Especially out here on a race track where you’re coming in faster, braking later and going around a bend far quicker than you would on a public road. It’s not light on its feet, you feel the amount of mass you’re shifting, and the brakes feel like they are hard at work. But a point to note here, this press car had already done five sets of hard laps before this. Dynamically, on the whole, it will certainly feel better in the real world, so I can’t wait to drive it there.

As with every modern car, there’s loads you can do with the electronics. Forget drive modes, you can adjust the suspension, the 8-speed gearbox’s shifts, the steering, brakes and the 4WD system, and it also has a 2WD mode. With just two laps, there was no time to work with the setup so I just left it in the sportiest settings. I tried rear-wheel-drive mode for a brief moment and the tail happily obliged with a little lean before ESP kicked in.

BMW M5 interiors

Besides the many controls for the chassis, there’s the M1 and M2 shortcut buttons on the steering that call up configurations of your choice. M cars can also be specified with the M Drive Professional option – which brings in a ‘Boost’ mode activated via a long pull on the left paddle – and ‘Track’ mode, which deactivates electronic nannies. You also get sport seats, which were quite wide for my narrow frame. Other M-specific bits include an Anthracite headliner and M-specific ambient lighting.

M5s also come with a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system with 18 speakers. Apart from the sound of the mighty V8, the music system also amplifies the sound by piping it in via the speakers. Other bits are familiar BMW, so you have the crystal dial for the central controller and the single-piece, curved glass panel, which houses a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen.

BMW M5 exterior

Unlike the regular 5 Series that's available in India only in long wheelbase (3,105mm) format, the M version uses the regular 3,006mm wheelbase, so that's an obvious way to tell them apart.

Furthermore, you get M-specific bits all around, like a massive bumper and air intakes lower down, an air splitter finished in carbon fibre if you opt for the carbon pack. The pack also adds carbon on the roof, rear view mirrors, rear spoiler and rear diffuser. Interestingly, the front grille, whose profile is illuminated, has a significant portion closed off, much like you’d see on an EV. At the rear, quad exhaust pipes and a massive two-section diffuser announce this car’s sporty side.

BMW M5 price and verdict

The M5 is priced at Rs 1.99 crore, ex-showroom, which is a significant mark up over the previous car’s Rs 1.62 crore. But it’s also just Rs 4 lakh over the sporty Mercedes-AMG C 63 (Rs 1.95 crore), which though a hybrid, uses a smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. So is the new M5 worth the sticker price? We’ll know after a full review out on the road. But to answer the big question everyone’s been asking: is this an M5? The answer is yes. It’s not the greatest in its long line of ancestors, but an M5 it surely is.

Also see:

2024 BMW M4 Competition review: M 4 Madness

2024 BMW M2 launched at Rs 1.03 crore, gets more power

Next-gen BMW M3 to get both ICE and EV powertrains