The next-generation of BMW M5 will be the first M Division product in history to be powered solely by electrified powertrains. There’s a lot to unpack in just that one sentence. First, is the fact that the next-gen M5 will be electrified, with no pure internal combustion engine offering. Second is the fact that, for the first time ever, the M5 will be offered with two different powertrains. One will be a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and the other will be entirely electric.
So not only will the next-gen BMW M5 have a hybrid powertrain but it will also offer a fully-electric one. The former of which will have the same V8 hybrid powertrain as the upcoming X8 M. While the latter will only have electric motors, making a whopping 1,000 horsepower, according to this new report from Car Magazine.
This new BMW M5 is said to be built on what’s reportedly called the “CLAR WE” architecture and it will pack three electric motors, two at the rear axle and one at the front, for a combined 750 kW, which roughly equates to 1,000 horsepower. That would not only make it the first-ever electric M5 but also the most powerful M5 in history, by a good margin.
According to this report, BMW is also targeting around 435 miles of WLTP-rated range and a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds. So despite having almost double the horsepower of the current M5, it really won’t be any faster. Having said that, it should be more realistically fast, given the instantaneous nature of EV acceleration. So don’t have a big lunch and then do some launches in the next M5 or you’ll have a mess to clean up.
As for the lesser, hybrid version of the next-gen BMW M5, it will get a V8 and some electric motors to combine for 750 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque. These are early figures but entirely possible. It will be the same powertrain that will power the upcoming BMW X8 M, the brand’s first-ever bespoke M product.
Don’t expect to see this anytime soon, though, as the next-gen BMW M5 isn’t set to debut until 2024. We don’t have any concrete information on this but the report comes from Car Magazine’s George Kacher, who’s usually as reliable a source as you’ll find. So while this information isn’t officially set in stone, take is seriously. The next M5 is likely to be a 1,000 horsepower EV.
[Source: Car Mag]