You’ve seen the spy shots and now it’s time to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Yes, the next-generation M5 will be going hybrid by pairing a combustion engine with an electric motor. In an interview with the media, at the BMW M’s headquarters in Garching, a company official confirmed plans for a partially electrified setup.
BMW M workshop manager Hans Rahn said the new M5 will be a plug-in hybrid, adding it will retain the twin-turbo V8 engine. He refrained from going into any details, but the gasoline unit can only be the new S68 unit. It has already been installed in a couple of production cars, namely the X7 M60i and the 760i.
The next step is to put the S68 mill into the XM, which will be arriving in production guise before the end of the year. Together with the electric motor, the PHEV setup will be good for 650 hp and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft). Could we expect similar figures for the new M5? It’s too soon to say, but we do know the plug-in hybrid system will receive a more potent configuration for a range-topping version of the XM. It’s expected to match the electrified muscle of the namesake concept, so look for somewhere in the region of 750 hp and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft).
The S68 equipped with mild-hybrid tech will trickle down to all large M models, so it’s only a matter of time before we’ll see it in the X5 and X6. The SUV duo will be getting a mid-cycle facelift that will spell the end of the M50i derivative. In its place, BMW will introduce another M Performance version – the M60i – to mirror the X7 M60i.
It’s not just road cars that are being electrified as the motorsport division is also hard at work preparing a hybrid setup. Debuting June 6, BMW’s Le Mans Daytona (LMDh) prototype will be equipped with a V8 and an electric motor.
The next M5 is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2024 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original E28 M5.
Source: Which Car
