► BMW M5 Touring finally revealed
► Looks like the saloon, but with 1630-litres of bootspace
► Just 0.1 seconds slower in a straight line
It’s finally here! You’re looking at the M5 Touring, a thumping steak of engineering from Munich’s increasingly busy M-division. There are no surprises here; it’s heavy, practical, shares butch styling with the just revealed M5 and it’s mind-bendingly quick – you can read our prototype review for just how quick. Keep reading for all the specs and other details.
It looks angry
It does, but that’s no surprise because it borrows the same formula as the standard M5 and adds a little more practicality. At 5096mm long and 1970mm it has an identical footprint to the saloon, but grows 75mm wider at the front arches and 45mm wider at the rear ones, when compared to the normal Touring. Overall its 36mm longer and 70mm wider than the standard car.
BMW’s designers have tried to reduce the illusion of weight and size by adding tapering lines along the side of the car. Do they work? We’ll leave it up to you to decide. At the rear, the M5 Touring also gets a gaping two-section diffuser to push it to the ground – or at least look aggressive – and there’s a roof spoiler too for extra downforce.
Just like the saloon, the M5 Touring also gets BMW’s new illuminated grille outline.
What about the specs?
The M5 Touring uses the same hybrid system as the saloon: an electric motor with a 18.6kWh battery puts energy through the gearbox, along with a 4.4-litre V8 – though the two can work independently: in EV-only mode, range varies from 38 to 42 miles.
Power is limited to 195bhp and 206lb ft with a 87mph top speed when you’re only tapping into the electric motor, but unleash the turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 too, and you get a combined 717bhp and 738lb ft. That works out to a 0-62mph sprint of 3.6 seconds (just 0.1 slower than the saloon) while 124mph comes in just 11.1 seconds. Top speed is limited to 155mph but can be unlocked to 189mph if you opt for the M Drivers’ package.
Munich’s engineers have also spent time on the chassis. There’s double wishbone front axle up front, and the underside of the car is also braced with M-specific shear elements front and rear, all designed to keep torsional rigidity as high as possible. The M5 Touring also gets near-50:50 weight distribution.
As you’d expect, there are a range of modes available as in the saloon, ranging from hybrid to electric and e-Control (which works on maintaining battery charge). There’s also a track mode, a dynamic mode and an all-out dynamic plus mode for qualifying laps. In an estate. Anyway, like other M cars, BMW will let drivers play around with the car’s performance brain, with a range of parameters around DSC customisable to the nth degree.
And inside?
The M ethos aims for performance outside but luxury within, and the M5 Touring nails the brief. There are M multifunction seats that are both heated and ventilated (passengers up front and an optional panoramic roof is also available to add more natural light to the cabin.
You’ll find all the usual semi-autonomous features under the hood including Parking Assistant Professional, that will cover distances of up to 200m when slotting the BMW into a space for you.
Like the standard car, most functions are pinned to a huge, curved display. The M cars get a Bowers & Wilkins sound system included as standard.
How much?
Order books are open now, and the M5 Touring will cost £112,500. If you do put your name down, expect a delivery in early 2025 after assembly in BMW’s Dingolfing plant – alongside the saloon.