Photo: BMW AG. The G90 BMW M5.
Forty years and seven generations in, the M5 plugs in. The G90 pairs a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and a battery, and BMW rates the combination at 717 hp and 738 lb-ft in the US, making it the most powerful M5 BMW has built. It also weighs 5,390 pounds. How BMW reconciles those two numbers is the story of this car. BMW's US M5 release
The V8 still does the heavy lifting
The engine is the S68, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with a cross-bank exhaust manifold. On its own it makes 577 hp between 5,600 and 6,500 rpm and 553 lb-ft from 1,800 rpm, and it revs to 7,200 rpm. BMW's US M5 release
The electric half lives inside the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic, where a permanently excited synchronous motor and its power electronics add up to 194 hp and 207 lb-ft. A pre-gearing stage patented by BMW multiplies that torque to as much as 332 lb-ft at the transmission input, which BMW says lets a compact motor do the work of a far larger one. BMW describes the whole system as closely related to its M Hybrid V8 endurance race car. BMW's US M5 release
Don't add the peaks together. The engine's 577 hp plus the motor's 194 comes to 771, but BMW's system rating is 717 hp. Outside the US, BMW quotes 535 kW, or 727 metric horsepower, and 1,000 Nm. BMW's international M5 release
The battery, and the range question
The lithium-ion battery sits in the underbody, which BMW says lowers the center of gravity. The US release lists 14.8 kWh of usable energy and about 25 miles of projected electric range. BMW's US M5 release BMW's UK release quotes 18.6 kWh usable, 42 to 43 miles on the European WLTP cycle and up to 87 mph on electric power. BMW's UK M5 release BMW of North America told BMWBlog the gap reflects depth-of-discharge limits, which it said are generally strictest in the US. BMWBlog on the battery figures
The EPA's listing for the 2025 sedan shows 27 miles of electric-plus-gasoline range per charge and 14 mpg combined on gasoline alone. EPA rating
Five modes, from electric to flat out
An M HYBRID button sets the mode. HYBRID, the default, blends both sources; on a nearly empty battery, the engine works harder to recharge it while full output stays available. ELECTRIC keeps the V8 asleep until the driver hits kickdown or grabs the paddles. eCONTROL holds or builds charge for electric running later in a trip. The optional M Drive Professional adds DYNAMIC, for sustained track work, and DYNAMIC PLUS, which BMW says delivers full system power for brief periods on a circuit. Boost Control works between 20 and 90 mph: hold the left paddle for more than a second and the powertrain and chassis jump to their sportiest settings. BMW's US M5 release
Drive reaches the road through M xDrive and an Active M Differential. BMW says the transfer case is lighter and more efficient than before and can handle more torque, and 2WD is still there once DSC is fully off. BMW's US M5 release Our M xDrive explainer has the details.
Carrying 5,390 pounds
The 2018 F90 M5 launched with 600 hp, 553 lb-ft and a carbon-fiber roof, at 4,370 pounds, and BMW quoted 3.2 seconds to 60 mph. BMW's 2018 M5 release The G90 has 117 hp more but is 1,020 pounds heavier, and BMW quotes 3.4 seconds. By our arithmetic that is about 7.5 pounds per horsepower, against 7.3 for the 2018 car. The torque pays it back in the mid-range: BMW claims 50 to 75 mph in 2.9 seconds in fifth gear and 2.2 in fourth. BMW's US M5 release
The chassis is built around the mass. BMW added shear panels front and rear, tower-to-front-end struts and an underfloor cross-bar, uses aluminum for front axle parts and the rear subframe, and fits Integral Active Steering as standard, turning the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees. The body is 3 inches wider at the front wheels and 1.9 inches at the rear than a regular 5 Series, over 285/40 ZR20 front and 295/35 ZR21 rear tires. Six-piston front calipers clamp 16.1-inch discs. Optional carbon-ceramic brakes save about 55 pounds, and the M Carbon roof more than 66. BMW's US M5 release
F90 to G90
The F90 grew stronger over its run: BMW rated the 2021 M5 Competition at 617 hp, BMW's M5 Competition release and the 2022 M5 CS at 627 hp, billing it at launch as the quickest and most powerful production BMW yet. The CS ran for one model year, and its two rear bucket seats made it the first four-seat M5. BMW's M5 CS release The G90 moves the ceiling 90 hp past the CS and pays for it in pounds.
The wagon crosses the Atlantic
The G99 M5 Touring shares the drivetrain. BMW calls it the first M5 Touring ever offered in the US, after earlier M5 wagons in 1992, on the E34, and in 2007, when the V10 generation got one. BMW's M5 Touring US confirmation It made its North American debut at Pebble Beach on August 15, 2024, priced from $121,500 plus $1,175 destination, with preliminary figures of 5,530 pounds, 3.5 seconds to 60 mph and 17.7 to 57.6 cubic feet of cargo space. BMW's US M5 Touring release The sedan launched at $119,500 plus the same destination charge. BMW's US M5 release The smaller M3 Touring never made the trip.
What it means for M
BMW names the US as the M5's largest single market. BMW's international M5 release In BMW M's record 2025, with 213,457 vehicles sold and more than 72,000 of them in the US, the company named the M5 sedan and Touring key growth drivers. Its chief, Franciscus van Meel, described a range spanning electric, partly electric and pure combustion cars. BMW M's 2025 results Both body styles also get a "100 Jahre Nürburgring" edition, orderable from September 2026 in Nürburgring Green; BMW's release does not list markets. BMW's Nürburgring edition release
The G90 will not win a weigh-in against the car it replaces. It answers with 738 lb-ft from 1,800 rpm, electric running on request and a rear-drive mode for the right day. That is a different kind of M5, and BMW is betting on it.
Specifications from BMW's published press materials and the EPA; US and international figures differ where noted. TUNERS has not driven the car.
