There are fast sedans.
There are luxury sedans.
Then there is the BMW M5 — a car that has spent the last four decades proving that business meetings can be attended sideways.
And now, welcome to the seventh-generation BMW M5, codenamed G90. First launched back in 1984, the M5 has always been the automotive equivalent of a German CEO secretly doing MMA on weekends. But for 2025, BMW has done something controversial. Something dramatic. Something that made internet comment sections explode harder than a Nürburgring engine failure compilation.
They made the M5… a plug-in hybrid.
Yes, the world’s favourite autobahn missile now has an 18.6 kWh battery pack, an electric motor, regenerative braking, and enough weight to qualify as a small moon. Purists panicked. Keyboard warriors cried. Gym trainers suddenly became automotive engineers. But BMW simply responded with the calm confidence of a company that has been making fast sedans longer than most startups have existed.
Because despite all the drama, this is officially the most powerful BMW M5 ever made.
And after spending time with it, one thing becomes very clear: this car may have gained weight, but it has absolutely not lost its attitude.
Meet The ₹2 Crore Executive Menace
In India, the BMW M5 comes in a single fully-loaded petrol plug-in hybrid variant priced at around ₹2 crore ex-showroom. That makes it significantly more expensive than the standard 5 Series, which starts at ₹76.50 lakh. But then again, the standard 5 Series also doesn’t try to rearrange your internal organs every time you touch the accelerator.
This new-generation M5 is a CBU imported directly from BMW’s Dingolfing plant in Germany, where engineers probably drink espresso while casually building 700-horsepower sedans before lunch.
Designed by José Casas, the G90 M5 looks less like a luxury sedan and more like something sent by Germany to settle arguments physically. It is wider, angrier, lower, and packed with enough aerodynamic detailing to make aircraft engineers curious.
And yes, there’s also an estate version internationally. Sadly, India doesn’t get it. Which is unfortunate, because nothing says “successful parent” like overtaking supercars in a station wagon while carrying groceries.
Design: Like A Mafia Boss Wearing A Tailored Suit
The first thing you notice is the sheer road presence.
At over 5.1 metres long and nearly 2 metres wide, the new M5 looks enormous. Park it beside normal sedans and suddenly they start looking like interns.
The illuminated high-gloss kidney grille dominates the front fascia with complete authority. Thankfully, unlike some recent BMW designs, this grille doesn’t look like it’s trying to inhale small animals. It actually works well here. The adaptive LED twin headlights add sharpness, while the active air flap control system helps improve cooling and aerodynamics intelligently.
Then come the delicious M-specific details.
The wheel arch extensions give the car a muscular stance. The carbon fibre roof not only looks fantastic but also reduces around 30 kg of weight. Which is BMW basically saying, “Yes, we know the car is heavy, so please let us have this one.”
From the side, the classic Hofmeister kink remains intact, reminding everyone that BMW still remembers its heritage despite adding batteries and giant screens everywhere.
The electrically adjustable carbon fibre ORVMs are loaded with features including memory, auto-dimming, cameras, parking assistance, and indicators. Essentially, these mirrors are smarter than some laptops from 2015.
At the rear, things become wonderfully aggressive.
You get slim LED tail lamps, a carbon fibre spoiler, two-section diffuser, quad exhaust setup, and black chrome tailpipe finishers that look ready to declare war on environmental regulations.
And in Marina Bay Blue — the shade you see here — the M5 looks sensational. Other options include white, grey, black, green, red, and additional premium shades. BMW will even charge you up to ₹11.50 lakh for certain optional paint finishes. Because apparently paint is now a luxury investment category.
Wheels, Brakes & The Physics Department’s Worst Nightmare
The M5 rides on staggered wheels: 20-inch alloys at the front and gigantic 21-inch units at the rear. Multiple wheel designs are available, but all of them scream performance.
Wrapped around these alloys are specially developed Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z tyres — 285-section at the front and absurdly wide 295-section at the rear.
And thank heavens, because this car weighs 2,510 kg.
That’s nearly 500 kg heavier than the previous M5. Which means somewhere in Munich, BMW engineers were probably sacrificing sleep, sanity, and maybe furniture trying to hide that mass.
Standard brakes are massive discs front and rear, but if your wallet enjoys emotional suffering, you can opt for ₹20.50 lakh carbon ceramic brakes. That’s enough money to buy an entire hatchback just to stop this sedan more aggressively.
The suspension setup is equally serious. Double wishbone architecture at the front, five-link rear axle, bespoke kinematics, adaptive M suspension with variable damper control, electronically controlled shock absorbers, and active roll stabilization all work together to convince physics that this two-and-a-half-ton sedan is actually a sports car.
And somehow… it works.
The Great Weight Debate
Now let’s address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the elephant sitting inside the car.
Yes, this M5 is heavy. Very heavy.
BMW enthusiasts across the internet criticised the car before even driving it. Many pointed out that the previous M5 had a better power-to-weight ratio — 335 hp per tonne compared to this new car’s 299 hp per tonne.
BMW M CEO Frank van Meel defended the hybrid setup by explaining that strict emissions regulations made electrification necessary.
And honestly? He’s right.
Because despite the added mass, the new M5 remains violently quick.
Engine: Twin-Turbo V8 Meets Electricity And Creates Chaos
Under the hood sits BMW’s legendary S68 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 paired with a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor and an 18.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Combined output?
717 horsepower.
1000 Nm torque.
That is not a typo.
That is a declaration of war.
The petrol engine alone produces 585 horsepower and 750 Nm, while the electric motor contributes another 197 horsepower and 280 Nm.
This makes the M5 the first BMW M sedan ever to combine the S68 engine with plug-in hybrid technology.
And this engine already serves in monsters like the X5 M, X6 M, XM, Alpina XB7, Range Rover Sport SV, and Defender Octa. So clearly it has experience in moving large aggressive objects very quickly.
Power goes through ZF’s brilliant 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox with Drivelogic and BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. But here’s the fun part — you can switch to rear-wheel-drive mode.
Which means yes, this 717-horsepower luxury missile can still become a tyre-smoking hooligan whenever you want.
Performance: A Business-Class Rocket
The numbers are outrageous.
0-100 kmph happens in just 3.5 seconds.
0-200 kmph takes only 10.9 seconds.
Let that sink in.
This is a luxury sedan with massage seats and ambient lighting reaching 200 kmph faster than most people finish choosing Spotify playlists.
Top speed is electronically limited to 250 kmph, but with the optional ₹5.30 lakh M Driver’s Package, it rises to 305 kmph.
Electric-only top speed? 140 kmph.
Which means technically, you can silently cruise faster than many sports cars while pedestrians hear artificial BMW IconicSounds Electric noises generated through the audio system.
Modern motoring is wonderfully strange.
Drive Modes: Multiple Personalities, One Criminal Record
The M5 comes loaded with driving modes including:
Hybrid
Electric
eControl
Track
Dynamic
Dynamic Plus
Then there are steering modes: Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus.
Launch Control is included too, because BMW clearly believes heart attacks should be optional.
There’s also Boost Control for instant acceleration bursts, while the optional ₹2.10 lakh M Drive Professional package adds 10-stage traction control, M Drift Analyser, Track Mode, and M Laptimer.
Imagine explaining to someone in 2005 that future luxury sedans would include built-in drift scoring systems.
Interior: Fighter Jet Meets Five-Star Hotel
Inside, the M5 balances luxury and aggression beautifully.
The red Merino leather upholstery looks spectacular, though white, black, and brown themes are also available. Carbon fibre trim stretches across the dashboard, while aluminium and wood trim options exist for buyers who prefer their 700-horsepower sedan with a little more “luxury lounge” energy.
The electrically adjustable M multifunction seats are superb. Heated, ventilated, memory-equipped, and aggressively bolstered enough to hold you in place during enthusiastic driving.
The flat-bottom M steering wheel with the red 12 o’clock marker feels fantastic to hold, while the illuminated M1 and M2 buttons allow instant access to your preferred driving setups.
And yes, pressing those buttons feels like activating combat mode.
BMW’s curved display setup combines a 12.3-inch instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen running BMW Operating System 8.5.
Features include:
Navigation
Augmented View
Remote Software Updates
M Laptimer
Voice Control
Wireless smartphone integration
MyBMW App connectivity
3D maps
Personal assistant
Remote services
Interior camera
Head-Up Display
There’s also a 655-watt 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system that sounds so crisp you may accidentally start respecting classical music.
Rear seat practicality remains decent despite the performance focus. The 40:20:40 split-folding seats improve versatility, while boot space stands at 466 litres.
Not exactly wagon practicality, but enough for a weekend trip and several expensive driving gloves.
Safety: Faster Than Your Thoughts, Safer Than Your Relatives Expect
BMW has packed the M5 with safety systems like a German engineering overachiever.
You get seven airbags, ABS, brake assist, active stability systems, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, parking assistant plus, attentiveness assistance, lane departure warning, lane change assist, emergency stop assist, collision warnings, and much more.
Optional Driving Assistant Professional adds semi-autonomous driving features that cost around ₹3.10 lakh.
There’s even acoustic pedestrian protection that warns nearby people during low-speed EV driving.
So yes, even the pedestrians get Dolby Atmos alerts now.
The Final Verdict
The new BMW M5 is controversial.
It is heavy.
It is electrified.
It is expensive.
And yet, it remains deeply, gloriously insane.
Because beneath all the batteries, regulations, and hybrid technology lies the same M5 philosophy that began in 1984 — taking a luxury sedan and turning it into something completely unreasonable.
The G90 M5 may not be the lightweight brute enthusiasts dreamed about, but it compensates with unbelievable technology, brutal acceleration, immense grip, and a split personality that no rival truly replicates.
One moment it behaves like a silent EV luxury sedan.
The next moment it becomes an angry V8-powered Bavarian apocalypse machine.
And honestly, that duality is exactly what makes the M5 special.
This is not merely a fast sedan anymore.
It is a rolling argument against moderation.
