BMW has been under fire lately because of the new M5’s worryingly high curb weight. However, that was to be expected considering the 550e xDrive isn’t exactly a lightweight car either. With a bigger V8 instead of an inline-six, it’s not a shocker the super sedan tips the scales at 2,435 kilograms. The North American version weighs 5,390 pounds. Lest we forget the G90 is also a substantially larger car than the F90 before it.
In an interview with CarBuzz at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the BMW M boss explained why the M5 ended up weighing so much. Essentially, Frank van Meel argued this was a compromise since a fully electric variant would’ve been even heavier. Keeping the V8 and making the car comply with stricter emissions regulations was only possible with a plug-in hybrid setup. In addition, the PHEV allows the M5 to dodge the huge taxes applied in some countries on high-emissions vehicles.
“[An electric M5] needs more than just batteries. You need the whole architecture, the electronics, the high-voltage system… So this was actually the best that we could do right now.”
The mayor of M Town believes going the plug-in route “is still the best because it combines the classic V8 properties with a real plug-in hybrid system.” The seventh generation of the M5 has a lithium-ion battery pack with a net capacity of 18.6 kWh. That’s enough juice for an electric range of 43 miles (69 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. The EPA rating isn’t out yet but that number will likely decrease.
In a previous interview with Top Gear magazine, Frank van Meel admitted a fully electric powertrain was considered early in the development stage. Smaller combustion engines were not. An inline-six would’ve made the front section too long while a four-cylinder unit would’ve been “crazy” to put in an M5.
Looking ahead, there will be a full M car with a purely electric setup before this decade ends. BMW has already confirmed the 3 Series-like i3 will get the M treatment. It won’t be called iM3 but we do know it’s coming in 2027 or 2028 on the Neue Klasse platform.
Source: CarBuzz
