When BMW launched the M3 Touring a little over two years ago, some were disappointed by the absence of a carbon roof. The G81 doesn’t have the lightweight panel, not even as an optional feature. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same story with its bigger brother, the new BMW M5 Touring. You get a metal roof as standard, or an optional panoramic sunroof.
Naturally, we decided to ask BMW why the G99 M5 Touring eschews the carbon roof as well. Surprise surprise, we got the same answer. It would’ve been too much of a hassle to adjust the assembly line to accommodate the carbon fiber roof. Although there has been much hype surrounding the M5 Touring, it’ll ultimately be a niche product.
Yes, even when considering the performance wagon will be sold in North America. With a steep asking price, it’s not going to be a popular car. BMW crunched the numbers and concluded that it would’ve been a costly endeavor to make changes at the factory for a low-volume product. The M5 wagon will be assembled in Dingolfing alongside the sedan, which entered production last month. The M3 models roll off the assembly line at the plant in Munich.
Would Have Saved A Tiny Bit Of Weight
Let’s face it – the carbon fiber roof wouldn’t have made much of a difference in terms of weight anyway. The M5 Sedan loses about 30 kilograms (66 pounds) if the lighter roof is ordered. The wagon tips the scales at 2,475 kilograms (5,456 pounds) in European specification. Sure, that extra weight is exactly where it shouldn’t be, at the top of the vehicle. It raises the center of gravity ever so slightly, so it might hamper handling. However, you probably won’t notice it.
We’d honestly have the glass roof anyway. What’s a few more kilos/pounds when the car is already extremely heavy? It makes the most of that elongated body and floods the cabin with light. BMW says the optional roof has the glass surface conceived as a body-mounted module extending from just behind the windscreen “deep into the rear” of the car. Ordering the M5 G99 with the glass roof means you’ll also get an electrically operated roller blind for interior shading.
Although the M5 wagons don’t have a carbon roof, you can get one on the lesser M340i, but that one too is limited to the sedan body style. We’ve seen M3 Tourings with their roofs chopped off to make way for a carbon panel. Chances are it’s only a matter of time before tuners will do the same with M5 Tourings.
