Chris Harris has officially declared war on rear tires—with BMW’s blessing this time. After nearly four months of living with the new BMW M5 (G90) as a daily driver, Harris was finally unleashed at Thruxton Circuit, where he could explore the wilder side of M’s 717-horsepower hybrid beast. Until now, BMW UK had asked him not to turn the new M5 into a tire-smoking YouTube spectacle. But all that changed when they handed him not just the keys—but also a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tires. You know where this is going.
The video starts tame enough, with Harris attacking corners in 4WD mode, clearly impressed by how well this 2.5-ton luxury sedan handles serious speed and direction changes. But things take a hard turn—literally—when he engages 2WD mode and completely deactivates DSC. The result? Pure, unfiltered drift chaos.
A Tail-Happy Beast
Now pushing all 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm of torque) to the rear wheels alone, the M5 transforms into a tail-happy beast. Harris expertly balances the car at the limit, showing that despite its heft, the G90 M5 is ridiculously controllable, even under serious duress. We’re talking fifth-gear drifts at 110 mph, at which point the active M differential starts waving the white flag due to overheating.
Even then, Harris shrugs it off stating that he prefers the new G90 M5 to the AMG or Audi RS models. That’s high praise coming from someone who’s thrashed every performance sedan on the planet. His verdict? The G90 BMW M5 is by far the best hybrid sedan he’s ever driven—dynamic, planted, and genuinely fun.
And perhaps most surprisingly, tire wear isn’t catastrophic even after 20 minutes of fast laps and a few more minutes of heavy drifting. Yes, there’s plenty of smoky drama, but the car doesn’t shred rubber like a track-only drift missile.
