I get that the new M5 had to be a plug-in hybrid. Emissions regulations are getting stricter in Europe so BMW must comply. Compared to the United States, taxes are substantially higher for large-displacement engines. Giving the G90 an electrified powertrain has allowed the Bavarian brand to dodge those problems on the Old Continent. That has led to unusual situations where the M5 is cheaper than the M3 because the latter has a pure ICE setup with high emissions. Take Ireland for example, where an M3 is €151,675 while an M5 starts at €137,048. How crazy is that?
However, legislation in the US is far more relaxed. That raises a question – why not sell the M550i with a pure V8 engine? BMW has an M Performance version of the G60 with the fully electric i5 M60. I don’t have a problem with that at all. It’s just that a gasoline alternative seems like a no-brainer. Without the hybrid bits added, an M550i would be substantially lighter than the full-fat M.
Not that you need a reminder, but the new M5 is a porker. It weighs 5,390 pounds in US specification and 2,435 kilograms for its European sibling. M boss Frank van Meel told Top Gear earlier this year that the plug-in hybrid hardware adds 400 kg (882 lbs). Doing the math, it’s easy to imagine how much more athletic an M550i would be.
Then there’s pricing. An M5 starts at an eye-watering $120,675 with destination charges included. A 540i xDrive costs $66,375, so there’s a huge gap between the two that an M550i could fill. The old model based on the G30 was available during the 2023 model year for $82,495 before it went away. Assuming a price increase, a next-gen M550i would roughly cost $85,000. Even at $90,000, it would still undercut the M5 by $35,000.
Purists, traditionalists, or however you want to call them, would also prefer a V8-only sports sedan over a plug-in hybrid that has an estimated electric range of just 25 miles. Many would argue a PHEV setup adds unnecessary complexity to a performance car. Sure, it makes sense in a Toyota Prius that’s built primarily with efficiency in mind but an M or M Lite car isn’t about fuel economy.
A Gas V8 Wagon Would Be Just About Perfect
Now that America is finally getting an M5 Touring, how great would it be for an M550i wagon to join it? The G99 kicks off at an even higher $122,675 whereas a lesser M variant would likely still stay below six figures, at least before adding options. The ship has sailed for the smaller M3 Touring G81, but BMW isn’t ruling out bringing the next-gen model stateside. However, that’ll happen on one condition – if the M5 Touring will be a strong seller.
I’m far from being the only voice talking about how an M550i would fit nicely in the G60’s lineup. Earlier this year, we spoke with a BMW official and he told us dealers in the US are interested in a high-end 5 Series Touring. Bernd Körber, Senior Vice President of BMW Brand and Product Management, Connected Company, said only upper-spec flavors of the G61 would make sense in the US. For this reason, the M5 Touring got the stamp of approval first (and hopefully not the last).
“That’s why they [dealers] also emphasized that to make it work effectively, it must operate within this unique, high-power niche. Additionally, they stated that only top-tier products, associated with a unique design, are effective.”
I understand that a high-end G61 wouldn’t necessarily have to be a M550i. It could very well be a generously equipped 540i or even an i5 M60. That said, Americans love their V8 engines. As previously reported, the next-generation X5, X6, and X7 are expected to stick to a twin-turbo 4.4-liter mill underneath their hoods. We’re confident about US availability although we have doubts about the G65, G66, and G67 keeping the V8 in Europe. Why? Because of the reasons I mentioned in the beginning.
M550i or M560e?
If BMW’s plan is to sell those SUVs with V8 engines in America but not in Europe, why can’t that be the case with the 5 Series, too? Sadly, we haven’t heard any reports about the return of the M550i. There have been rumors regarding an M560e with a plug-in hybrid setup based around a six-cylinder B58 engine. However, an official confirmation has yet to happen. We don’t think the G60/G61 lineup will get any new members anytime soon.
Assuming there will be an M Performance version with a combustion engine at some point, our money is on an M560e rather than an M550i. If BMW has such plans, logic tells us the not-quite-M variant will arrive with the Life Cycle Impulse. The G60/G61 is believed to get iDrive X, the Panoramic Vision head-up display, and an optional passenger screen with the cars manufactured from early 2027. That could coincide with the start of LCI production.
An M550i would make sense in other markets beyond the US. For example, emissions regulations are not as strict in the Middle East where you’ll still find many new V8 cars. Wealthy buyers have an appetite for big engines almost everywhere in the world. Some of them are put off by the thought of buying hybrids, even those with eight cylinders.
I remember what former M boss Markus Flasch said in an interview with the German publication Auto Motor und Sport in late 2021. He promised the V8 would stick around at least until the end of the decade. Even in 2024, that still gives BMW plenty of time to sell an M550i should it want to do that, at least in some parts of the world where it doesn’t have to worry about meeting tighter fleet emissions targets. Given the company’s lofty electric ambitions spearheaded by the Neue Klasse platform, it’s truly now or never for the V8 to make its way into another model.
In the age of downsizing, we must give credit where it’s due. Yes, the new M5 is heavy, but at least BMW found a way to keep the V8. If it could do something about bringing back the M550i without electrifying it, that would be swell. However, now that I think about it, perhaps it would cannibalize sales of the M5…
