We don’t have a crystal ball to see into BMW’s future, but we generally know what the Munich higher-ups are planning. However, we must admit defeat every now and then because we’re left wondering what the Bavarians are testing with mysterious prototypes. Such is the case here with a fully camouflaged sedan. It hides the Neue Klasse front fascia but is not the recently teased electric M3 (“ZA0”) since it has a combustion engine.
Footage shot from behind the prototype clearly shows a quad exhaust system. Is it the next-gen M3 with a gasoline engine? We don’t think so. This interesting sports sedan looks bigger than the “G84” test cars spotted last year. In addition, the German license plate ending in “E” indicates it’s either a plug-in hybrid or an EV. Given the visible exhaust tips, it can only be a PHEV.
The profile appears to feature door handles from the current-generation 5 Series. But it seems way too early for BMW to already be testing a Life Cycle Impulse for the M5. After all, deliveries of the “G90” kicked off only a few months ago. Ok, then, what is it? Perhaps we’re dealing with an M Performance version to sit alongside the purely electric i5 M60.
BMW has refrained from launching another V8-powered M550i, but there have been reports about an M560e. Perhaps the German luxury brand is planning an electrified inline-six for the 5 Series LCI? That would explain the “E” license plate in conjunction with the quad exhausts, which have recently trickled down to M Lite models.
According to our intel, BMW will start production of the facelifted 5 Series in March 2027. That’s still a couple of years away, but the official debut will likely occur sooner. Assuming this is an M560e, testing its plug-in hybrid powertrain would make sense, considering the company doesn’t sell this “G60” flavor.
Whatever this is, we’re hoping we haven’t been duped by AI tricks…
Source: wilcoblok / Instagram
