Late last month, BMW whipped the covers of the facelifted 2021 5 Series, but it was more of a rolling game of spot the difference than anything, due to the extremely subtle exterior changes.
Unsurprisingly, BMW was holding out to release the range-topping M5 after the regular 5 Series had its time in the spotlight, but like a lot of recent BMW unveilings, it has been leaked ahead of the official launch.
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Posted to Instagram by user Wilcoblock, the image only shows the front three-quarters of the car, but looks like a spicier version of the facelifted sedan — as you'd expect to see.
At the front, the M5 adopts a set of restyled headlights, which are combined with bold daytime running lights. To add a muscular look, the air intakes have also been blacked out.
On the inside, the changes are expected to be just as modest, with potentially a new steering wheel and an upgraded infotainment system. Android Auto and Apple Carplay compatibility should be included in the latter.
At the business end of the sedan, the familiar 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 with 441kW and 750Nm of torque should still be there, where it's connected to an eight-speed auto transmission and all-wheel drive system.
This should match the current M5 that can hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds before topping out at 305 km/h.
Then there's the M5 Competition for those who want a little more beneath the right pedal. The upgraded power plant should be making around 460kW and 750Nm in this application, allowing a 3.3 second 0-100km/h time to be achieved.
We can expect full details and specs to be released in the coming weeks.