Many carmakers would give anything to have the kind of performance-heritage and brand loyalty boasted by BMW. But it sure can work against you, too.
Click here to read our full review of the BMW M5 sedan
The M5 is a case in point. Long a sublime example of subtlety and high-performance finesse, it’s evolved into a substantial performance-PHEV with lots of angles, lots of technology and lots of weight (minimum 2.5 tonnes). And lots of people aren’t happy, despite it still being incredibly fast and capable.
Maybe it would help if BMW turned it into a station wagon, and then doubters could stop being annoyed at the profligacy of a once-classic sedan and be wowed by the perverse pleasure of a low-to-the-ground (ie not an SUV) practical family hauler with 1000Nm of torque.
The M5 has evolved into a performance-PHEV with lots of angles, lots of technology and lots of weight.
Oh hang on, it just did. Meet the Touring version of the 7th-generation M5; although this is actually only the 3rd time BMW M has made an M5 wagon version in the sedan’s 41-year history.
The M5 is still a phenomenal machine by any measure. The combination of a 4.4-litre biturbo V8 and plug-in hybrid system (18.3kWh battery, 69km electric range) produces a combined 535kW/1000Nm.
You can dial the car back into a RWD drift mode. You’d have to be very brave/skilled to do that. And definitely be on a racetrack.
No, it’s not quite as fleet-of-foot as M5s previous, but its performance and handling abilities are staggering. And if you loved science experiments at school, you’ll love this M5: virtually every aspect of the car can be configured to your liking individually (everything from engine to braking feel), with the ability to save favourite combinations via the big red M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel. Honestly, you could own this thing for years and still not get to the bottom of the dynamic possibilities.
And yes, you can dial back the AWD into a RWD “drift mode”. You’d have to be very brave/skilled to do that in this car. And definitely be on a racetrack.
This M5 Touring partly exists because BMW has been pleasantly surprised by the response to the M3 Competition Touring.
The Touring is exactly the same specification as the sedan, except for an additional 50kg (which doesn’t matter a jot in a 2.5-tonne car) and the fact that it’s a wagon. Which will always make it cooler among an enthusiast crowd, but especially when it looks so better than the sedan, which has some less-than-ideal-looking angles from the rear.
In truth, it’s not super-practical as a large wagon could be, because the tailgate aperture is relatively narrow. And possibly because the plush carpet and surrounding trim is way too nice to dirty-up. But for a paltry extra $4k (this is a $251,000 machine, remember), this has got to be the pick.
Since you’re asking, that awesome colour is Isle of Man Green and the interior is BMW Individual leather in Kyalami Orange. Go on, you know you want to.
This M5 Touring partly exists because BMW has been pleasantly surprised by the response to the M3 Competition Touring, which looks even cooler but isn’t anywhere near as comfortable/capable as a day-to-day driver than the M5 Touring; although it’s a much more nimble performance machine for sure.
How long this Touring resurgence carries on before SUVs destroy us all remains to be seen, but we’re loving it.
