The ‘deep purple’ Daytona Violet Metallic G90 BMW M5 proves to be a real highway star
Munich, Germany - Any evolution to the BMW M5 genus gets enthusiasts into a buzz of excitement, because of the legendary status attributed to the nameplate.
With an illustrious history of motorsports-inspired models, there’s a reason why “M” in BMW’s vernacular is regarded as the most powerful letter in the automotive alphabet.
See also: David Khoo drives the OG, first-gen BMW M5, the E28
However, when a model like this is placed high on a pedestal, it also attracts the most amount of attention, of both the good and bad variety.
The latest G90 M5 (the M5 Touring’s model code is G99) is the seventh model in a line of express executive sedans that can be traced back to the mid-1980s with the one that started it all – the E28 M5 sedan.
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The M5 was designed to deliver ballistic, cross-border, cruise(r)-missile ability in an understated, but well-equipped four-door four-seater executive sedan form – the definitive stealth bomber, if you will.
Through the generations, the stealth bomber aspect of the M5s has stayed true to the original brief, and they continue to be recognised only by eagle-eyed anoraks.
Apart from the M5 badging and our demo-car’s eye-catching Daytona Violet Metallic, this latest model exudes a muscular grace, wears functional but discreet aero addenda, as well as brandishes the M5’s distinctive dual-exit tailpipes.
To drive, the M5s feature fearsome firepower, but they don’t pretend to be hardcore sportscars, nor are they luxo-barge limos.
The prodigious power is employed to dispatch distances with aplomb, yet the chassis is honed to offer a sporting feel for driving enthusiasts.
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Most importantly, unlike the average lux-limo, the M5 is a car to be driven, as opposed to being driven around in, even though there's room in the rear for three.
The cabin is a balanced mix of analogue and digital, with light, colours, animation and even sound conspiring to create a high-tech M ambience.
Like before, the bright-red M1 and M2 ‘triggers’ on the steering wheel recall your favourite dynamic presets, while the buttons on the centre console provide shortcuts to the screen menu for more in-depth customisation.
The latest G9x M5 has spawned both a sedan (just under S$800k), as well as a gorgeous M5 Touring (just over S$800k), which we’ve included in our “2024: Year in Cars” supplement that is out in December.
At its heart is a monster 4.4-litre V8 working in tandem with an electric motor, which produces a combined 727hp and a massive 1000Nm.
The additional M Hybrid electric hardware, size spurt, higher equipment levels and a whole barrage of active/safety features also mean the new M5 twins now post a two-over-tonne kerbweight.
The extra weight due to the hardware has been the point of some contention on the social media circus and it doesn’t help that the greatest (by our estimation) and most recent M5, the phenomenal F90 M5 CS (a strict 2+2 seater), weighs-in at 1.8-tonnes.
Just for some perspective, even from 2005, the V10-engined rear-drive E60 M5 was already knock-knock-knocking on 1.8-tonnes – the E61 M5 Touring was 1.9+-tonnes – not lightweight by any stretch of the imagination!
However, time and progress marches on and at present, there aren’t many other petrol-electric powerhouses in this same segment as the latest hybridised M5.
The next closest we can think of is the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid and that’s 2+-tonnes as well, so although you might not like it, the added weight has become a consequence of having the electric hardware around.
The key is how the chassis has been engineered to dispense with the hulking weight, although that was no um, lightweight task (no pun intended).
This generation adds Integral Active Steering to the suspension and chassis tweaks, which helps impart more agility to the 5.1m long car.
Of course, this is not to say we would take it for a spanking on the race-track, and clearly BMW recognises this too, seeing as the launch was held on highway and winding roads – true to the M5's raison d'être.
On the move, it’s eminently silent and can remain so, because it will travel in electric mode for up to a range of 60+km and achieve a top speed of 140km/h if so desired. This is more than enough to get you in/out of the suburbs before you unleash the beast.
The G90’s highway cruising manners are beyond reproach, as it hunkers down the faster you go. We touch almost 300km/h on an unrestricted stretch of road and it proves to be confident and stable even during hard braking and with slight steering corrections.
It’s never floaty, just reassuringly planted, with a pliant ride that inspires ample confidence.
Even in the damp, the M xDrive does a good job of tracking the car true, yet is rear-drive-biased enough in 4WD Sport for the enthusiastic driver to have fun in all sorts of surface conditions.
So that’s the M5 playing the part of the executive expressway express convincingly, but what about the cross-country excursions across the winding country roads?
The M5 isn’t a small car, but it has been engineered to deliver a sporty driving experience, so you can never call it cumbersome.
The immediacy of that fat wedge of torque makes light of its two-over-tonnes, although it can be disconcerting to blast this beast down the straights of the country roads into blind corners.
This is a car you need to drive smoothly to achieve the sort of brisk fluidity that munches up the miles. On narrow tight roads, you can’t expect to manhandle it like a lightweight sportscar, but thankfully, the optional carbon-ceramic brakes work really well to shed excess speed from the M5 if you overcook things.
It’s more benign than boisterous, and although it isn’t the sort to raise a ruckus, it has enough brute force to administer the smackdown to finish it if needed.
The G90 is even more grown-up than before and has become even more relentlessly fast to dominate distances, if that’s even possible. However, we do reckon there’s still enough latitude for BMW to create lightweight and even more hardcore versions.
The G90 M5 sports sedan adds a new twist to the term “hypermiling”, because thanks to the hyperspeeds it can achieve, it has the preternatural ability to munch-up huge cross-country miles, and this remains peak M5 behaviour.
BMW M5 (G90)
Engine 4395cc, V8, twin-turbo
Power at rpm 585hp at 5600-6500rpm
Torque at rpm 750Nm at 1800-5400rpm
Electric Motor 22.1kWh (gross), 400V
System Power 727hp
System Torque 1000Nm
Transmission 8spd M Steptronic auto
0-100km/h 3.5secs
Top Speed 305km/h (with optional M Driver’s Package)
Price est. S$800k
