I've driven the new, hybrid M5 and have some thoughts
Put down those pitchforks, people.
If you missed it this week, understandable amidst the furor around a certain other mid-week debate, there was swelling of angst churning around these internets after BMW released the details of the new M5. If you’re unfamiliar, the M5 has traditionally been BMW’s ultimate tool for those who want to get from A to B fast. Really, really fast.
A lot of people aren't digging the M5’s look, which is pretty par for the course for any new Bimmer these days. Having seen the car in person without its camouflage I didn't find it that bad. In fact, I think it looks good — excepting perhaps the oddly angular diffuser hanging off the back.
But then I find that the latest stuff coming out of Bavaria takes some time to sink in. For example, I hated the schnoz on the new M4 when I first saw it, but a couple years later, I now genuinely think it looks great. That's especially true for the new M4 CS, which I'll have more thoughts on next week (or thereabouts).
Anyhow, the real furor this week was not about the M5's styling for once, but its curb weight. The car has gained somewhere north of 1,000 pounds over the outgoing car, which is, as many people put it, quite a lot. Cue the endless articles saying it weighs more than this SUV or that truck.
My first impressions upon learning that fact were, indeed, shock, and if you read my full impressions of the car here at Road & Track, and you'll find the implications of that weight played out. When it lost grip, it generally lost it comprehensively at the front, understeering so terminally that the trick rear differential and rear-axle steering systems couldn't hope to turn physics around in its favor.
But in those words you'll also find me raving about a car that is ridiculously smooth and stable at ballistic speeds. I topped 160 mph in that car on the twisting, undulating back "straight" at the Salzburgring, which is fast for any car. I also did some serious curb-hopping in that thing, and it wasn't the least bit flustered.
And so I'm of two minds about the M5. Yes, that kind of weight gain in a subsequent generation of a car is difficult to swallow, but I think it's important to remember what this car is about. The M5 is meant to be a high-speed cruise missile on the Autobahn, plus an everyday luxury cruiser, and that extra weight hasn't compromised either duty in the least. Add in the additional practicality of emissions-free driving around town, and while I'm not exactly sold, I'm inclined to give this thing a chance.
Especially given there's a wagon coming...
Anyway, all I'm saying is don't be so quick to hate, but I'd love to know your thoughts. Drop 'em down in the comments, and if you want to know more, check out all my full coverage of BMW's latest:
Read my track impressions at Road & Track
Read more about the tech at Slashgear
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What does that mean for everything from EVs to e-fuels? I dug into it for my latest explainer.