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Having debuted the new M5 sedan in June, German luxury brand BMW has used the Monterey Car Week being held now in California, the US, to reveal the new M5 Touring — the wagon version of the performance sedan.
Market launch is in November 2024, and the company says Germany, the US, UK, Canada and Switzerland will be the first to get it. BMW SA confirms the model will not be on sale in SA.
With this bitter pill out of the way, the premise of the M5 Touring is of a vehicle that can load more stuff and blitz racetracks with equal aplomb. The load capacity can be expanded from the standard 500l to a maximum of 1,630l, with the option of a trailer coupling to pull a maximum 2,000kg.
Apart from the ability to cart a couple of Labradors at hairy speeds, the model is a rarity in the company’s catalogue. The last BMW M5 Touring the company created was the V10-powered E61 from 2007, preceding the 1992 E34. This makes the new model only the third estate version to come out of the storied 40-year legacy of the M5 that spawned seven generations.
The latest model with the internal G99 code name is powered by the same M Hybrid drivetrain in the sedan. It pairs a 430kW/750Nm 4.4l twin-turbo petrol V8 with an electric motor with outputs of 145kW/280 Nm. The power train’s just as adjustable, with potential to drive 67km on electric power alone at speeds of up to 140km/h.
When both motors are on song the total system output is 535kW and 1,000Nm, and the M5 uses the standard all-wheel drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and to reach a top speed of 250km/h. The top end can be raised to 305km/h with the optional fitment of the M Driver’s Package.
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