2025 BMW M5 Sedan – Review by David Colman +VIDEO

717Horsepower. That’s right, seven hundred and seventeen!

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Top candidate for my 2025 Hall of Fame is this remarkable new M5 from Bavarian Motor Werks. Until this Vegas Red Metallic bombshell arrived in my driveway, I had never tested any motorized vehicle with more than 550 horsepower. And that was a V-10 Hennessey Venom Viper some years ago. Well, this new Bimmer puts that La Brea tar pit Viper to shame. In the intervening decade, the automotive industry discovered the benefits of hybridization. The 2025 M5, a model internally designated G90, is BMW's first electrified M5. This all-wheel-drive "family car" takes the hybrid (internal combustion + electrification) duet to soaring new heights by conjoining a 577hp, twin turbocharged 4.4 liter gas V-8 to a 194hp AC motor. The net power output of the pairing is an astounding 717hp and 738lb.-ft. of torque. Viva Las Vegas!

My first throttle-flattening Freeway blast was performed even before I had a chance to read the spec sheet on the M5. Knowing BMW, I expected exceptional performance, but when I laid into this missile's loud pedal, the thrust surge was so unexpected I couldn't help exclaiming "Holy Spit!!" A subsequent check of performance documentation revealed that astral surge was no delusion. The G90 class M5 takes 3.0 seconds to reach 60mph from a stop, 6.7 seconds to reach 100mph, and flashes past the quarter mile at 130mph in 10.9 seconds. To give you some perspective on those numbers, I drag raced a fully prepared Porsche AWD 911 Turbo S at Sonoma Raceway, equipped with special high traction tires, and could not break into the 10's after four passes through the quarter mile. This phenomenally fast Bimmer will do just that in one pass, and the factory lists the M5's top speed at a mind-boggling 190mph. With a little aero and motor tweaking, you could qualify your M5 for the next Indy 500.

In the meantime, I would recommend using your diabolical M5 as a fully functional, luxuriously appointed family sedan. It's a role this vehicle performs exceptionally well. The exceptionally retentive "M Multi-Function" front seats are covered with "Black Extended Merino Leather," and headrests are branded with M insignias. Matching red and blue pinstriped M seat belts brighten the otherwise somber black interior and anthracite Alcantara headliner. A rich swath of brilliant carbon fiber dominates the width of the dashboard and extends into both front door panels. A modest $300 charge for "Carbon Fiber Silver Thread Highlights" is worth every penny for the splendid way it makes the array of carbon pop visually. Even better is the $3,100 you'll want to spend for the "M Carbon Exterior Package" which covers the entire roof plus both oversize rear view mirrors with more black magic than you'll find on a current F1 car.

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While all the statistics may seem to point to the hybrid M5 as a straight line rocket sled with marginal turn carving capacity, the exact opposite is true. Let's start at the contact patches, always prime territory when it comes to assessing handling potency. Up front, you'll find a set of 10-spoke gun metal gray alloys invigorated by silver spoke and rim highlights. These wheels measure 10.5" x 20" and mount 285/40ZR20 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z rubber. BMW up-sizes the rear alloys to 11" x 21," and fits them with matching Hankook radials up-sized to 295/35ZR 21. All tires are rated TW 300 for maximum dry weather stick. The "ZR" rating on the tires, by the way, means they're good to go 190mph.

But great stick at the contact patch is useless unless you have the suspension geometry and driver management means to match the potency of the rubber. In this case, BMW allows you to fine-tune your driving oversight with such a plethora of choices that you'll do well to sort out all the possibilities. The magic switch atop the transmission tunnel reads "SETUP." Pressing this will illuminate on the central display screen an intoxicatingly complex set of choices for you to make. The categories available for meddling are: Drive Logic/Chassis/Steering/Brake/M xDrive/Sound. The first two line items (Drive Logic & Chassis are available in Comfort, Sport, or Sport Plus modes. Steering and Brake offer Comfort or Sport options. M xDrive is limited to 4WD Sport or 2WD, while M Sound is either On or Off. Once you've got that all configured to your liking, you can further refine and distil your concoction with a pair of red thumb buttons mounted atop the steering wheel hub marked M1 (Left Side) and M2 (Right Side). These come courtesy of the $2,500 optional "M Drivers Package" and allow you to memorize and retain your favorite settings without resorting to the word salad menu on the center screen.

So, with all that said, how does this precocious baby handle a twisty road? Like it was born in Dingolfing, Germany, expressly for that job. You want to play F1 pilot? Dial all the settings to Sport or Sport Plus. There isn't a curve in the world this rig won't conquer. You want a quarrel free trip on the interstate? Dial the setting back to Comfort, and cruise like you own the fast lane…Because you do!

2025 BMW M5 Sedan

• ENGINE/MOTOR: 4.4 liter V-8, twin turbocharged, DOHC, 32 valve + AC Motor, 14.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, 7.4kW onboard charger
• HORSEPOWER: 717hp@6500rpm
• TORQUE: 738lb.-ft.@1800rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 50MPGe/14MPG Gas Only
• PRICE AS TESTED: $132,725

HYPES: King Kong is also a PLUG-IN Hybrid!

GRIPES: Fuggedaboutit

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman