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Four decades ago, 1984 to be precise, BMW’s Motorsport subdivision—known simply as M—responsible for the Bavarian marque’s racing exploits, conjured up a ludicrous idea of taking the handsome mid-sized E28 5 Series and cramming the legendary and slightly upgraded 3.5-litre inline 6-cylinder (210kW/340Nm) from the legendary M1 supercar into the engine bay of a 535i chassis. With that masterstroke, the mighty M5 story was written.
The E28 boasted independent suspension, and brakes were clamped by four pistons up front, while the interior boasted bucket-type seats to ensure you remained anchored to your seat during lateral movements while driving spiritedly. It boasted a 6.5-second 0-100km/h sprint time that was proper sports car-baying. I was privileged to drive all generations of the M5 during the F90 press launch in Portugal back in 2018, and the E28’s tour de force is that inline-6 engine. A turbine-smooth-revving mill with that signature wail we have come to love of the Bavarian marque’s classic powerplant.
Of course, this wasn't enough for the M boffins, so in 1988, they ushered in another handbuilt M model, the E34 version of the M5, with an increased displacement of 3.6 litres and a power output of 232kW, followed by a 3.8-litre and 250kW in 1992. It was the latter model that I did manage to paddle in Portugal, and it was finished in the lovely Daytona Violet lick of paint, and those “throwing star” style M alloys look achingly good even today.
More businesslike in execution, I reckon this is where the M5 was coming into its stride and ticking all those boxes that remain the building blocks that define the big-daddy Fiver… Space, comfort, and executive appointments are all wrapped up in a corporate suit with bulging muscles to remind you of its colossal power, enough to rattle even the Ferrari 348!
The year 1999 came along, and so did the sodded millennium bug story that was touted to crash all computers as the clock ticked over to the year 2000. We all know how that turned out, right? Back in Munich, the E39 M5 was born with the model's first major engine change. Out went the inline-6 of the past models, and in came the 4.9-litre V8 with 294kW and 500Nm, which was enough for a 4.8-second 0-100km/h, making it, once again, the fastest saloon on the planet. It is an engine endowed with huge mounds of torque, giving incredible tractability and trigger-sharp throttle responses. It is considered by many as the pinnacle in the M5 book, as it was perhaps the last to offer an analogue driving sensation.
With the E60 M5, BMW M, once again, broke the rule book and brought yet another first for the top-dog saloon, this time a high-revving 5.0-litre V10 paired exclusively with the SMG gearbox for South African models—US customers were blessed with a 6-speed manual variant. It was also perhaps the most controversially styled M5, yet arguably one of the most scintillating—thanks to the S65 V10 engine that spun up to 8,250r/min all the while emitting a spine-tingling engine note.
The SMG transmission was laborious, to say the least, especially at slow speeds, and one ought to adapt their driving style by lifting off the throttle while changing gears. I mean, this is essentially an automatically actuated manual gearbox, so there’s more than a method to the madness. Driving it at full tilt with every setting pegged on full attack mode, however, saw all those niggles quickly forgotten as that M5’s merits glisten with a sheen that will rival the stars in the cosmos. Despite its flaws, this M5 stands out as one of the best I've ever driven.
Back in 2011, the F10 M5 broke onto the scene, and, with it, yet another new direction was taken with the model, ushering in a 4.4-litre twin-turbo—the first turbocharged M5. Purists frowned upon this move, and for good reason, as up to this point every preceding M5 had been normally aspirated. This also meant that the glorious engine notes of previous M5s had all but gone with this model. What it lacked in aural splendour, it more than made up for in the muscle and efficiency aspects. With 412kW and 680Nm going to the rear wheels via a 7-speed M DCT gearbox, it was also the most tail-happy M5 that chewed through its rear tyres at a rather alarming rate. Perhaps one of the most forgettable M5s, but it remains the genesis of the turbocharged era that remains true to this date.
2018 marked the introduction of the F90 M5, the first to boast an adaptable four-wheel-drive system that can decouple the front axle to make it an instant smoke machine. All-wheel traction made the 441kW and 750Nm an effective sprinter, returning low 3-second acceleration times that placed it among the fastest-accelerating cars. It remains a bane for superbike owners, with many sheepishly admitting that they were handed a proper hiding by one of these. In its Competition guise, it also posted quicker times around Phakisa International Raceway than the Audi R8 V10 and Porsche 911 GTS during our 2021 TopGear SA Speed Week!
Enter 2024 and the G90 M5, arguably the most controversial M5 to date. The first to bring hybridisation to the range. Tipping the scales at over 2.4 tonnes, it is also the heaviest M5 yet. Many keyboard warriors have slagged this model, and, admittedly, I too was rather concerned about the added weight and the slower-quoted 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds compared to the outgoing F90 M5 Competition. Of course, the only way to quell any would-be misgivings was to put the vehicle through its paces. So, no sooner had the BMW M Fest at Kyalami concluded than the latest M5 drove onto my driveway for this feature. Yes, we were officially the first publication on SA soil to get our hands on the latest M5 to see how it fares. Right off the bat, I must mention that the pictures do not do justice to this M5’s styling. While some proportions might look odd in pictures, nothing quite prepares you for the visual assault that this latest model commands. And commands it does!
Especially finished in this Isle of Man Green hue, this car has a presence in spades. As its first port of call, we nosed it towards Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, to meet the AMG brigade you see in this feature. Up to this point, I had only driven the vehicle on the track during the M Fest pre-event media day, so driving it on the road would give me the complete repertoire of the vehicle. The first thing to grab you is how big the vehicle’s cabin is, but also how well-insulated and impressively finished it is compared to the F90. All materials are of the top-drawer variety, with both perceived and tactile qualities thoroughly licked. It gives an executive impression with sporty vibes, and that’s staying with the M5’s design brief.
The first thing to grab you is how big the vehicle’s cabin is, but also how well-insulated and impressively finished it is compared to the F90. All materials are of the top-drawer variety, with both perceived and tactile qualities thoroughly licked. It gives an executive impression with sporty vibes, and that’s staying with the M5’s design brief. Those large, sumptuous leather pews up front are reminiscent of cinema seats and offer excellent support. Lashings of carbon fibre slivers and leather inlays festoon the cabin in a very tasteful manner.
Under the bonnet is the now tried and tested 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo with 430kW and 750Nm, now aided and abetted by an 18kWh battery to bring total system output to an impressive 535kW and 1,000Nm dispatched through an 8-speed automatic transmission driving all corners of the vehicle. The Bavarian claimed to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, and we were marginally faster to the benchmark at Gauteng altitude, with a best time of 3.46 seconds. The top speed, meanwhile, is 305km/h. That is more than quick enough for a 2.46-tonne family sedan. Where the new M5 truly shines, in my books, is the in-gear acceleration. No matter where in the rev range you are, even in the higher gears, there’s a huge wedge of torque available at your beck and call. Flick your right toe on the throttle, and the big M5 tightens its Bavarian lederhosen and teleports you to the horizon faster than you can say Prost with your mates at the Oktober Beer Fest.
Its distillation of speed is the stuff of urban legend and will leave you and your passengers stupefied. By my rudimentary calculations, you will have to pay a few million more on a vehicle to show this M5 a clean pair of heels, such is the performance on offer. Then there is the level of refinement and, dare I say it, efficiency that we have never seen in any M5 that came before. We averaged 11.1 litres per 100km during our Joburg to Dullstroom trip, which is mightily impressive. You can essentially travel in electric mode at a speed of up to 140km/h with a maximum range of 69km, according to the WLTP consumption index.
Slotting the M Hybrid mode into eControl recharges the battery on the move, and I found this the most efficient way to replenish the battery when not at home and plugged into the mains. Dynamic Plus, meanwhile, gives you the full quota of battery performance for those short bursts, and it is here that M5 ferocity makes its presence felt, with some of the team members jumping out of the vehicle feeling either nauseated or simply overwhelmed by the power and performance offer. One team member lamented, "It's actually too much for road use!” he exclaimed.
Where the vehicle comes undone, however, is in the way it rides over small bumps where its heft unfortunately cannot be camouflaged. Sadly, that stems from the inherent weight that comes with lithium-ion batteries, and the M5 is not immune to this. In case you were wondering, there will be an M5 Competition coming later in 2025; however, details are quite sketchy in this instance. Suffice it to say it will have a tweaked suspension setup and a slight bump in power.
The M5 remains the Godfather, the patriarch with immense power that hardly needs to drum its chest and howl from the rafters to prove its power and dominance. It steers surprisingly well considering its weight, while the carbon ceramic brakes were well up to the task of arresting it from speed.
At a base price of R2.69m the M5 is relatively well-priced relative to the outgoing G90 M5. It offers more in every aspect; space, luxury, power, performance, and, surprisingly, efficiency. You would be hard-pressed to find a more rounded performance sedan at this price. To put it another way, the W206 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, which is a class below the M5, commands a standard price of R2 390 139 following a recently readjusted downward pricing.
The BMW M5 remains the Godfather, the prominent patriarch in the M stable, thanks to the immense power that hardly needs to drum its chest and howl from the rafters to prove its power and dominance. It steers surprisingly well considering its weight, while the carbon ceramic brakes were well up to the task of arresting it from speed.
Now that is true power. Instead, it prefers to do things nonchalantly, dealing with the mundane everyday trudges that are expected of a sedan, but when its power is called upon, it delivers in a manner that only an M5 can. All hail the king of saloons, then? The answer is a resounding yes! The fact that it has won our “Surprise of the Year” at our 2024 TopGear SA Magazine Awards, largely due to its relatively keen list price of R2 690 000, is yet another feather in its well-decorated cap.
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