THE HOLY GRAIL OF WAGONS HAS ARRIVED - INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW BMW M5 TOURING!
The BMW M5 Touring is a bit of a unicorn in the BMW M lineup, blending the practicality of a wagon with the insane performance of an M5. Over the years, there have only been a couple of variations, each one being as awesome as you’d expect. The story starts in the early 90s with the E34 M5 Touring which was the first of its kind and, at the time, it was the fastest wagon you could buy. It had a hydraulic self-levelling rear suspension to handle the extra load, making it not only quick but also practical. This fellow was fitted with a normally aspirated inline 6-cylinder lump with M Performance fettling to give it a healthy output of 250 kW (335 hp) with 400 Nm of torque. It featured a 5-speed manual transmission and power was sent to the rear wheels only. It could hit 100 km/h in a smidge under 6 seconds and was limited to a 250 km/h top speed. If you ever see one in the metal, count yourself extremely lucky as less than 900 units were built for worldwide consumption. Even though wagons were quite popular, the next incarnation only appeared in 2007 on the E61 platform. This one was a beast, and easily the best-sounding version ever, and that includes the latest one that’s just been revealed. This E61 M5 Touring packed a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V10 powerplant that screamed to an 8,250 RPM redline, delivering a Formula 1-like aural experience. It was rated at 378 kW (507 hp) with 520 Nm of torque and that power was directed to the rear wheels vis a 7-speed SMG transmission. This sizeable wagon featured the typical M treatment, including an adaptive suspension, and was touted as the last M5 Touring as BMW would only focus on sedans and SUVs. This 2nd generation was capable of a 0-100 km/h shunt in under 5 seconds and also had the typical 250 km/h limited top speed, which would rise to more than 300 km/h with the limiter removed. A little over 1,000 units were produced making it yet another rare and sought-after BMW. Just when the world thought wagons and estates were dead, public demand has seen some automakers revive wagons and the world is a better place for it.
After rival automakers revealed new powerful wagons, BMW decided to jump on the bandwagon and the BMW M3 Touring came into existence. It proved hugely popular and seems to have spurred the German automaker to create an M-powered wagon for the 5-Series platform, and it was just revealed. As expected, the car makes use of the latest technologies and so it features a hybrid powerplant that sees a monster of an ICE engine coupled to a small electric motor for more assistance. The M HYBRID drive system in the new BMW M5 Touring mates a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission. The ICE side develops a maximum output of 430 kW (585 hp) with 750 Nm of torque, while the electric component produces a maximum output of 145 kW (197 hp) with 280 Nm of torque. The power generated by the electric motor is instantaneous and the intelligently controlled synch between the engine and motor means delay-free response and linear power delivery into the top revs. This gives the BMW M5 Touring a standard top speed of 250 km/h, but in true BMW fashion, if you pay more you get more so the M Driver’s Package raises the speed to 305 km/h. Underpinnings include M xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which has been specially tuned to the performance characteristics of the M HYBRID drive system. 4WD is the default setting, but drivers can also use the M Setup menu to select 4WD Sport mode, which puts the M xDrive system into a rear-bias setup. Choosing 2WD mode with the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system switched off means the wagon can shred tyres like the Drift Brothers. There’s more tech and spec in the BMW M5 Touring than a Space X shuttle and you’d need a weekend to read up on it all, and that’s boring even if you’re a massive fan. The new King of Wagons should be available in Q4 of 2024. We’re nit sure how many will enter South Africa, but there must be at least a handful coming over.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off what has to be the new King of the Wagons, the all-new BMW M5 Touring complete with 727 horsepower and looks that kill: THE NEW BMW M5 TOURING | BMW M
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