• BMW has unveiled its 2024 M5, which sports a M HBRID drive system.
• It features a 4.4-litre TwinTurbo V8 and electric motor to deliver a combined 575kW of power.
• The worldwide market launch of the new BMW M5 will start in November 2024.

The BMW M5, as well as most M-badged vehicles hold a special place in the heart of many petrolheads in South Africa as being the pinnacle of high-powered saloons. Now the Bavarian carmaker has revealed a 2024 iteration of the M5 that looks as powerful and more menacing than ever.

As you likely read in the headline, the M5 is rapid, mustering 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds, giving it the capability to go up against many supercars based on pure acceleration.

Delivering that performance is something interesting in the form of the M HYBRID system. That’s right, the new BMW M5 is a hybrid.

Under the bonnet the petrol-powered portion of the vehicle features a 4.4-litre TwinTurbo V8 that serves up a generous 430kW and peak torque of 750Nm. Coupled with the electric motor, the output rises to 575kW and 1 200Nm of torque thanks to a pre-gearing stage of the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.

“The combination of combustion engine and electric motor adheres to the same principle as the drive system in the BMW M Hybrid V8 endurance racing machine. The ability of the electric motor to generate its power instantly and the intelligently controlled interplay of the combustion engine and motor ensure the M HYBRID system responds without delay to every movement of the accelerator,” adds BMW of its capabilities.

Other numbers worth noting include a top speed that is limited to 250 km/h as standard, but the limiter can be raised to 305 km/h if the optional M Driver’s Package is specified, the car maker confirms.

“In all-electric operating mode, the new BMW M5 can hit speeds of up to 140 km/h (87 mph). The high-voltage battery located low in the car’s underbody has 18.6 kWh of usable energy, enabling an electric range of 67 – 69 kilometres (42 – 43 miles) in the WLTP cycle, which is unmatched by any rival,” BMW also points out.

While official pricing is yet to be shared, BMW has detailed when the new M5 is expected to hit selected markets.

To that end, the high-powered saloon takes a formal bow at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month in England, with production at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing beginning in July too.

The worldwide market launch of the new BMW M5 will start in November 2024 and will be accompanied by the introduction of Touring edition at the same time.

No mention has been made of whether South Africa will fall within this November window, but BMW has noted North America, Europe, the UK, South Korea, China, Japan, and Canada as key regions for the global launch.