The G90 arrives carrying a battery and a lot of questions
The new M5 is a hybrid. That sentence has been causing consternation in enthusiast circles since BMW confirmed it, and the consternation is understandable even if the end result does not fully justify it. The G90 M5 uses a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 paired with an electric motor to produce a combined output of 727 horsepower, which converts to approximately 535kW at the wheels. Zero to 100 kilometres per hour takes 3.5 seconds. These are supercar numbers delivered by a four-door sedan.
The V8 itself is the S68, an evolution of the S63 unit that powered the F90 M5. It produces around 530kW on its own. The electric motor adds the remainder and handles the low-end torque fill that turbocharged engines have traditionally been slow to provide. The result is a drivetrain with essentially no lag from any point in the rev range, which solves one of the few criticisms anyone levelled at the F90’s engine.
How the hybrid system actually works
This is not a full plug-in hybrid in the way that term is sometimes used to describe cars that drive primarily on electricity. The G90 M5 can be plugged in and will travel somewhere in the vicinity of 30 to 35 kilometres on battery power alone in gentle conditions, which is a useful daily commute capability but not the primary reason the system exists. The primary reason is performance.
The electric motor is integrated with the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and works in concert with the V8 at all times in normal driving. It fills torque gaps, assists under hard acceleration, and recovers energy under braking. BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel drive system manages power distribution across all four wheels. The combined effect is a car that launches with a ferocity that the F90, impressive as it was, could not match.
In electric mode the M5 is genuinely quiet and comfortable and will satisfy anyone who needs to cover short urban distances without burning premium fuel. In Sport or Sport Plus mode, the electric component becomes invisible – you are simply aware that you have access to enormous power from essentially zero revs, which is the best kind of magic trick because it feels effortless rather than dramatic.
The weight issue, addressed honestly
The G90 M5 weighs approximately 2,300 kilograms. That is a lot. For comparison, the F90 M5 Competition came in around 1,950 kilograms, already not a light car. The G90 is roughly 350 kilograms heavier than its predecessor, and that weight is felt. Not in a way that makes the car unpleasant – BMW’s engineers are good at their jobs and the suspension, brakes, and steering are all calibrated to manage the mass effectively – but the car does not pretend to be light.
On a technical road with tight corners and elevation changes, the G90’s weight becomes relevant. The steering does not feel as immediate as the F90’s. Direction changes require a bit more commitment. Brakes that feel robust in normal driving are doing meaningful work if you push hard for extended periods. A track day in a G90 M5 is possible and will be impressive in a straight line, but you will notice 2,300 kilograms through corners in a way that the old car did not demand.
For the kind of driving that most M5 owners actually do – long highway distances, fast country road runs, occasional spirited stints – the weight is close to irrelevant. The car simply covers ground with unsettling ease regardless of what the scales say.
Australian pricing and LCT reality
Pricing for the G90 M5 in Australia sits at approximately $250,000 to $280,000 drive-away depending on specification and options. At that price point, Luxury Car Tax is a significant factor. The LCT threshold for non-fuel-efficient vehicles is well below the base price of this car, which means you are paying LCT on a substantial portion of the purchase price. That adds tens of thousands of dollars to the total cost and is worth understanding clearly before signing anything.
Running costs are meaningful. The V8 drinks premium fuel and uses it at a rate that reflects having 727 horsepower available. The battery does extend pure electric range for short trips, which can reduce fuel use in genuine daily driving, but anyone buying this car for fuel economy is misunderstanding the product. Servicing is dealer-only, tyres are expensive and wear quickly under hard use, and the hybrid system adds complexity that will eventually require attention.
How it compares to the F90 M5 CS
The F90 M5 CS was the outgoing performance flagship – 467kW, around 1,825 kilograms, considered by many to be the best driver’s M5 ever made. The G90 is faster in measurable terms. It accelerates harder, covers ground quicker, and handles the real world of highway speeds and variable conditions with absolute confidence. Whether it is more engaging to drive is a different question with a less clear answer.
The F90 CS felt connected in a way that 2,300-kilogram cars find harder to achieve. The G90 is phenomenally capable and technically superior in almost every measurable category, but it does some of its work invisibly rather than through the driver’s hands and feet. That is not a failing – it is a deliberate choice, and it is the choice most buyers in this category will prefer – but it is worth understanding if you are comparing them.
The case for buying it anyway
At $250,000 to $280,000 drive-away, the G90 M5 is not a casual purchase. But measured against its direct competitors – the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, the AMG GT 63 E Performance, the Audi RS7 – it is competitively priced and technically competitive with all of them. For a buyer who wants the most performance in a four-door package, who drives long distances at high speed, and who wants the practical benefits of a plug-in hybrid alongside the performance numbers, the G90 M5 makes a coherent argument for itself. The weight is real. The speed is realer.