2025 BMW M5 review: Why social trolls are wrong about this car
Haters on social media were quick to hone in on and attack one attribute of BMW’s new car. This why they are wrong.
Fat-shaming has found its way to performance cars.
When BMW executive Frank van Meel unveiled the new M5 sports sedan, Instagram followers ignored its 535kW of power, 1000Nm of torque, and a top speed limited to 305km/h.
They were only interested in its 2.5 tonne weight.
MORE: BMW seals ‘perfect’ Bathurst win
Keyboard warriors were quick to dismiss the BMW’s athletic potential, and blamed a weighty plug-in hybrid system for “ruining” a modern muscle car icon.
“We showed some numbers including the weight and that was the only number people were talking about,” van Meel said.
“We underestimated, a little bit, the social media experience.”
Rather than disappearing into a tub of Haagen-Dazs, the M5 came out swinging to defend its honour.
MORE: BMW’s epic M5 driven
The luxurious hi-tech bruiser arrived at Mount Panorama just in time to take a victory lap following BMW’s victory in the Bathurst 12 Hour race.
We hunted down a track day warrior Porsche’s latest 911 GT3 RS on our first lap of the mountain.
Remember that weight-obsessed rock star that swaps metal for carbon fibre in its roof, bonnet, doors, roll cage and anti-roll bars?
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It turns out a matt grey gorilla with a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, Bowers and Wilkins hi-fi, can be pretty darn talented at speed.
Particularly when it borrows a boosted V8 from BMW’s Le Mans contender.
I’m not a racing driver.
But I saw 281km/h on Conrod Straight with a pace car driver in front of me determined to conserve tyres, brakes, and career prospects long enough for the next test pilot to have a go.
And we did that with ease, comfortably stopping for The Chase before hooking Hankooks into the tar to hunt the next victim.
To be fair, the Bathurst layout is essentially a wiggly bit atop a mountain linked by three drag strips at the bottom of the hill – a layout that favours straight-line handling.
It built the legend of the V8 engine in Australia.
The M5 feels at home in fast and flowing corners and surprisingly agile in medium-speed bends, though tighter turns do require your attention.
Unsurprisingly, it has the sure-footed traction and super-accurate steering of modern BMWs, along with minimal feel or feedback through the wheel.
Imposing on track, it’s even better on the road.
The hybrid system (and increasingly strict noise requirements) make it super quiet on start-up.
You can plug it into electricity and drive for 60-odd kilometres, or at speeds up to 140km/h, without using a drop of fuel.
That’s brilliant.
Like all plug-in hybrids, claimed fuel use numbers are fanciful. Forget trying to match the official 1.7L/100km sticker – you might use none around town and more than 10 times that in the hills.
Especially if you put it in attack mode and combine the hybrid system’s 145 electric kilowatts with a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 to send 535kW to the tyres – a truly enormous number that results in truly effortless thrust.
It’s laugh-out-loud rapid in a straight line, with a distant V8 roar that sounds like someone gunning past your climate controlled headquarters in a hot Mustang or HSV.
The folks who buy an M5 will likely have an impressive corner office, as this is not a cheap car.
Priced from $259,900 plus options and on-road costs, the M5 sedan remains a generously appointed luxury car with a surprising turn of pace.
Smooth and refined at sensible speed, it remains an outstanding daily proposition for wealthy enthusiasts.
Standard equipment includes an 18-speaker stereo, heated and cooled seats, fancy LED headlights and soft-touch merino leather in a choice of four colours.
It retains the duality of character the M5 has always had, a blend of luxury and performance now underpinned by quiet and efficient hybrid motoring.
Unlike hybrid-powered rivals that have struggled to resonate with buyers, BMW’s decision to keep the V8 and add hybrid boost has won support from the faithful.
Van Meel said his team doesn’t place a lot of weight in what competitors get up to.
“We made the decision to keep the V8 because it’s really important … demand for M5 is skyrocketing,” he said.
“We have already increased the production capacity a couple of times.
“If you are on the sea, you shouldn’t follow the beacons of other ships, you should navigate by the stars.”
VERDICT
BMW’s M5 remains a deeply impressive all-rounder with a staggering turn of speed.
4.5 stars
BMW M5
PRICE $259,900 plus on-road costs
ENGINE 4.4-litre V8 hybrid, 535kW and 1000Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICE 5-yr/u’ltd km, $5089 for 5 yrs
SAFETY 7 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert
THIRST 1.7L/100km
CARGO 467 litres
SPARE Repair kit
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