I get that the new M5 needed to be a plug-in hybrid. Emissions laws are getting stricter in Europe so BMW should comply. In comparison with america, taxes are considerably larger for large-displacement engines. Giving the G90 an electrified powertrain has allowed the Bavarian model to dodge these issues on the Previous Continent. That has led to uncommon conditions the place the M5 is cheaper than the M3 as a result of the latter has a pure ICE setup with excessive emissions. Take Eire for instance, the place an M3 is €151,675 whereas an M5 begins at €137,048. How loopy is that?
Nevertheless, laws within the US is way extra relaxed. That raises a query – why not promote the M550i with a pure V8 engine? BMW has an M Efficiency model of the G60 with the absolutely electrical i5 M60. I don’t have an issue with that in any respect. It’s simply {that a} gasoline different looks like a no brainer. With out the hybrid bits added, an M550i can be considerably lighter than the full-fat M.
Not that you just want a reminder, however the brand new M5 is a porker. It weighs 5,390 kilos in US specification and a pair of,435 kilograms for its European sibling. M boss Frank van Meel advised High Gear earlier this yr that the plug-in hybrid {hardware} provides 400 kg (882 lbs). Doing the maths, it’s straightforward to think about how far more athletic an M550i can be.
Then there’s pricing. An M5 begins at an eye-watering $120,675 with vacation spot expenses included. A 540i xDrive prices $66,375, so there’s an enormous hole between the 2 that an M550i might fill. The outdated mannequin primarily based on the G30 was accessible in the course of the 2023 mannequin yr for $82,495 earlier than it went away. Assuming a worth improve, a next-gen M550i would roughly value $85,000. Even at $90,000, it will nonetheless undercut the M5 by $35,000.
Purists, traditionalists, or nonetheless you need to name them, would additionally choose a V8-only sports activities sedan over a plug-in hybrid that has an estimated electrical vary of simply 25 miles. Many would argue a PHEV setup provides pointless complexity to a efficiency automotive. Certain, it is smart in a Toyota Prius that’s constructed primarily with effectivity in thoughts however an M or M Lite automotive isn’t about gas economic system.
A Gasoline V8 Wagon Would Be Simply About Excellent
Now that America is lastly getting an M5 Touring, how nice would it not be for an M550i wagon to affix it? The G99 kicks off at a good larger $122,675 whereas a lesser M variant would doubtless nonetheless keep under six figures, a minimum of earlier than including choices. The ship has sailed for the smaller M3 Touring G81, however BMW isn’t ruling out bringing the next-gen mannequin stateside. Nevertheless, that’ll occur on one situation – if the M5 Touring might be a powerful vendor.
I’m removed from being the one voice speaking about how an M550i would match properly within the G60’s lineup. Earlier this yr, we spoke with a BMW official and he advised us sellers within the US are focused on a high-end 5 Collection Touring. Bernd Körber, Senior Vice President of BMW Model and Product Administration, Related Firm, stated solely upper-spec flavors of the G61 would make sense within the US. For that reason, the M5 Touring bought the stamp of approval first (and hopefully not the final).
“That’s why they [dealers] additionally emphasised that to make it work successfully, it should function inside this distinctive, high-power area of interest. Moreover, they said that solely top-tier merchandise, related to a singular design, are efficient.”
I perceive {that a} high-end G61 wouldn’t essentially should be a M550i. It might very nicely be a generously outfitted 540i and even an i5 M60. That stated, People love their V8 engines. As beforehand reported, the next-generation X5, X6, and X7 are anticipated to stay to a twin-turbo 4.4-liter mill beneath their hoods. We’re assured about US availability though we now have doubts concerning the G65, G66, and G67 preserving the V8 in Europe. Why? Due to the explanations I discussed at first.
M550i or M560e?
If BMW’s plan is to promote these SUVs with V8 engines in America however not in Europe, why can’t that be the case with the 5 Collection, too? Sadly, we haven’t heard any studies concerning the return of the M550i. There have been rumors relating to an M560e with a plug-in hybrid setup primarily based round a six-cylinder B58 engine. Nevertheless, an official affirmation has but to occur. We don’t suppose the G60/G61 lineup will get any new members anytime quickly.
Assuming there might be an M Efficiency model with a combustion engine sooner or later, our cash is on an M560e slightly than an M550i. If BMW has such plans, logic tells us the not-quite-M variant will arrive with the Life Cycle Impulse. The G60/G61 is believed to get iDrive X, the Panoramic Imaginative and prescient head-up show, and an optionally available passenger display with the vehicles manufactured from early 2027. That might coincide with the beginning of LCI manufacturing.
An M550i would make sense in different markets past the US. For instance, emissions laws usually are not as strict within the Center East the place you’ll nonetheless discover many new V8 vehicles. Rich consumers have an urge for food for large engines nearly all over the place on this planet. A few of them are delay by the considered shopping for hybrids, even these with eight cylinders.
I bear in mind what former M boss Markus Flasch stated in an interview with the German publication Auto Motor und Sport in late 2021. He promised the V8 would stick round a minimum of till the tip of the last decade. Even in 2024, that also offers BMW loads of time to promote an M550i ought to it need to do this, a minimum of in some components of the world the place it doesn’t have to fret about assembly tighter fleet emissions targets. Given the corporate’s lofty electrical ambitions spearheaded by the Neue Klasse platform, it’s actually now or by no means for the V8 to make its means into one other mannequin.
Within the age of downsizing, we should give credit score the place it’s due. Sure, the brand new M5 is heavy, however a minimum of BMW discovered a solution to hold the V8. If it might do one thing about bringing again the M550i with out electrifying it, that may be swell. Nevertheless, now that I give it some thought, maybe it will cannibalize gross sales of the M5…
