2024 BMW M5 may be the brand’s last high-performance V8 – report
The next-generation BMW M5 is said to pair a plug-in hybrid system with a powerful twin-turbo V8, and it could be the brand's last.
The 2024 BMW M5 could be one of the last V8 engines to come from the brand, if the latest rumours of our Europe prove to be true.
According to a new report from UK publication Autocar, the next-generation M5 may get 560kW from a plug-in hybrid, twin-turbo V8 powertrain when BMW unveils the high-performance model in 2023.
With Europe eyeing a ban on petrol and diesel car sales by 2035 – with highly-restrictive emissions laws expected to come into effect by 2030 – it could be the last petrol-powered V8 engine to come from the German marque. A number of other European car makers have already signalled their intention to go all-electric by 2030.
The BMW M5 could also be set to turn into a more rakish four-door coupe, dropping the traditional sedan body the model has had since the 1980s. If that turns out to be the case, the M5 could take the place of the M8 Gran Coupe.
While details of the 2024 M5 are by no means confirmed, the latest rumours suggest the model will match a newly-designed 'S68' twin-turbo petrol V8 engine with a 150kW electric motor and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system, shared with the upcoming BMW X8 M (or XM) performance SUV.
It's expected the powertrain will allow owners to use the M5 as a zero-emissions electric vehicle for daily commuting duties, while still having access to its high-performance V8 when travelling longer distances or when called for in enthusiastic driving scenarios.
Plug-in hybrid cars currently on sale typically allow battery-electric driving of 40 to 70 kilometres.
With news BMW has recently trademarked the M7 badge, a high-performance 7 Series sharing the M5's PHEV V8 powertrain – underpinned by the brand's CLAR architecture – is not entirely out of the question.
The 2024 M5 will be one of the very last BMW models to use CLAR, before the German car maker adopts its 'Neue Klasse' platform – designed to better accommodate the company's move towards an electrified model line-up by the end of the decade.
Fully-electric versions of the 5 Series and 7 Series are expected by 2023, likely to be badged as the i5 and i7 respectively.
It's expected a high-performance i5 M model will eventually follow in 2025, using three electric motors to deliver around 600kW. The electric M car will be sold alongside the plug-in hybrid M5, as the manufacturer works to transition its customers from petrol power to electric.