Upcoming BMW M5 Hybrid Will Pack 700-HP V8 From XM SUV

Nov. 17, 2022 6:17 AM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Rumor / 1 Comment

The new M5 will be a turbocharged hybrid monster.

We've known for some time that the current BMW M5 would likely be the last fully gas-powered model.

The upcoming hybrid M5 has been spied several times before, and now we have a lead on where that hybrid powertrain will come from.

It will come from the BMW XM, an upcoming flagship SUV with controversial styling. The power outputs, reported via a leak on the Bimmerpost forums, would make this the most potent M5 ever produced. According to a well-known BMW insider called "ynguldyn," the next-generation M5's hybrid powertrain will produce a massive 700 horsepower, 73 hp more than the current M5 CS.

The M5 will use the XM's S68 twin-turbocharged V8 engine, used in various BMW vehicles.

In the XM, it combines with electric motors to produce 644 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque or up to 735 hp and 735 lb-ft in the high-performance Label Red model that has yet to be officially revealed. BMW positions the XM as its halo M car, so it makes sense that the M5 will produce less power than the Label Red.

We wouldn't be surprised if the XM's hybrid setup found its way into other M products in the near future. The XM uses a synchronous electric motor integrated into the transmission. Like the XM, the M5 should use an M Steptronic eight-speed automatic transmission, sending power to an all-wheel-drive system tuned by the M department.

BMW M boss Frank Van Meel also told CarBuzz that an M5 station wagon is under consideration and could even come to America.

It makes sense because enthusiasts are clearly excited about the idea of owning a performance wagon. The Audi RS6 is already a cult icon, and Americans were deeply disappointed when they discovered that the M3 Wagon would not be introduced in the USA. We still maintain that there is a small, extremely dedicated crowd out there who would happily pay a premium for a wagon.

The next several years will be exciting for M5 fans, as we still have at least one gas-powered generation of Bimmer's high-performance executive barge to look forward to.