But only for a limited time.
This month will mark the cinematic debut of the Lexus LC 500 in Black Panther, but movies aren't the only media platform automakers use for product placement. Video game graphics and physics are more realistic than ever before, allowing developers to produce painstakingly accurate replications of real world car models for potential consumers to experience in video games before they go on sale. You may remember last year when the Porsche 911 GT2 RS was revealed alongside the new Forza Motorsport 7 game simultaneously.
Likewise, the new BMW M5 made its world debut not at a traditional motor show, but at GamesCom in Cologne marking the fact the car could be driven in Need for Speed Payback long before it arrived in showrooms. Electronic Arts has announced the all-new BMW M5 is now available to race in Need for Speed No Limits, the free-to-play smartphone version of the long-running racing game version. You'll have to hurry though, because the sport sedan will only be available between now and February 9 as part of the game's Xtreme Racing Championship ahead of the car's market launch in March. During this time, players will be able to register for the championship.
They then have seven days to drive the BMW M5 in a series of challenging races, and the winners will be able to permanently unlock the model. Need for Speed No Limits first launched in 2016 and has since become one of the most popular mobile racing games with several million downloads, an active community, and over 11 billion races completed. Players can unlock and customise a wide range of vehicles and compete with other players around the world in various racing modes. Other BMWs available to drive in the game include the 1999 BMW M3 Coupe, 2014 BMW M4 Coupe, and BMW M2, with the new M5 representing the fastest car in the Sports category.
According to BMW, gamers have clocked up around 480,000 hours in the new BMW M5 in Need for Speed Payback before its market launch in March – that's the equivalent of around 55 years, so it's pretty effective advertising.
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