It was almost a year ago exactly that BMW unveiled the first-ever production M3 Touring sport wagon. And after the enormous amount of hype and media attention that the M3 Touring received, the Bavarian brand has now announced that it will soon be bestowing the same treatment onto its 5 Series wagon with its forthcoming BMW M5 Touring.
The upcoming M5 Touring will mark the third of its kind in the company’s history, coming on the heels of the M5 Touring E34 in 1992 and the E61-gen M5 Touring in 2007. The body of the M5 Touring is based on the existing 5 Series wagon, though features a number of unsurprising changes such as fender flares, a full M aero kit, an M-specific grille and front-end. BMW has also confirmed that the M5 Touring will come loaded with M Carbon ceramic brakes. We also anticipate the M class’ regular carbon-clad interior. It is, however, unclear if the M5 Touring cabin will feature a stick shift — whether it comes standard or as an available option.
Thus far only partially shown off through teaser images, this upcoming M-spec wagon will be the first-ever M5 touring of the hybrid variety, with the new model being kicked along by a completely newly developed partially electrified drive system. According to inside sources, the upcoming sport wagon’s hybrid powertrain will be good for roughly 800hp and 750ft-lbs of torque — all of which will be sent to the ground via BMW’s M xDrive four-wheel drive system. Like the M3 Touring, we also anticipate the Touring-spec M5’s performance capabilities to be on par with its non-wagon counterpart. Likewise, track-bred amenities like the Adaptive M suspension package with a double-joint spring strut front axle, a five-link rear axle, electronically controlled shock absorbers, and M Servotronic steering are also expected to be present on the forthcoming high-performance sport wagon.
The BMW M5 Touring’s first prototypes are scheduled to begin testing in the coming weeks. Additional information about the forthcoming model regarding its specs and release date will trickle out over the next year.
