The BMW M5 car model is an icon to say the least! In fact, I have a hard time remembering when I first saw a BMW M5. The BMW M5 has meant a lot to a lot of people, including myself. The first generation BMW M5 with the model designation E28 was built between 1984 and 1988. It had a straight six-cylinder engine with 286 horsepower and took you from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 6.5 seconds.

The second generation BMW M5, the E34, arrived in 1988 and was built until 1995. It also had a straight six-cylinder engine, just like its predecessor. For the second generation BMW M5 E34, the power was increased to 340 horsepower. It reached the 100 km/h mark in between 5.9 and 6.4 seconds, depending on the version and whether it was sold in Europe or the USA. It was also with the BMW M5 E34 that the car was offered in the so-called Touring version, or in Swedish kombi, for the first time.

In 1998, a new version of the BMW M5, the E39, was due to arrive. By then it had a 5-litre V8 engine with 400 horsepower. 0 to 100 kilometres per hour was possible in 5.2 seconds. I photographed Jocke "Qvarnis" Qvarnström together with his BMW M5 which was nicknamed "Qraftwerket". Qvarnis had tuned it quite a bit, so it had 828 horses. With Qraftwerket, Qvarnis won the prestigious Scuderia Hanseat course at Nürburgring.

It was precisely with Qvarnis that I myself went Scuderia Hanseat, that was in 2009. I had arranged for us to borrow a Mercedes AMG SL65 Black Series to drive the course. A rather large and extreme car, to say the least, to learn to drive at the Nürburgring with if you have never driven there before. But Qvarnis could really Nürburgring like few others and was a perfect teacher for me. Here you can see a lap from that trip as I drive the Mercedes AMG SL65 Black Series around the Nürburgring in 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

My first visit to the Nürburgring was in connection with a DTM race that Audi invited Martin Westerstrand and me down to. Then Martin and I got to go with Mr Thed Björk, who was also there, on a lap of the Nordschleife in Thed's rented Seat Altea 1.9 TDI. Thed had driven and competed in the Nürburgring 24-hour race several times, so he had one hundred per cent control of what he was doing and sat and talked around the lap, while Martin and I were extremely impressed and partly terrified. Here you can see a film from that shipyard, in Swedish though.

After the V8 version of the BMW M5, it was time for the BMW M5 E60. An even bigger engine had been chosen, a 5-litre V10 with a whopping 507 horses. This was in 2004, and that version of the BMW M5 was built until 2010. The BMW M5 E60 was also my first experience of the BMW M5. Martin Westerstrand and I borrowed it and did an article for Slitz magazine. The BMW M5 E60 was a brutal car to say the least and the worst I had ever driven at the time. The top speed was, in the original version, locked at 250 km/h. But if you opted for the M Driver's package, it was raised to 305 km/h.

In 2011 came the generation of the BMW M5, the F10, which was the one that was current before the BMW M5 that this article is about. With the BMW M5 F10, they had chosen to reduce the number of cylinders and once again offered a V8 engine with 560 horses. You can read my article on the BMW M5 F10 here.

A version of the BMW M5, the F10, was also released with the Competition option. It had 625 horsepower and could sprint from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 3.3 seconds, instead of 4.3 seconds like the one without the Competition add-on. You can read my article on the BMW M5 Competition here.

So with all that said, it's time to focus on the car that this article is going to be about, namely the new BMW M5 called G99. It has kept the number of cylinders, which is 8, in V-formation. However, an electric motor has now been added, making the new BMW M5 a hybrid. Together with the electric motor, the engine package generates a whopping 727 horsepower. To get you to 100 kilometres per hour, it takes 3.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 kilometres per hour, but as with previous models, the barrier is raised to 305 km/h if you choose the M Driver's package.

The weight of the BMW M5 Touring stands at 2,550 kilograms. Compared to the first-generation BMW M5 E28, which weighed 1,430 kilograms, that's an increase of over a tonne. It's a lot, and it's noticeable, but thanks to 441 more horsepower and a host of other improvements, the new BMW M5 Touring is still playful. If you want it to be extra playful, you can relatively easily convert the new BMW M5 to rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive. Of course, it's fun if you know what you're doing, but with 727 horses and only on the rear tyres, you should have an extremely good grip.

The BMW M5 has come in a Touring version three times. The last was the E60 generation, which arrived in 2004, and before that it was the BMW M5 generation E34, which arrived in 1988. But now those who want to pack the whole family can fit everything in the new BMW M5 Touring. In the back and with the seats up, there is room for 500 litres. If you fold the rear seats, which are divided 40/20/40, you can fit a total of 1,630 litres. With the roof box and towbar fitted, the BMW M5 Touring can carry a maximum of 2,000kg.

As a true environmentalist, you probably won't buy the new BMW M5 from the start. But if you do, you can proudly say that you are contributing to the transition with your new BMW M5, and that you can actually drive on pure electricity between 6.1 and 6.7 miles according to the WLTP driving cycle, in mixed driving and depending on equipment. To fully charge the battery from empty, it takes 1 hour and 41 minutes. The maximum power to charge is 11 kW, so no fast charging in other words.

The feeling I get after driving the new BMW M5 Touring is mixed. Comparing it to the model with the V10 engine, the new one feels much nicer. But of course, the really hard car is still there in the new version of the BMW M5. As a family parent with relatively unlimited finances, I would definitely choose the new BMW M5 Touring. As my headline read, this is a soft best in its best form and with a long history.

BMW M5 Touring  

Price: from SEK 1 615 000.  

Engine: 4.4 V8, twin turbo petrol, electric motor  

Power: Total power 727 hp. 1 000 Nm. Petrol 585 hp, electric 197 hp  

Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel drive.  

Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.  

Top speed: Electronically limited to 250 km/h. M Driver's package increases it to 305 km/h.  

Weight: 2 550 kg.  

Dimensions (length/width/height): 5 096/1 970/1 516 mm

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