Next Generation BMW M5 to be unveiled on 21 August

The sixth generation BMW M5 will be revealed on 21 August before it makes its public debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. For now, we have an exclusive digital rendering of the Bavarian performance sedan in the run up to its global reveal.

Previously, BMW had revealed a short teaser video of the F90 M5 going ballistic on a tarmac in the middle of a desert. Judging by what we saw in the teaser video and our digital rendering, it looks like the new M5 will have a sleeker LED-laden headlamp unit with a sharp new lighting signature. The M5 seems to ride low with an aggressive front bumper and prominent air vents. The larger set of wheels wrapped in run-flat tyres will lend the M5 a meaner stance.

The rear of the car bears the same LED tail lights as was seen on the G90 5 Series. The bumpers here are protruding but functional rear diffusers, while the usual quad-exhaust setup will be present as well. The new M5 looks a lot more mature than the previous generations and is likely to be a downsized 7 Series even in its performance avatar. It will also be lighter, owing to the all-new CLAR platform which the current 5 Series generation is based upon. 

The current generation F10 M5 has adopted a turbocharged V8 engine for the first time whereas the forthcoming M5 will debut BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system for the first time in its 32 years of rear-wheel-drive existence. The purists might cringe at the thought of an all-wheel-drive BMW M5, but the carmaker has gone to great lengths to convince us that the system does not tamper with the soul of the sports saloon. 

The xDrive has been configured as a rear-biased setup. The front wheels come into play only when the rear wheels aren’t able to handle any more power and start losing traction. There are three levels of adjustability for the xDrive modes - 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD. Purists, of course, can opt for the classical rear-wheel-drive setup by deactivating the all-wheel-drive system. 

Under the creased hood of the new M5 will be an updated twin turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine mated to an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission. However, one disheartening news here is that the good old manual gearbox would no longer be an option. Power output is expected to breach the 600bhp mark, thus making it the most powerful M5 till date. Braking duties will be taken care of by carbon-ceramic brakes and the suspension would also get new adaptive dampers.

The all-new M5 will lock horns with Mercedes-AMG E63, Jaguar XF RS and Audi S6. More details will be revealed when BMW reveals the new M5 on 21 August. Until then, stay tuned.