Top Gear talked to the head of the M division, who said that the hybrid system made up 882 pounds of the 5,390-pound 2025 BMW M5. BMW said that the choice was made because the extra weight was only slightly higher than with a regular hybrid system, but the performance was better. The M5 can also go about 25 miles on electricity when the plug-in option is used. The 2025 BMW M5 has a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 hybrid engine that makes 717 horsepower. However, the curb weight of 5390 pounds is what everyone is most interested in. This is a huge 1153-pound increase over the M5 Competition from the last model. Thanks to an interview with Frank van Meel, the head of BMW’s M division, for Top Gear, we now have a better idea of where most of that huge weight gain came from. The clear cause is the M5’s 14.8-kWh lithium-ion battery, which powers an electric motor with 194 hp built into the eight-speed automatic transmission. Van Meel told Top Gear that the battery weighed a huge 882 pounds. Van Meel spoke out in favor of switching to a plug-in hybrid system. He said, “We think it is better to “go the whole way” and get the benefits of electrification than to give up and accept failures.” In any case, he said that a plug-in hybrid system would add between 330 and 440 pounds and work much better. It is clear that it is possible to have a [transient] boost function. On the other hand, he said that a plug-in hybrid constantly makes energy and electricity. This has more than just a boost feature. Also, the 200 horsepower extra and 69 kilometers of electric range are big improvements in efficiency. This makes more sense. The M5 can go up to 25 miles on electricity alone, which lets it enter zero-emission zones that are popping up in big towns around the world. Van Meel said that adding weight is clearly bad for speed, but BMW made the weight so that it has less of an effect on how the car handles. He said ballast is put to the car’s floor in motor racing to balance performance. This is where we put our “ballast” because the battery is on the floor and has a lower center of gravity than the old M5. BMW considered making the M5 all-electric but ultimately decided that cutting-edge battery technology couldn’t meet its customers’ needs for speed and range. Top Gear also asked BMW if it had considered making the engine smaller, pointing out that the Mercedes-AMG C63 was controversially changed from a V-8 to a four-cylinder engine. “You’d be crazy to have a four-cylinder,” Van Meel said. The next choice is a six-cylinder engine, which makes the front end very long. Also, [737 pound-feet] need a big motor to handle them. It is best to go with the V-8 engine because it is both small and powerful. While the sound of a V-8 is obviously thrilling, the M5’s extra weight has been criticized and will make the super sedan work even harder to maintain its great handling. We can’t wait to test drive the newest M5 and see how much the extra weight has changed the car’s agility.
