When BMW lifted the veil on the new generation of the M5, purists gave it a rather lukewarm reception. Even cold, in fact. The Touring station wagon version, which arrived more recently, didn’t move the crowds either. But we still wanted to configure it, to advance science. Result: we are broke, but we have a station wagon weighing more than 2.5 tonnes which can be used as an apartment and a supersonic missile.
Many crucial debates are currently stirring the world. Should we say pain au chocolat or chocolatine? Should we imprison those who eat pineapple pizza? Should we stone people who watch VF films in public? But more importantly, can we still love BMW? Early purists will say no, yet some models are still extremely passionate. The current M2 continues to be offered with a manual gearbox, while the M3 and M4 offer the best driving sensations in their category. But are these arguments enough to counterbalance the negative points, which include the BMW XM, iX and other pachydermic M5s?
To find out for sure (and as we had money to spend), we decided to advance the science by taking a look at BMW’s online configurator. We tackled the M5 Touring, priced from 162,050 euros. It makes you cough, doesn’t it? Fortunately, at this price, the German offers a very respectable 727 horsepower drawn from a 4.4 twin-turbo plug-in hybrid V8. The nobility takes a hit, but the wallet says thank you thanks to the magical disappearance of the ecological penalty!
In addition to slimming down the M5 Touring, this metallic Storm Bay color brings a little “stealth fighter” side (not so stealthy anyway).
What color is slimming again?
As standard, the M5 Touring comes in Isle of Man Green. A rather original color, which unfortunately did not convince us. We preferred to opt for the metallic Storm Bay color, from the BMW Individual range, which has the merit of slimming down (only visually, unfortunately) this big station wagon. We also chose the 20-inch M rims at the front and 21-inch at the rear, finished in black. To complete the exterior design, we checked the M Carbon mirror shells at 1,200 euros. For performance, we added the Experience M pack which notably increases the top speed to 305 km/h.
We had the choice between brown, white, black and red for the upholstery. But we weren’t in too fancy a mood…
The interior is covered with Merino leather upholstery, which can be chosen in 4 different colors. We remain sober and opt for the full black version. We also checked the headliner in anthracite Alcantara, as well as the panoramic glass roof. To accentuate the sporty character of the whole, we added the Dark Silver M decorative inserts in carbon fiber, with shiny silver threads. In terms of comfort, we checked the Comfort pack (good idea, no?), including, among other things, heated seats at the rear and front, and ventilated at the front. Finally, we chose the Driving Assistant Plus, which includes numerous driving aids such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and even lane keeping.
| OPTIONS | PRICES |
|---|---|
| Storm Bay Metallic Tint | 2.500 euros |
| 20/21 inch M rims finished in black | 450 euros |
| M Carbon mirror covers | 1.200 euros |
| Pack Experience M | 2.500 euros |
| Pack Confort | 1.700 euros |
| Panoramic glass roof | 1.700 euros |
| Driving Assistant Plus | 1.100 euros |
| Pavilion sky in anthracite alcantara | 1.250 euros |
| Dark Silver M decorative inserts in carbon and silver threads | 450 euros |
Depending on your use, carbon-ceramic brakes may prove useful…
But they cost 9,950 euros, so we did without them. We’re not going to go on a circuit, that’s all.
Once all this is added, which still represents 12,850 euros of options, we arrive at a total of 174,900 euros. A more than tidy sum, to which nothing should be added. Thanks to hybridization, which in addition to bringing a few additional horses, helps to escape murderous French taxation. All that remains now is to endorse our new toy to early BMW purists. A blow to end at the stake, perhaps…
