The BMW M5 E61 was discontinued back in 2010 leaving the Munich-based automaker with no go-fast wagon version in the 5 Series lineup for more than a decade. However, in June this year, the company teased the return of the M5 Touring and now, the speedy wagon is captured for the first time testing on public roads. Our spy photographers sent us this batch of photos taken just earlier today in Germany and our first impressions are that the vehicle already looks massive and impressive.
BMW M boss Frank van Meel told us to keep our eyes peeled for an M5 Touring on the Nurburgring and we are happy to report these are the very first spy photos of the upcoming performance wagon. It features its production body and lights, though everything is hidden under camouflage. The disguise can’t hide the beefy bumpers and side skirts, and those massive 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels seem to sit under wider wheel arches.
A number of M-specific exterior components are clearly visible, too. These include the wingy side mirrors, the large rear spoiler, and the quad exhaust pipes at the back, as well as the large brake calipers finished in yellow. A lovely Isle of Man Green color is poking out under the camo around the bumpers, giving us an early hint at the exterior hues that are probably going to be available for the production M5.
We’ve already seen the new M5 testing in sedan form around the Nurburgring and we know the heavy disguise with fake body panels at the front hides an aggressive trapezoidal grille with triangular openings in the corners.
Believed to carry the G99 internal codename, the M5 Touring will share its powertrain with the sedan version of the new M5. This mill is expected to be an electrified V8, more precisely a modified version of the XM’s plug-in hybrid V8. In the SUV’s range-topping form, it delivers a peak output of 738 horsepower (543 kilowatts) and 737 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters), and word on the street is up to 800 hp can be expected in the speedy wagon.
The best thing about the revived M5 Touring is that it might come to the US market. Frank van Meel said last year that more and more customers and dealers in North America ask for a high-performance wagon, and the German firm is “taking that into consideration.” Look for an official global debut of the performance estate around the middle of next year with production starting near the end of 2024.
