THE G90 M5

I first saw and drove the G90 at the MFest in Oct 2024.  

The drive was nothing hectic, just a few tender laps around the Kyalami Circuit.

Hotlaps weren't allowed with the G90M5 at that time, but we able to push it abit, and we could floor it down the main straight, with a driving instructor in the passenger seat.

I liked the way this new M5 sat on the track, through the bends. 

It was very stable, hugely powerful, and didn't disappoint. 

The usual interweb keyboard complaints was that of it's looks, and weight. 

The G90 M5s looks are very aggressive. It has a alot of tell-tale signs on the outside that this is not a normal 5series.

Some BMW fanboys hate it, and some will take time to get used to the new design. History repeats itself because the
exact same design issues were found on the E60 5 series 20 years ago, but just look at the E60 today.

I dont find the G90 design as bad as the front end of the G8x, (I still cannot get used to that front).

On the road, driving in normal traffic, the G90 adds alot of presence and everyone i spoke to or drove past, gave it a thumbs up.

From the guy giving out pamphlets at a stop-street to a petrol attendant filling up fuel, to a big oke in a massive 4x4 next to me claiming 'Yassis'.

Everyone gave a compliment to this car. 

The rear of the G90M5 is particularly viscious looking, but in a good way. 

Have you noticed how the rear end of BMW vehicles always look good, I suppose its to visually please the drivers' behind them :)  

The G90M5 puts on a massive 600kgs over its'predecessor (The F90 M5).

It has a similar engine to the F90, a TwinTurbo 4.4liter V8, but the G90 is a hybrid, it has an additional electric motor as well, which is the cause for this extra weight. 

The car can be driven in full electric mode for around 60km before needing a recharge. There is also a feature that allows the petrol motor to recharge the electric motor while driving rapidly. So if a cop stops you for speeding, just tell them you were recharging your batteries. 

 I love the open road, we grew up driving long distances especially between Joburg and Cape Town, so its always a good test of a vehicle for me. 

On the open road, the G90M5 , like all previous gen M5s really comes into it's own. 

Lets take a quick look at the recipe for an M5:-

From the first generation of M5 ie the E28 - BMW took a standard 5 series... Now the 5 series on its' own, whether it's an early gen 518 E12, or the newest diesel version, is a brilliant all-round vehicle. Probably the best all-rounder ever,  Its always at the forefront of its' class of motor vehicle - not just for BMW, but for motor vehicles in general. 

So BMW took a standard 5'er shell, then gave it to their BMW///M department to install a worked engine, a stiffer suspension, some sporty interior bits, bigger wheels and brakes to give the vehicle some ///Motorsport magic.   

The Motorsport aspect is not just a word for BMW. 

BMW Motorsport means experience from taking part in race series' such as Touring Cars, World Endurance Racing,  GT challenge, etc.

They even went into F1, building monster turbo engines in the 80s, and then in the early 2000s during that superb V10 era. 

So BMW does the testing on track - in races, and then this experience is transformed into technology to be used in road cars for us to enjoy. 

More sounds, more speed, more handling, more joy - It's almost like ///M stands for More of everything.

This process transforms the standard comfy 5-series into a 4 door racing car, that can still be used as a daily commute, and an ultimate supercar killer when called upon. 

The M5 has obviously grown since that first 1986 version but it's only gotten better and more exciting with every generation. 

According to some, the weight has thrown this G90 off that regular M5 bandwidth - but i suspect that most of these commenters have not driven this new M5.

Back to the open road this M5 is like the others, a car for all and any purpose. 

Its a 4door GT car, a supercar, a sports car, a family car and more. Driving around the city as a daily, the G90M5 is a calm and a relaxing 5series.

But put your foot down and a surge of power pushes your head back into the headrest of those huge bucket seats, 

Put your foot down some more and the surge progresses into a jolt to your senses. 

It is very fast, comfortable, spacious, well equipped and looks good. 

Just like the previous M5s, it strikes the perfect balance for any car enthusiast.

One of the negative points i picked from driving the M5 for almost a week as a daily was that of the the ride comfort on bumpy roads or speed bumps.

I found the suspension harder than my lowered E60M5. I suppose the weight comes into play on these bumps. 

Another factor that bothered me is the interior screens. The graphics are superb and bang up to date, but the touch screen while driving is very annoying. 

And this is on all BMs lately not just the M5. It also looks as if it was mounted on the dash afterwards. On a premium saloon, i would have expected it to be moulded into the dash rather than sticking out on one end. 

There are alot of applications and settings to choose from, and this i feel it is too much. 

We already have alot going on around us in our daily duties, life is complicated enough, so we look at a car as a form of destress, whether we drive slow or fast, driving a nice car is therapeutic. 

An M5 driver is generally a mature middle to upper-aged office executive, CEO, businessman who would take a cool drive in the morning to his office or place of business - do business, deal with all the issues surrounding the business, then he wants to forget all this business on his way home. 

This G90M5 will do just that, but he will have to set it up to not be annoying. 

Press the start and that V8 fires up, with an amplified sound through the interior speakers. 

In some settings it starts up in Electric mode, but this i suspect wont be the common setup in this vehicle. 

The tech is amazing, but only if you into that sort of stuff, so your teen kid in the passenger seat , scrolling through the touch screen will be amazed and quite entertained while you focus on the joy of driving. 

to continue .....

https://www.bmw.co.za/en/all-models/m-series/m5-series/bmw-m5-sedan.html#build