The current M5 hasn’t been around for very long, but BMW is already deep into testing its facelift. The G90 has once again been spotted at the Nürburgring, where the super sedan is being pushed hard ahead of its highly probable debut next year.

Don’t let the camouflage fool you into thinking this is just another routine Life Cycle Impulse. BMW is making some fairly substantial changes to the M5, particularly inside. The exterior will get a fresh look as well, although the company appears to have moved away from the more radical Neue Klasse-inspired front end seen on the first prototypes. Of course, those early test cars may have had extra layers of camo to trick us.

Either way, we can say with certainty that the M5 won’t escape the Neue Klasse treatment altogether. The latest test cars point to slimmer headlights and a revised front fascia. Still, the kidney grille should stay closer to the current car’s proportions rather than adopting the horizontal layout of the i3 and upcoming 3 Series. At the rear, BMW is expected to introduce fresh taillight graphics, likely without changing the size and shape of the clusters since that would require reworking the body panels around them.

Evolution On The Outside, Revolution On The Inside

Subtle facelift or not, the biggest transformation will happen inside. The facelifted M5 is expected to receive a new “less is more” dashboard without an instrument cluster or the iDrive knob. Instead, it’ll have even fewer physical controls, with their respective functions built into a 17.9-inch touchscreen. A pillar-to-pillar windshield projection is all but confirmed, as is an optional passenger display. These changes won’t be limited to the M5, as all 5 Series models will go through this transformation. We’ve also heard the M5 could use Alcantara more, but nothing is official yet.

As for what matters most to enthusiasts, the plug-in hybrid powertrain isn’t going anywhere. The M5 will continue combining a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with an electric motor for the second half of its life cycle. In Europe, the combustion engine has already been detuned from 577 to 536 horsepower to meet stricter emissions requirements. Still, BMW has upgraded the electric motor so total system output remains at 717 hp. Hopefully, the engineers at M will be able to bring back those lost horses with the LCI.

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The Prototype’s V8 Sounds Great

Although this prototype sounds better than we remember, it’s still a test vehicle, so we shouldn’t read too much into it. As emissions and noise regulations become increasingly strict in Europe, the days of spectacular-sounding engines are coming to an end. Best-case scenario, the prototype is undergoing testing with a non-EU-spec engine for markets with more relaxed legislation.

The facelifted G90 M5 is expected to enter production around July 2027. Logic tells us the G99 M5 Touring is receiving essentially the same treatment. The regular 5 Series sedan (G60) and wagon (G61) will undergo similar updates around the same timeframe or slightly earlier.

Video: JvDSupercars / YouTube

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com