The new M5 saloon is the first car in the BMW's performance range to be electrified and the German manufacturer will be hoping that thrills died-in-the-wool petrol-heads too.
No one will buy this sports saloon car in order to save fuel, and yet the new M5 now offers emission-free electric running thanks to the powertrain's 25.7-kWh battery mated to a lusty 4.4-litre V8 engine.
The lower-end 5 saloon and estate are already on the roads but BMW traditionally takes its time before unveiling the range-topping M version.
The car will break cover at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood in July and will go on sale in November at prices starting from €144,000, the manufacturer announced in Salzburg on Wednesday.
Despite the green touch, the aggressive design traits associated with BMW’s performance range have been further tweaked, with wider wheel arches, quad exhaust tips and a subtle rear roof spoiler.
For the record, the 430 kW/585 hp gains 145 kW/197 hp from the electric motor, boosting system output to an unprecedented 535 kW/727 hp. Both the drivetrain and brakes have been beefed up too.
When both power units work in tandem, up to 1,000 Nm of torque enable a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 305 km/h.
In electric-only mode the M5 can touch 140 km/h and travel up to 67 kilometres with a battery capacity of 18.6 kWh, according to BMW. The M5 is a sluggard when it comes to charging though, with no more than 7.4 kW per hour possible.
