BMW has a hard-won reputation for being the most performance-focused of the luxury brands, but these days, it seems to be rapidly losing the plot. Odd aesthetic choices such as the pig snouts on the M3 and M4 can be accepted if the car performs well, but when the M cars start resembling pigs in terms of weight as well as looks, there is a problem. The new 2025 BMW M5 is the most powerful M car to date (ignoring the XM SUV), but even its 727 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque isn’t enough to get its tremendous bulk moving swiftly. With a curb weight of no less than 5,390 lbs, the new M5 G90 is over half a ton heavier than the outgoing M5 F90, and that weight brings a noticeable performance penalty.
Cars Are Getting Heavier, but BMW Has Hit New Lows
There is no argument that cars are getting heavier. Drivers are demanding more space, more noise reduction, more features, and more power, and all of that is packing on the pounds (despite many enthusiasts pointing the finger at government regulations, there are plenty of lightweight cars that meet safety and emissions regulations, the blame lies squarely on the consumer). However, BMW has taken this trend to the extremes with its latest generation of M cars. When the M2 G87 rolled out last year with its 3,800 lb curb weight, drivers were shocked by the 500 lb weight gain over the M2 F87. The new M5, however, makes the M2 look like a featherweight.
The 5,390 lb curb weight of the G90 is a full 1,050 lbs heavier than the old model––that’s no less than a 25% weight gain! To put this in perspective, the famously boat-like Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody tips the scales at “just” 4,600 lbs, and the “heavy” Tesla Model S Plaid comes in at 4,800 lbs. In fact, BMW’s own fully electric version of the 5 Series, the i5 M60, weighs 5,250 lbs. When a brand that built its reputation on nimble, high-performing cars is building vehicles that weigh significantly more than cars everyone derides for their weight; we have to ask what went wrong.
Where Did All the Weight Come From?
The biggest mechanical change for the 2025 M5 is the introduction of a plug-in hybrid powertrain borrowed from the XM. This brings a ton of power to the table while helping BMW meet ever-increasing emissions standards, but it also brings weight. The addition of an 18.6 kWh battery pack, in particular, likely did the M5 no favors, although we can probably only ascribe less than 300 lbs of the weight growth to the battery pack alone. The bigger issue is unconstrained growth in the non-performance related parts of the car.
To start with, the new M5 is over 200 inches long, pushing it into the full-size sedan segment. That’s half a foot longer than the F90. It’s also 2.5 inches wider and 1.5 inches taller than the old model. Not only did the dimensional increase add more weight in its own right, but it also required extra features to tame the added size. For instance, to make a full-size car handle something like a midsize car, the M5 gained rear-wheel steer. This gives it an impressive 41-foot turning circle (identical to the old model) but comes with an additional weight penalty. The wheels and tires are also heavier to provide the traction the car needs, with the 2025 model sporting massive 285/40 R20 tires in the front and 295/35 R21 in the rear.
BMW Has Finally Gone Too Far
When the M2 G87 came out and shocked people with its weight growth, it at least had the performance gains to justify it, even clocking in a record-setting lap at the Nürburgring (although it recently lost that title to the 2025 Audi RS3, which will likely be a lighter car despite having all-wheel drive). While the M5 G90 has yet to make it to the track, things already aren’t looking good. The official 3.5 second 0-60 time is a full three-tenths slower than what BMW claims for the F90, and even though BMW tends to sandbag with its official numbers, this sort of managing expectations isn’t promising. While the 2025 M5 may yet surprise us, it appears to mark the turning point where massive weight growth can no longer be concealed by adding power and advanced engineering.
