The BMW 5 Series G60 has arrived in Italy where the regional division organized a photoshoot with several versions of the eighth-generation luxury sedan. We’ve already seen a 520d xDrive in Tanzanite Blue Metallic with Shadowline upgrades and now we’re getting acquainted with the electric M Performance model. This i5 M60 is dressed to impress in Brooklyn Grey and has a blacked-out kidney grille proudly carrying the M logo.
Those 21-inch wheels with a bi-color finish are the largest ever fitted from the factory to a 5 Series. However, if you’re worried about losing range, the BMW i5 M60 is available with smaller 19- and 20-inch sets. With this being the range-topping version (well, until the M5 arrives in 2024), it has the upgraded M Sport brakes as denoted by their red calipers. It also comes as standard with the adaptive M Sport suspension.
It remains to be seen whether BMW intends to launch a second M Performance version to go along with the i5 M60. There is a distinct possibility there will be an M560e as a sporty plug-in hybrid based around an inline-six engine to indirectly replace the V8-powered M550i sold during the G30 generation. In the meantime, the 5 Series Touring arriving early next year will also be available in this i5 M60 specification. However, BMW doesn’t intend to sell the G61 in the United States where only the hotly anticipated G99 M5 Touring is coming.
For those wanting eight cylinders underneath the hood, only the M5 is getting the twin-turbo 4.4-liter “S68” engine borrowed from bigger vehicles such as the 760i. Regardless of the type of propulsion, all 5 Series models ride on the same CLAR platform, much like the bigger 7 Series, which also has an electric M Performance version dubbed i7 M70. BMW does sell an electric 3 Series as the long-wheelbase i3 sedan using the same underpinnings, but it’s only offered in China and there’s no sporty variant.
Source: BMW Italy
