When BMW facelifted the current-generation 5 Series a few years ago, it introduced a more potent 545e plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder engine. It brought a significant upgrade over the four-cylinder 530e the German luxury brand still sells. Someone wanted more than the already ample 389 horsepower and 600 Newton-meters (443 pound-feet) of torque provided by the standard 545e, so the owner decided to tune the electrified sports sedan.
This 545e with a classy spec inside and out has gone through stage 1 tuning and doesn’t sound half bad for a plug-in hybrid primarily developed with fuel efficiency in mind. The fact it has lost the catalytic convertor certainly helps the B58 engine provide a better soundtrack. That turbocharged 3.0-liter engine has been massaged to increase combined output to 520 hp and a mountain-moving 850 Nm (627 lb-ft).
BMW says the standard 545e Sedan needs 4.6 seconds to go from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) but this modded car has reduced the sprint time to just 4.2 seconds. While it’s no M5 by any stretch of the imagination, it is somewhat of a sleeper considering it’s not that much slower than an M550i in a straight line.
The G30-generation 5 Series is on its last legs as the G60 is debuting sometime this summer. The engine lineup should be electrified more than ever through a series of mild-hybrid gasoline and diesel powertrains joined by at least one plug-in hybrid. Needless to say, the i5 will represent the biggest novelty for the 5er by becoming the first version to drop the combustion engine.
The aforementioned M550i might be gone as well since BMW insiders claim only the 2025 M5 – coming in both sedan and wagon body styles – will retain the V8. The top dog will be a PHEV by combining the new twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 S68 engine with an electric motor to push out over 700 hp.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
