Over the last six months, BMW has revealed some very important cars: the iX3 crossover, the i3 sedan, and most recently, the 7 Series luxury limo. The latter was a major overhaul of the existing vehicle rather than an all-new car, and the subject of today’s spy shots from the Nürburgring, the M5 Touring, is even less of a change from what came before. Or is it? Not only is the styling being updated for the M5’s Life Cycle Impulse, or facelift, but things are moving forward inside, too. BMW is not only giving its cars the styling introduced by its Neue Klasse concepts, but also the interior interface with the Panoramic Vision iDrive system. But first impressions matter most, so let’s talk about the design.
2027 BMW M5 LCI Looks Smarter and Sexier Than Before
SH Proshots/Autoblog
The most obvious change is the front fascia, which will no longer tread the line between executive sedan and high-performance machine so carefully. The existing G91 M5 has oversized kidney grilles and headlights with upturned corners. Together, they create an imposing look, but it’s not what purists would call a traditional BMW look. With the new model, the headlights’ outer extremities are angled downward, and the kidneys have apparently shrunk, contributing to more of a classic, E34-like shark nose look. Cladding on the hood hides a recessed valley between two bulges; the existing M5 already has a hint of this design element, but it will be more clearly defined with the M5 LCI. Lower down, this prototype is still wearing a pre-production bumper, but we expect things to stay broadly the same. What about the rear?
SH Proshots/Autoblog
SH Proshots/Autoblog
SH Proshots/Autoblog
Changes to the back of the vehicle are less clear. We expect new graphics for the taillights, but the clusters themselves don’t appear to be changing in size or shape. The roof spoiler and roof rails are still present, and like the front, the rear bumper is a placeholder item, so we can’t be sure of any changes there, though we do expect some subtle refinements. That said, it appears that BMW may be sticking with the dual-diffuser look. Why? Because the design allows BMW to hide a retractable tow bar.
2027 BMW M5 Touring LCI Sticks with V8 Power
SH Proshots/Autoblog
SH Proshots/Autoblog
The only element of the M5 Touring that is expected to carry over with slight or no changes is the powertrain, with the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid system carrying over. It’s unclear whether this will get a power bump, but even if it doesn’t, 717 horsepower is more than enough. Over in Europe, the M5’s engine has been hamstrung by emissions regulations, with the hybrid system taking on more responsibility to maintain the same outputs as before. Here in the U.S., where the Trump administration has dramatically loosened Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements, we don’t have to worry about that. Finally, insider reporting says the M5’s cabin will get more Alcantara trimmings, and a new four-spoke steering wheel will be introduced.
We should know more before long, as the M5’s appearance at the Nordschleife means the engineers are in the late stages of development. Expect to see the new M5 launch in both sedan and wagon forms before the second half of next year; production is slated to begin in July 2027.
SH Proshots/Autoblog
SH Proshots/Autoblog
About the author
Sebastian Cenizo
Senior Editor, Autoblog