AC Schnitzer’s closure announcement landed a few weeks ago, and the tuning world is still processing it. Meanwhile, the Aachen shop clearly isn’t done yet. Their latest is a blacked-out BMW M5 Touring (G99) — and despite the understated paint, it makes no attempt at subtlety anywhere else. Black was probably the right call. It lets everything else on the car do the talking.
The headline numbers are 810 hp and 1,100 Nm of torque, up from the factory’s already difficult-to-justify 717 hp. AC Schnitzer gets that gain entirely from the V8, leaving the electric side of the hybrid drivetrain untouched. This also shows the tuning capabilities of the S68 4.0 liter TwinTurbo engine. A stainless steel rear silencer with four 110mm carbon-trimmed outlets handles the soundtrack side of things. Four tailpipes on a sport wagon. Why not?!
The wheels are new 21-inch AC6 forged units with five Y-spokes, finished in natural aluminum with a ceramic coat. Black is available if you want to disappear a little more. Both axles run the same 21-inch size, which opens up room for 285-section tires up front and 295s out back — wide enough to actually use the power. The open spoke design frames the brake hardware well, which on an 810 hp all-wheel-drive wagon is hardware worth framing. Lowering springs bring the ride height down 20mm front and rear, tightening up the stance without going full track-day aggression.
The aero kit rounds things out: front splitter, front side wings, sill extensions, a diffuser insert, and a roof spoiler. Some of it works aerodynamically, all of it works visually. Whether a family hauler needs a roof spoiler is a philosophical question, but against the black paint and the forged wheels, it reads as intentional rather than tacked-on.
AC Schnitzer has been tuning BMWs out of Aachen since 1987. If this M5 Touring turns out to be one of their last builds — and at this point it very well might be — it’s hard to argue with the send-off. Big, practical, 810 hp, and just restrained enough to sneak past people who aren’t paying attention.
[Photos: AC Schnitzer]
