Article Summary
- This G95 prototype gives the impression it has a smaller kidney grille, but the camouflage may be playing tricks on us.
- The electric BMW X5 M won't replace the combustion-engine model, as a new V8-powered X5 M is in the works.
- Both ICE and EV models are expected to come out in 2028 and sit above the three M Performance versions that BMW has already announced.
It’s been five years since the i4 M50 debuted, opening the floodgates for a wave of performance models wearing M badges. However, it won’t be until next year that the M3 and X3 M debut as the first true M cars without a gas engine. A new spy video shows that work is already underway on a larger, fully electric BMW M model: the X5 G95.
A camouflaged prototype of the next-generation X5 M was just spotted entering the company’s test center at the Nürburgring. The extra layers of camouflage make it appear to have a much smaller grille than the regular iX5 60 xDrive. However, we’re not sure this is the final look. We could be dealing with an early prototype featuring a mishmash of old and new parts. After all, the production model is still a couple of years away.
Although clearly a work-in-progress test vehicle, it appears to have a different front bumper with beefier air intakes. As you may recall, we first saw this setup in early June. That prototype also had the mesh above the license plate, hinting at additional cooling through an extra intake. BMW has announced plans for an electric M Performance model, but the disguised vehicle spotted at the Green Hell is the full-fat M.
The 2028 BMW X5 M Will Have Supercar Levels Of Power
We already know that all full-fledged BMW M models will feature a quad-motor setup. Logic tells us that the X5 M is unlikely to be an exception. Expect massive power, considering the iX5 60 xDrive already has 570 hp and 593 lb-ft of torque, with an M Performance model set to slot between the two. The X5 M could end up with around 800-900 hp and heaps of torque to effortlessly propel the large, heavy SUV.
The G95 won’t be a single model but two. Traditionalists can take comfort from knowing that BMW is also developing another X5 M with a combustion engine. While nothing is official at this point, it should look nearly identical to its EV sibling. Engineers are expected to install a reworked version of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8. It’s said to have mild-hybrid tech and over 600 horsepower on tap. Hopefully, the M division won’t have to detune the engine in Europe to meet emissions regulations. It’s already happened to the S68 engine in the M5 and XM.
When the wraps finally come off, the high-performance SUVs will feature the yellow X light motif and M-specific side mirror design introduced on the new X5 M60e plug-in hybrid M Performance model. Additionally, the X5 M will get Track Lights consisting of stacked cube lights in both the front and rear bumpers. We’ve already seen these boxy lights on the M Concept Neue Klasse, and they’re coming to all future M models.
Since the X5 M60e is just coming out, the true M variants are still some way off. The next order of business is the launch of the V8-powered X5 M60 and an electric M Performance derivative. Consequently, the X5 M isn’t expected to arrive before 2028. Both the ICE and EV versions are reportedly debuting within the same year.
Video: PrototypeHunters / YouTube
