The BMW G99 M5 Touring full-sends an action-packed performance in terms of both fun and function
Munich, Germany - The BMW Touring (the brand's term for station wagon or estate) attracts a cult following that isn't so much about needs as wants.
Despite its functional form, it's less about utility and more about lifestyle cachet—think fun versus function.
You choose a Touring because you can, and you definitely don't have anything to prove to anyone, least of all to someone who questions why you've spent about S$800,000 on an M-engined station wagon like the M5 Touring.
See also: Read our drive review of the BMW G90 M5 sedan here
Of all the BMW Touring models, the M models are the most special, simply because fast wagons are cool and also because the brand builds them infrequently.
Although Mercedes-AMG and Audi RS have had their share of fast wagons through the different generations, we can count on one hand the number of times BMW M has created a fast wagon, making it a unicorn.
The recently launched M3 Touring was the first of its kind and garnered the brand all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings.
See also: Here's the original E28 BMW M5 that started it all
This gave it the impetus to consider launching a larger M5 Touring for the G9x generation, which we got to drive in this zesty Speed Yellow colour (alongside the Daytona Violet M5 sedan).
As far as the M5 goes, the latest G99 is only the third in seven generations that BMW M has created an M5 Touring. The first-ever was the E34 M5 Touring, and the most frenetic was the E61 M5 Touring. Powered by the screaming nat-asp V10 engine thanks to BMW's then-F1 involvement, the E61 has to be one of the maddest wagons we've had the pleasure of driving.
Colour me prejudiced, but I have a thing for fast wagons, a niche that remains the province of a nudge-wink inner circle of passionate enthusiasts.
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We never need an excuse to put a fast wagon into any of our "wants" lists!
After all, fast wagons may not be the heroes you want, but they're the heroes you need because they'll effortlessly sit at 300km/h on the autobahn with your entire family, the pets and the kitchen sink in tow.
The station wagon's "humble", utilitarian shape and 500-litre (expandable to 1,630-litre) boot capacity flies perfectly under the radar of most normies, even though the M5 Touring boasts the requisite sporty aesthetic cues for those in the know.
Its muscular form equates to a powerful stance, with prominent haunches, gorgeous phat fenders, and the familiar twin-exhaust tailpipes finished in Black Chrome for an extra-stealthy look.
Additionally, the M5 Touring features a roof spoiler and a two-section diffuser.
The M5 Touring puts the "beast" in "beast of burden" and the fear of God into everyone else, thanks to its hybrid petrol-electric engine.
The twin-turbo V8 and electric motor combine to hit hard, with a combined might of 727hp and 1000Nm.
As luck would have it, our test drive sees us traverse a variety of weather conditions and surfaces, which only serves to highlight the M5 Touring's all-weather continent-crushing abilities.
In the damp, the M xDrive gives you ample all-wheel confidence to tackle the winding mountain passes with aplomb.
However, once you hit the dry stretches, you can toggle the settings to achieve more rear bias in handling dynamics, which should be familiar to fans of the ultimate driving machine.
The all-electric mode lets you enter/exit the quiet suburbs incognito, and with a 140km/h top speed and 60+ km WLTP range, it's no slouch either.
True to M5 form, the cabin is comfortable and well-appointed with all the niceties and mod-cons you'll need on long road journeys.
However, the touchpoints are those of a sportscar, especially since the controls to change the car's dynamic settings are readily accessible.
Naturally, the familiar M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel allow the driver to recall favourite presets quickly with a single touch without removing their hands from the steering wheel.
The brutish 1000Nm of torque hits like a sledgehammer, and the car devours huge tracts of tarmac at a time.
It responds with more alacrity than a two-over tonne car has any right to, and it boasts a salacious turn of speed. There's certainly no downtime to the engine, as it delivers close-to-lag-free performance once you're on the throttle.
Despite its proportions, the M5 Touring is no cumbersome, lumbering behemoth, but can be wielded with some degree of precision – thanks to the Integral Rear Steering feature and extensive chassis upgrades.
It's possible to thread the car through your favourite series of corners in a fluid and wholesome manner. Helm controls are transmitted accurately to the road, and a satisfyingly direct weighting to the steering lets you place the car accurately on the road.
Like its predecessors, the E34 and E61 M5 Touring, the latest G99 M5 Touring stays true to the model's ethos of delivering a devastating pace and "the goods" in more ways than one! If those aren't the qualities of an all-rounded fun car, we don't know what is!
BMW M5 Touring (G99)
Engine 4395cc, V8, twin-turbo
Power at rpm 585hp at 5600-6500rpm
Torque at rpm 750Nm at 1800-5400rpm
Electric Motor 22.1kWh (gross), 400V
System Power 727hp
System Torque 1000Nm
Transmission 8spd M Steptronic auto
0-100km/h 3.6secs
Top Speed 305km/h (with optional M Driver’s Package)
