Spy photographers have snapped a mysterious BMW M5 Competition undergoing testing in Europe. While the model doesn’t look terribly special at first glance, it’s equipped with rear fender flares. These are a telltale sign of a wider track and they’re accompanied by wider 295 tires. That’s notable as the standard M5 has 275 tires, while the M5 Competition is equipped with 285 tires.
Of course, that doesn’t tell us much about
the car other than it’s an M5 with a wider track and wider rear tires. As a
result, we’re not entirely sure what BMW has up their sleeve. One possibility
is this is simply a special edition, possibly even the first production M5 CSL
(BMW had created a one-off M5 CSL E60 in 2009), that could be introduced next
year to celebrate BMW M’s 50th anniversary. That remains to be seen, but the
company has previously said 2022 will be a “year full of surprises” that will
be marked by a number of special editions.
It’s also possible this isn’t a prototype,
but rather a mule for the next-generation model. Rumors have suggested the
redesigned M5 will arrive in 2024 and feature an electrified powertrain that
consists of a V8 engine and at least one electric motor. This setup would
reportedly give the car a combined output of around 750 hp and 998 Nm of torque.
There have also been rumors about an EV
variant that would have a tri-motor powertrain capable of producing up to 1,006
hp. This would reportedly enable the eco-friendly M5 to
rocket from 0-100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds. The rumor mill also
suggested the vehicle would have a 135 kWh battery pack, which would allow for
a range of up to 700 km in the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles
Test Procedure.
