2027 BMW M5 facelift spied at Nürburgring

BMW’s next M5 facelift has moved from winter test photos to fast laps at the Nürburgring. Video published on May 13 by CarSpyMedia and picked up by Bimmertoday and Autoevolution shows a heavily camouflaged prototype of the high-performance sedan running on the Nordschleife, with bodywork that multiple outlets said points to BMW’s Neue Klasse-inspired front-end treatment. (bimmertoday.de) BMW has not officially detailed the facelifted M5, but the latest footage gives the clearest public look yet at how the current G90-generation car may change before its mid-cycle update. (press.bmwgroup.com) The car in the video keeps its proportions and four-door silhouette, while camouflage around the nose and lighting units masks what appears to be a more upright, simplified front design. (bmwgroup.com) The prototype also matters because the soundtrack is part of the evidence. Bimmertoday said the new footage should put to rest doubts that the M5 facelift would lose its V8, writing that the Nürburgring video lets viewers both see and hear the car on a fast lap. (bimmertoday.de) ### What does the Nürburgring car actually show? CarSpyMedia’s May 13 YouTube upload shows a camouflaged M5 sedan lapping the Nürburgring, with the front and rear ends covered and the side profile largely unchanged. The video description identifies it as a “2027/2028 BMW M5 Sedan LCI Facelift G90,” reflecting the uncertainty that often surrounds model-year labeling before an automaker confirms timing. (bimmertoday.de) Autoevolution said the prototype was “going down the Neue Klasse route visually,” while Bimmertoday said the facelift would change “a great deal” even though the V8 remains on board. Both reports focused on the nose as the area with the biggest visible revision. (bimmertoday.de) ### Why are outlets calling it a Neue Klasse-style redesign? BMW Group has said Neue Klasse brings “a new design language” that will spread across its lineup, and the company’s new i3 is described by BMW as the second Neue Klasse model. BMW said the new i3 uses a modern interpretation of BMW sedan cues and a revised display and operating concept. (youtube.com) Earlier M5 spy coverage from Bimmertoday in February said the facelift’s front end already appeared closer to the upcoming i3 than to the current M5. More recent Nürburgring footage from BMW Blog in March also described test cars wearing a “full Neue Klasse look again,” though that outlet labeled the car as a 2028 model. (bimmertoday.de) ### Is the V8 hybrid still there? BMW’s current M5 uses an M Hybrid system with a maximum output of 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, according to the company’s June 25, 2024 press release. BMW said at launch that the sedan was the first M5 with an electrified drive system. (bmwgroup.com) Bimmertoday said the latest Nürburgring video “definitively” answers any doubts about the V8 staying in the facelift, citing the audible eight-cylinder note in the footage. Autoevolution and other enthusiast outlets likewise described the updated car as retaining the hybrid V8 setup, even as the bodywork changes. (bimmertoday.de) ### How much is BMW changing beyond the front end? BMW Blog reported in February that facelifted M5 Touring prototypes revealed a “totally redesigned dashboard” and the removal of the iDrive rotary controller, tying the cabin changes to the broader Neue Klasse interior shift. Autoblog also reported this year that the M5 Life Cycle Impulse would bring Operating System X and more Alcantara inside while keeping the same V8 hybrid powertrain. (press.bmwgroup.com) The current U.S.-market M5 sedan is listed by BMW at a starting price of $123,300, while the M5 Touring starts at $125,300. BMW’s current product pages already identify the sedan as a 2027 model in the United States, underscoring that the Nürburgring car is likely a later update within the same generation rather than an all-new replacement. (bimmertoday.de) ### When is BMW likely to show the updated car? Autoevolution reported last year that some reports pointed to March 2027 production for the facelifted M5 sedan and Touring, but BMW has not publicly confirmed a launch date for the updated M5. BMW has said more than 40 new and updated vehicles will come to market by 2027 as it rolls out Neue Klasse design and technology across segments and powertrains. (bmwblog.com) BMW’s next public clues are likely to come from more test cars and eventual company disclosures tied to that 2027 product wave. For now, the May 13 Nürburgring footage from CarSpyMedia, along with follow-up reports from Bimmertoday, Autoevolution and BMW Blog, is the clearest public record of the facelifted M5’s shape and sound. (bmwusa.com) (youtube.com) (autoevolution.com)