BMW 530e TOURING

Our 5 Series meets the flagship M5, but is it really worth the extra?

- Richard Ingram [e-mail]

THE idea of halo cars is nothing new. Fast flagships have been around for decades, fuelling sales of mundane models as customers aspire to one day own something with an M, RS or AMG badge on the boot. But with performance becoming more and more accessible thanks to the onslaught of electrification, is there still a place for these high-horsepower heroes? Given that the BMW M5 is more revered than most, I grabbed the keys to one for an impromptu twin test.

That question of whether halo cars remain relevant has been playing on my mind since my last report (Issue 1,882) - when I declared my 530e Touring “a shot of espresso hardlined straight into the bloodstream”. While I may have used a bit of artistic licence, Icontinued to wonder why anyone could need anything more from their five-metre-long, two-tonne estate car; why anyone could ‘need’ a new M5?

First things first: the M5 has incredible presence — not always a given with previous generations of the hot 5 Series. It has, at times, looked inconspicuous, but this new one appears to be doing 180mph when standing still. Its flared arches, huge wheels, gaping exhausts and aggressive bumpers make the standard M Sport-trimmed car look like an airport rental. The M5’s Marina Blue paint is more eye-catching than the 530e’s Oxide Grey, too.