BMW M5 spy shots reveal 5 Series is getting Neue Klasse styling

We’ve only just got our hands on the eighth-generation BMW 5 Series, but it’s already being tweaked for a mid-life update and we’ve caught it testing for the first time. While the model pictured is the M5, we’re confident most of the design changes will also come to the regular 5 Series and the all-electric i5 - plus the Touring estate. 

Since the current G60-generation 5 Series (G90 for the M5) went on sale in late 2023, BMW has been teasing its upcoming Neue Klasse series, which will kick off later this year with a production version of the Vision Neue Klasse X concept and in essence an iX3-replacement. Coming shortly after in 2026 will be the Neue Klasse Sedan, which will launch the first all-electric 3 Series. 

Both cars will sit on BMW’s new Neue Klasse platform, and while the current 5 Series and M5 uses the German firm’s CLAR modular architecture, we can see from these spy shots it will eventually have the same styling at least as its Neue Klasse siblings. Fresh competition has arrived recently in the executive market for the 5 Series with Mercedes launching a new E-Class and Audi's all-new, all-electric A6 e-tron - which will soon be join by an A6 model. 

The big change for the M5, and by proxy the 5 Series and i5, will come at the front. We can clearly see the Neue Klasse’s take on BMW’s iconic kidney grilles, with a much slimmer set that will incorporate a fresh headlight design, too. As with the existing 5 Series and M5, the facelifted car’s grille will be blanked off to maintain its aerodynamic qualities. Beneath, we can see the air intakes will be reshaped, thanks to a new front bumper. 

Wearing the same camouflage pattern we saw on the current M5 ahead of its reveal, the new car looks set to keep its aggressive wheelarches and bodykit, although the M5’s carbon-fibre roof indent has disappeared. At the back is the typical quad-exhaust tip arrangement you’d expect from a fully fledged BMW M car. The rear lights will likely gain a new design signature to align with the Neue Klasse models, but the actual shape of the clusters should remain the same. 

The interior could be set for a sizable makeover as well. BMW is ready to roll out its new Panoramic iDrive which will see the loss of the firm’s rotary iDrive controller and add a huge, full-width ‘Panoramic Vision’ display on top of the dash, with a 17.9-inch central touchscreen in the middle. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this set-up in the updated M5, 5 Series and i5. 

The M5 has a combined 717bhp and 1,000Nm of torque from its twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 and plug-in hybrid system, with power being sent to all four wheels. We’re unlikely to see any major changes to this powertrain for the facelift, although as we’ve seen with numerous M5 CS models in the past, BMW is partial to a power bump for its legendary super saloon.

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