In the Swiss Alps with the G90 M5

Biased. I. Am. Of course I’m biased. As a former owner of an M5 Touring I am obviously going to be biased. However, I’m going into this with an open mind. I didn’t hate the G82 M4 so I’m confident I won’t hate the G90 M5.

I got the chance to spend a weekend with the new M5 so obviously I was going to jump at the opportunity, even though BMW-Sphygmomanometer relations are at a (temporary?) low.

Friday morning I went to pick it up and there it stood, in all its Isle-of-Man-Green glory, ready to be taken away for the weekend. Is it handsome? Let me put it like this: There certainly have been more offensive takes on M-cars over the past few years so it could have been worse. Is it classically handsome, as the F90 was? Definite no.

For the first time we’re getting flared wheel arches on the M5 which leads to a similar rear door setup as on the M3 which I don’t mind. What I do find a bit weird though is that not only has the M5 (just as the M2) lost its gills but the creases that went through the door handles and neatly culminated in said gills have moved upwards which results in big undisturbed (read: boring) door surfaces.

Other than that I’m ok with it. The Hofmeister Kink is fine, the preposterous faux-diffuser is fine. Oh, and I’m sort of over IOMG at this point.

I open the door to get in and—oh, dear!—shallow footwell! So what, you may think? That’s usually a sign of big battery pack under the floor the consequence of which is that you sit high up. And it turns out, you do sit high up. I’m happy to report though that the seating position still works, and the seats are great! You are greeted by a M-light show which some people seem not to like. I do.

The car starts up in EV-mode by default (can be changed)I drive home and what is the first thing you do when you get into a million hp car? You launch it. It is great fun, at least the first time. Maybe the second and third times as well, but then it starts to wear a bit thin. The question is: Is there any more depth to the G90 M5? I’d find out the next day.

One note on size: The M5 appeared to be comically big in the garage, at least next to an FL5 Civic Type R and a 991.2 GT3 Touring. More on that later, when it’s driving-relevant.

Zurich, 07:04, -1°C, 459m ASL, 0km

Saturday morning, I brim the fuel tank and start the journey in Zurich. The plan is to drive to the winter wonderland that is the Swiss Alps—should be easy in a 4WD Bimmer after all—cross Julier Pass, drive through the Engadin valley, and return on the train through the Vereina tunnel.

It’s going to be a long motorway drive to the valley town of Tiefencastel. I put the car in Dynamic which keeps the V8 running and setup-wise everything in Comfort. Progress is great, there’s sufficient comfort, and the journey is not tiring at all. Except for the annoying bongs you hear when you stray over the posted speed limit (the EU, ruining lives since 1993). You can turn it off but only until you turn on the ignition the next time.

My last BMW was an F87 M2 Competition: In my opinion the pinnacle of BMW-sability (see what I did there?). In the G90 everything’s a bit more complicated. No real buttons, only glossy touch surfaces, or the admittedly sufficiently big screen. However, I’m willing to concede that the iDrive knob helps.

There’s also too much going on in terms of driving modes:

* M Mode: Road, Sport, Track

* Setup: The usual parameters that can be configured, ranging from Comfort to Sport Plus

* M Hybrid: EV-only, Hybrid, Dynamic, Dynamic Plus

The M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel are steel around and had been configured sensibly. Speaking of the steering wheel: I’ve been without BMW for almost a year now—sold the aforementioned M2 Competition—and this might be symptoms of withdrawal, but did the steering wheel get even bigger and thicker?

The ride is great. Granted, we have rather smooth roads in Switzerland and the G90 has a rather firm chassis, and it sort of has to as it’s carrying quite some heft, but it never feels harsh.

Tiefencastel, 08:55, -7°C, 884m ASL, 180km

I arrive in Tiefencastel, no problems at all. I stop for a short breather, only to be punched in the face by a rather oppressing negative 7°C. Tiefencastel is the Western valley town of the 42km long Julier Pass road and it’s this road where I hope to dig into the G90s dynamic capabilities because so far I’m not so sure what to think of the new M5, and this hasn’t really got anything to do with it being a PHEV. It’s just that so far there wasn’t much to see other than enormous horsepower and torque.

However, I expect this to be rather difficult, with the car running on winter tyres, Hankooks nonetheless, but I’m willing to put in the work. I set off and begin the assent. After a few bends I can already attest the chassis wizards at BMW M have baked a considerable amount of magic into the chassis.

It’s cold, it’s wet and I can turn into corners almost as if in the dry in summer. It requires exceeding the speed limit (not advisable in Switzerland) and confidence in my own skills to upset the chassis. This is the moment when I start to warm to the car. Straight-line speed is something that others do as well. This, on the other hand, only few select ones do. I’m over the moon.

Nearing the top of the pass, the final few serpentines ahead, I run into slow traffic, time to play with the drivetrain a bit: I put M Mode in Sport which is supposed to loosen up the safety systems a bit and indeed, to the amusement of the driver of the car behind me, I go sideways in the hairpins. No extreme angles though, just a bit of tail happiness.

Julier Pass, 09:44, -1°C, 2284m ASL, 215km

I pull over to admire the views (and let the caravan of caravans pass). Not much to do up here though. Everything’s covered in snow, including the parking lot, so no shenanigans up here.

The drive down is relaxed. Down the pass is never as exciting as up it, even less so in turbocharged cars, but there are a few opportunities to lean into corners. So I pretty much coast down the only 400 metres of difference in elevation to Silvaplana, where I pull over again.

Silvaplana, 10:43, -2°C, 1815m ASL, 225km

This is the beautiful Engadin valley. If I had more time there are three additional passes to be barrelled up and down on which are open all year, but this also means that there’s always traffic on them as those are main roads connecting the Grisons with Italy. Let’s have lunch. Why not do that among the wealthy and the beautiful? So St Moritz it is!

St Moritz, 12:39, 0°C, 1822m ASL, 240km

I’m not one for fancy restaurants so I go for a kebab which is—as it turns out—quite fancy in St Moritz because there’s only one shop where you can get one. How exclusive!

The M5 fits in quite well with its rather brash appearance. Some people actually turn their heads. On the other hand there wasn’t that much there to turn ones head after. Since I don’t indulge in wearing dead animals around my neck I decide to get out of there.

St Moritz might be worth a visit in February when people drive the craziest things on the frozen lake such as the ludicrous Auto Union Type C. But not today.

Samedan Airport, 12:58, -1°C, 1707m ASL, 250km

Unsurprisingly there’s a few private jets loitering around. I try to get a cool shot and I obviously fail. Let’s just move on. I’ll be back here in January with BMW Switzerland.

So I head for the Vereina Tunnel. The weather is great, little traffic, beautiful scenery. When I arrive in Susch, where the cars drive onto the train, I discover that Flüela Pass is open. There is no chance that I skip driving a mountain pass road. So I turn and start the second ascent of the day.

A bit of background knowledge: Since Flüela Pass is not one of the main roads, it means that it can be open but not necessarily free of snow. So what follows now is one my greatest-ever driving experiences.

Flüela Pass, 13:52, -4°C, 2384m ASL, 290km

There is pretty much no traffic as only few people want to drive a snow-covered mountain pass road at more than 2000 metres above sea level. I start cautiously, 30-40 kph. I still put it in Sport though as the hairpins are otherwise quite painful with so much power being cut off due to slip.

Grip is outstanding, causing confidence (and other things) to grow. The hairpins are grounds for harmless fun, but those are only found on the first half of the climb. After the final hairpin, what lies ahead of me is nothing short of a WRC stage, just better.

The sun illuminates this side of the mountain, fast bends, visibility is great, no cars coming my way. 50-60 kph. This is so exciting. The M5’s chassis starts to work its magic, the car is moving but controllable. THIS IS AMAZING!

70-80kph, there are cars driving slower in summer, in the dry. More fast bends, more confidence, more speed. In my peripheral vision I see something pop up. It’s not red, so it’s probably fine. I need to work the steering wheel a bit more but it’s not frantic, very controlled.

After the last stretch of straight road I arrive at the highest point, almost 2400 metres above sea level. Wow! What a drive! I don’t like winter, I don’t like winter tyres, I don’t like 4WD, and yet, put all of that in the right situation and you end having the time of your life!

After a breather I drive down the other side. Calmly, still processing the events of a few minutes ago. Maybe not all is bad. Could I have had that level of fun in another 4WD car? Very likely, but so it happened that the G90 M5 popped this particular cherry.

Davos, 14:18, -2°C, 1560m ASL, 300km

I just stop for a short break and a photo. I’m tired, but so happy. Time to end the day. I start the long journey back.

Zurich, 16:22, 0°C, 459m ASL, 470km

I arrive at the same place I started. I brim the tank again. It’s 46.6 litres which translates to 9.9 l/100km, and I started (and ended) on an empty battery. Not bad all in all.

The Next Day

Time to return the Hulk to Avengers HQ. I decide to take the scenic route there. After the long drive the day before I’m comfortable around the G90 M5. I put it in 2WD for the entire journey and it’s not a lunatic at all. In fact, it feels just better like this. I attempt some sideways fun and with so much instance grunt, it’s easier than ever to light up the rear tyres, and the long wheelbase makes the drifts controllable.

A thorough wash to get rid of the evidence, a top-up, before I return the car. What a weekend!

Verdict

I’m not going to talk about the M5’s weight or hybrid system. I’ll leave that to others.

I’m glad that there are layers to driving the M5 that wait to be peeled off one by one. I’m not interested in BMW M’s powertrains and drivetrains anymore, but I’m very happy that the chassis wizards are still at the top of their game. Should you replace any of the previous M5s with the G90? Probably not, but I’m relieved to report that in 2025, the M5 is still alive (in its very own, unique way).

And now I know what to do should I end up with a 4WD Bimmer after all.