BMW’s test drivers apparently forgot one critical step in the prototype confidentiality playbook. A sticker on the steering wheel of this camouflaged M5 Touring reminds them to fold down interior covers and attach a fabric steering wheel shroud when parked. They didn’t, and now we have a clear, unobstructed view of what’s coming inside the next M5.
The photos, captured by spy photographers in recent days, reveal the most dramatic interior overhaul the M5 has ever received as part of a mid-cycle refresh. Calling it a facelift undersells it. This is a gut renovation of the cabin, borrowing heavily from the Neue Klasse playbook BMW debuted with the electric iX3 crossover.
The most obvious change is the disappearance of the traditional instrument cluster. In its place, BMW has installed its Panoramic Vision system, a pillar-to-pillar projection strip embedded in a black band at the base of the windshield. Speed, navigation prompts, and other vital data are projected directly into the driver’s line of sight without requiring eyes to drop to a gauge cluster.
It’s the same tech from the iX3, and it signals BMW’s commitment to rolling this system across its entire lineup.
The center of the dashboard is now dominated by a large, canted touchscreen. In the iX3, that display measures 14.9 inches, and it appears even larger in the wider M5 cabin. Gone is BMW’s beloved iDrive rotary controller, a decision that will sting purists but aligns with the direction Munich has been heading for years.
The center console switchgear looks heavily influenced by the iX3, including what appears to be a crystal gear selector reminiscent of the 7 Series.
The steering wheel is another iX3 transplant, this time with M tricolor stitching and a larger airbag module. The flat-bottom design from the current M5 is gone, replaced by a slightly squared-off top section. A driver-facing sensor for advanced driver-assist systems is integrated into the wheel hub.
Beyond the tech, the cabin retains the expected M-car theater. Deeply bolstered sport seats, M-stitched seatbelts, and multi-tone leather across the seats and door panels confirm this is no ordinary 5 Series. This is still a weapon, just one wrapped in a more digitally advanced cockpit.
Reports suggest a front-passenger display could be offered as an option, following the lead of the next-generation X5 and the facelifted 7 Series, both expected this year. BMW has acknowledged huge demand for the feature, which Mercedes-Benz and others have offered for some time.
Under the skin, don’t expect a revolution. The prototype still has a charge port, confirming the plug-in hybrid powertrain carries over. The current M5 pairs a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor for a combined 717 horsepower, enough for a claimed 3.5-second sprint to 60 mph and a 190-mph top speed.
Around 25 miles of electric-only range at speeds up to 87 mph rounds out the package. There’s no indication BMW plans to mess with that formula.
The exterior remains heavily camouflaged, but the profile appears unchanged. Modifying door stampings would be prohibitively expensive for a mid-cycle update. The front fascia is where the real visual drama lives, with redesigned headlights and what looks like a smaller kidney grille.
Earlier prototypes wore a more radical Neue Klasse face, but the current test cars suggest BMW has dialed that back to something more evolutionary.
Production is reportedly targeted for July 2027, meaning an official reveal is likely more than a year away. Both the sedan and Touring wagon are expected to continue in the U.S. market. BMW took a gamble bringing the M5 wagon stateside and says the bet paid off handsomely, with the M3 Touring potentially following thanks to its larger sibling’s commercial success.
For now, BMW’s secret is out. Someone at the Munich test facility is probably getting a stern talking-to about those interior covers.
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