• BMW says an M Performance X5 model is coming and will offer V-8 power.
• The announcement comes alongside the reveal of the new fifth-generation X5, which rides on BMW's new Neue Klasse platform.
• The Neue Klasse vehicles have been engineered with electric powertrains in mind, but can accommodate gas and hybrid powertrains as well.

CLARIFICATION 7/1/26: "A BMW spokesperson clarified to Car and Driver that the V-8-powered M Performance model that was announced as part of the new X5 lineup would be like an M60 variant instead of a full X5 M."

BMW isn't giving up on gasoline-powered performance models, a fact that comes as a relief to petrolheads across the globe. As part of the fifth-generation X5 SUV's reveal today at BMW's facility in Greenville, South Carolina, the automaker confirmed a V-8-powered X5 M performance model will follow the gas, hybrid, and electric X5 variants to market.

2027 BMW iX5 60 xDrive

Enthusiasts may have worried about the future of a V-8-powered performance model, given that BMW's new Neue Klasse platform has been designed from the ground up to accommodate electric powertrains. Although the platform can also utilize gas and hybrid systems, it hadn't initially been clear whether the fifth-generation model would forego V-8 powertrains. Thankfully, we now know that's not the case, and that the V-8 will live on.

While it may end up being a V-8 with some sort of plug-in hybrid boost rather than a purely gas setup, we're happy to hear that an eight-cylinder X5 will return to the lineup. We also are hoping the existence of a V-8 model will mean a new X5 M is also on the way.

The current X5 M is a performer, featuring a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 with 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque funneled to its standard all-wheel drive system. The current X5 M utilizes a 48-volt hybrid system as well, but it acts as a starter-generator and adds just 12 horsepower to the combined 617 total.

BMW X6 M

We may also get an electric M variant of the X5, possibly called iX5 M, but so far BMW hasn't confirmed such a model. What is also unclear is whether the X6 and X6 M will get a third generation or if the model that started the "coupe SUV" trend will fade away after 2027.

➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.

Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.