These are the latest, most revealing photos of the 2018 BMW M5 as brought to you by our skilled spies.

Sightings of the next BMW M5 being tested are becoming more and more common, with the latest crop of photos revealing for the first time details like the headlight and taillight patterns of the new model.

In a rather unsurprising move, BMW styled the new 5-Series in the same fashion with their flagship 7-Series. At this point the swirling camouflage on the prototype only manages to hide the finer details of the front and rear bumpers.

Previous reports suggest that BMW’s next super saloon will pack at least 600hp from an upgraded version of the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine. Power will be sent, via a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, to either the rear or, for the first time in a non-SUV M Division model, all four wheels.

Before purists get upset by BMW M’s decision to add some optional grip on their upcoming cars, perhaps they should hear out the boss of the M division Frank van Meel telling Autocar that rear-wheel drive configuration will remain as the default choice.

“The M cars are reaching the point where growing power outputs will oblige them to do something,” he said. “They’re still wedded to rear-wheel drive for philosophical reasons, but it’s already getting hard to sell them at 600bhp-plus in markets such as Canada and Switzerland.”

Despite the brand’s work on improving stability and torque vectoring systems, offering in the end the option of an all-wheel drive configuration is inevitable.

“It wouldn’t be branded as xDrive,” he said. “We have to be sensitive about equity built up with rear-wheel drive.” BMW M wants to emphasize on the rear-biased setup of the future M5 with AWD.

As for the possibility of a potential hybrid BMW M model, it’s not going to happen anytime soon because of the weight penalty according to van Meel. “You can’t add 150kg of equipment to our cars without feeling it in the handling,” he said.

What we will see in the next M5 is only some of the semi-autonomous features that debuted with the 7-Series, unlike the regular 5er that will adopt almost everything from the flagship as BMW recognizes that it’s not a priority for M Division-prepped cars. “I can imagine the day that M cars could drive you home from the track,” he said, “but M cars won’t get it (the technology) first”.

So there you have it: BMW’s upcoming M5 will be offered eventually with an optional AWD but if they promise to keep the core values of their super sedan intact, we are ok with it.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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