The BMW M5 facelift keeps showing up in Germany, and the newest prototypes are running what look like finished headlights. That makes it a fair question for anyone eyeing a 2027 M5, which already starts at $123,300: what is BMW actually changing? From what the photos show, you get a new face, new lighting and the same plug-in hybrid V8. BMW hasn’t said anything officially.
Where it was spotted
The latest sightings came on October 30. Carscoops published photos by the spy agency Baldauf of a sedan in BMW’s web-style camouflage, and CarBuzz ran its own set the same day, with red paint peeking through the wrap. Italian site BMWnews.it says its images were taken near BMW M’s test center in Nürburg, home of the Nürburgring.
Here’s what the photos show. Each headlight now carries two slim LED running-light strips laid out horizontally, with what appear to be the main LED units underneath. The kidney grilles are still two separate openings rather than the wide single shape on BMW’s newest models. The four exhaust tips are still there, and the lower bumper openings look large, which you’d expect on a car with this much cooling to manage.
One detail looks off. The running lights glow white. As Carscoops notes, BMW has started giving its M cars yellow running lights (the new M350 has them), so these may be units borrowed from the regular 5 Series, which gets the same update. That’s the outlet’s read, and it’s a reasonable one, but it’s still an interpretation.
What’s confirmed
BMW hasn’t confirmed anything about the facelift itself: no name, no reveal date, no specs. Here’s what is official. The current 2027 M5 sedan starts at $123,300 on BMW USA, before destination. In US spec, its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and electric motor make a combined 717 hp and 738 lb-ft. BMW also sells the M5 Touring wagon in the US, which it didn’t do for most of the M5’s history.
The plug-in hybrid setup isn’t going anywhere for this update. BMWBlog pointed out a charging port on the front fender of earlier test cars, and Baldauf’s new photos still show the quad exhaust.
What’s rumored or reported
Timing first. BMWBlog and BMWnews.it both point to a 2027 reveal, and Autoblog says the car is aimed at the 2028 model year. BMW hasn’t confirmed either.
The outlets don’t agree on the styling. BMWBlog and CarBuzz say the M5 skips the full Neue Klasse look of the new 3 Series and i3. Autoblog says the face draws on the M Vision Neue Klasse concept, with slimmer grilles and a wide, split lower intake. Both could be partly right, because the bumpers under the wrap are still placeholders.
Inside, Autoblog expects BMW’s Panoramic Vision display setup from the newer models. On power, Autoblog thinks the US car could get a small bump over 717 hp, but that’s a guess, and nobody has numbers. In Europe, BMWnews.it reports that a 2026 emissions update already cut the V8’s own output to 544 PS while keeping the 727 PS system total. Autoblog says US rules don’t force that change here.
How credible is all this? The photos are real and recent, and the plug-in hybrid V8 carryover is about as safe a bet as these things get. The styling read, the interior and any power change are informed guesses until BMW shows the car.
What it means if you’re shopping an M5
If the reported 2027 reveal holds, the facelift is at least several months away and probably more than a year from US showrooms. If you’re buying now, you’ll get the current look and the same basic powertrain the facelift is expected to keep. If the new face matters to you, wait. We’d also expect pricing to go up rather than down, though that’s our guess, not BMW’s. Our guide to every new BMW for 2027 covers the rest of the lineup, and you can see the new design direction in our new 3 Series and i3 story.
Image credits: Spy photos by Baldauf, via Carscoops. More M5 facelift spy coverage from CarBuzz, BMWnews.it, BMWBlog and Autoblog. Featured image: BMW M5 (G90) by OWS Photography / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
