BMW M5 Weight: How Heavy Is the M5 by Generation?

The BMW M5 weight has become one of the most talked-about specifications surrounding BMW’s legendary performance sedan. And there is a good reason for that. The newest M5 is incredibly powerful, technologically sophisticated, and astonishingly quick—but it is also considerably heavier than the M5s many enthusiasts grew up admiring.

The current BMW M5 tips the scales at 5,390 pounds (2,445 kg) in U.S. specification. That is not a typo. BMW itself lists the figure in the car's technical specifications.

Put that number beside an E39 M5 weighing about 4,024 pounds and suddenly we are looking at roughly 1,366 pounds of additional mass. That's almost like putting several adult passengers into an older M5 and asking it to keep up.

Yet looking at weight alone misses half the story.

Modern M5s have gained all-wheel drive, hybrid hardware, enormous brakes, electric motors, batteries, advanced crash structures, luxury equipment, emissions technology, and enough computing power to make an older M5 seem almost analog.

So, is the new BMW M5 simply too heavy? Or has BMW engineered its way around the extra mass?

We need to dig deeper.

How Much Does a BMW M5 Weigh?

For shoppers asking the straightforward question, “How much does a BMW M5 weigh?”, the answer depends heavily on the generation.

The newest G90 M5 Sedan has a U.S. curb weight of 5,390 lbs, while BMW Canada lists the corresponding curb weight at 2,445 kg.

Here is a useful snapshot of several major generations:

Different generations and markets use slightly different standards for curb, DIN, EU, and unladen weight, so figures should not always be treated as perfect apples-to-apples measurements. Still, the overall trend is obvious.

The M5 has become much heavier.

But it has also become dramatically more capable.

2025 and Current BMW M5 Weight

The current G90-generation BMW M5 is where the discussion gets especially interesting.

BMW lists the M5 Sedan at:

• Curb weight: 5,390 lbs in the United States
• Curb weight: 2,445 kg in Canadian specifications
• GVWR: 6,482 lbs in U.S. specifications
• Seating capacity: five
• Drivetrain: M xDrive all-wheel drive
• Powertrain: plug-in-hybrid twin-turbocharged V8

BMW also lists the current M5 at 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque in U.S. specification.

That last point matters.

The new M5 weighs a lot because it is no longer merely a gasoline-powered sports sedan. It carries a complex electrified drivetrain designed to combine massive performance with plug-in-hybrid capability.

The weight penalty is significant, but so is the power available to move it.

Why Is the New BMW M5 So Heavy?

The obvious suspect is the battery, but blaming everything on one component oversimplifies the situation.

Several systems contribute to the G90 M5's substantial curb weight.

Plug-In Hybrid Hardware

The newest M5 combines a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and a high-voltage battery.

That means engineers have to package more than an internal-combustion engine and transmission. The vehicle also needs battery modules, cooling equipment, electrical architecture, power electronics, an electric motor, charging hardware, and protective structures.

Think of the system as carrying two overlapping forms of propulsion instead of one.

Hybridization gives the car tremendous flexibility, but flexibility is rarely weightless.

M xDrive All-Wheel Drive

Older M5 generations traditionally sent their power to the rear wheels.

The modern car uses BMW's M xDrive system.

All-wheel drive requires extra components, including hardware capable of delivering torque to the front axle. It improves traction enormously—especially when hundreds of horsepower are trying to escape through the tires—but additional mechanical hardware inevitably adds mass.

A Larger Vehicle

The M5 itself has grown.

The G90 measures 200.6 inches long and 77.6 inches wide, according to BMW USA.

This isn't an E39-sized sports sedan anymore. It is a substantial luxury performance car designed to carry passengers comfortably while incorporating modern safety, structural, connectivity, and convenience equipment.

Bigger dimensions generally mean more material.

Luxury and Technology

Modern performance cars aren't stripped-out racing machines.

Buyers expect:

• Large digital displays
• Multi-zone climate control
• Electrically adjustable seats
• Premium audio systems
• Advanced driver-assistance equipment
• Multiple cameras and sensors
• Extensive sound insulation
• Adaptive chassis technology
• Powerful cooling systems
• Electrically operated convenience features

We can remove many of those things and make the M5 lighter—but then we would no longer have the luxury super-sedan customers expect an M5 to be.

BMW M5 Weight in Pounds

For American buyers, 5,390 pounds is the headline number for the latest M5 Sedan.

And yes, that sounds enormous.

A useful way to understand the number is to compare it with the previous F90 M5.

BMW listed the original 2018 F90 M5 at 4,370 pounds in U.S. specification.

That means the G90 is approximately:

5,390 − 4,370 = 1,020 pounds heavier.

A thousand pounds between successive M5 generations is not a subtle change.

It is the sort of difference we'd normally associate with moving into a completely different category of vehicle.

Yet the newer car still accelerates at a rate that would have sounded absurd during the E39 era.

That tells us something important: vehicle weight influences performance, but it does not determine performance by itself.

BMW M5 Weight in Kilograms

Outside the United States, kilograms are usually more useful.

BMW's Canadian specifications list the newest M5 at 2,445 kg curb weight.

For perspective:

• 2,000 kg = about 4,409 lbs
• 2,200 kg = about 4,850 lbs
• 2,445 kg = about 5,390 lbs

Crossing the two-and-a-half-tonne neighborhood psychologically changes how we view a performance sedan.

But modern chassis electronics, tire technology, active differentials, suspension systems, and tremendous power mean the driver's experience is not remotely comparable to driving a similarly heavy car from decades ago.

The scale tells us how heavy the M5 is.

It doesn't tell us how heavy the M5 feels.

BMW M5 Weight by Generation

Looking backward gives us much better context than judging the current M5 in isolation.

E39 BMW M5 Weight

For many enthusiasts, the E39 remains the reference point.

BMW's U.S. technical data for the 2000 M5 gives a curb weight of 4,024 pounds, along with a front/rear weight distribution of 52.1/47.9 percent.

Its formula seems wonderfully simple today:

A naturally aspirated V8.

A six-speed manual transmission.

Rear-wheel drive.

No giant traction battery.

No hybrid motor.

No complicated all-wheel-drive system.

The E39 feels almost like a mechanical wristwatch beside today's smartwatch.

That simplicity partly explains why enthusiasts continue to romanticize it.

E60 BMW M5 Weight

Then came one of BMW M's wildest creations: the E60 M5.

Its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 became legendary, yet despite carrying two additional cylinders compared with the E39, U.S. BMW technical information lists the 2009 M5 at 4,012 pounds (1,820 kg).

Curiously, that figure is almost identical to the E39's published 4,024-pound weight.

The character, however, was totally different.

The E60 was a high-revving technological showcase that brought Formula 1 flavor to a family-sized sedan.

F10 BMW M5 Weight

The F10 introduced another major philosophical change.

The naturally aspirated V10 disappeared. In came the twin-turbocharged V8.

BMW's 2011 technical documentation lists the F10 M5 at 1,870 kg under DIN measurement and 1,945 kg using the EU figure.

This is also where comparing numbers becomes tricky.

Why two weights?

Because manufacturers and markets may measure vehicles under different standards. Fuel load, driver allowance, equipment assumptions, and other factors can alter the quoted figure.

That is why we should avoid treating every published number as though every generation rolled onto the exact same scale under identical conditions.

The trend matters more.

F90 BMW M5 Weight

The F90 represented another major leap.

For the first time, the mainstream M5 adopted an all-wheel-drive architecture through M xDrive, while preserving the ability to deliver the playful rear-driven character enthusiasts wanted.

BMW quoted a 4,370-pound U.S. curb weight for the 2018 model.

Interestingly, BMW Canada documentation lists a curb weight without driver of 1,982 kg for the later F90-era car.

Weight went up, but traction and performance reached another level.

The F90 demonstrated something BMW would push even further with the next generation: extra mass can be partially disguised with grip, horsepower, electronics, and chassis sophistication.

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G90 BMW M5 Weight

Then the G90 arrived—and smashed through the psychological barrier.

At 5,390 pounds, it is roughly 1,000 pounds heavier than the original F90 U.S. figure and more than 1,300 pounds heavier than the E39 figure cited by BMW.

That sounds alarming until we consider what the newest car actually contains.

It is simultaneously:

• A luxury sedan
• An all-wheel-drive performance car
• A plug-in hybrid
• A V8 super sedan
• An electronically sophisticated grand tourer
• A five-seat daily driver

The G90 is trying to perform several jobs at once.

Weight is one of the prices it pays.

How Much Heavier Is the New M5 Than the Old M5?

Let's make the difference visual.

Comparing published U.S. figures:

G90 M5: 5,390 lbs
F90 M5: 4,370 lbs
E39 M5: 4,024 lbs

So the G90 weighs approximately:

• 1,020 lbs more than the early F90
• 1,366 lbs more than the E39

That is a roughly 34% increase over the E39's published curb weight.

And this is why the G90's launch triggered so much discussion among enthusiasts.

Thirty-four percent is not merely a rounding error.

But raw weight alone cannot explain whether the car is better or worse.

Does the BMW M5 Weight Hurt Acceleration?

You would logically expect a heavier performance car to accelerate more slowly, all else being equal.

The key phrase is all else being equal.

Nothing else is equal here.

The current M5's electrified powertrain produces 717 hp and 738 lb-ft, and BMW quotes a 0–60 mph time of 3.4 seconds for the U.S.-spec sedan.

Electric assistance delivers rapid torque while the twin-turbo V8 provides huge sustained output.

M xDrive then helps transfer that force to the pavement.

The result resembles a heavyweight boxer with sprinter legs. It may carry serious mass, but the machinery moving that mass is equally serious.

Power-to-Weight Still Matters

Horsepower alone never tells the entire story.

If two cars make identical horsepower but one weighs hundreds of pounds less, the lighter vehicle generally enjoys several advantages.

Lower mass can improve:

• Acceleration
• Braking
• Direction changes
• Tire workload
• Suspension response
• Efficiency
• Driver feedback

BMW's challenge was therefore not merely to give the new M5 enough horsepower.

It had to engineer the chassis around the weight.

Does the M5 Feel as Heavy as It Is?

This is where spec sheets lose their authority.

A car can be heavy without feeling clumsy.

Conversely, a relatively light car with poor body control can feel like a boat.

Modern engineering gives BMW numerous tools for controlling mass: adaptive suspension, sophisticated damping, enormous tire grip, electronically managed differentials, stability systems, powerful brakes, rear-wheel steering strategies depending on platform design, and incredibly fast vehicle-control computers.

These technologies cannot repeal physics.

A 5,390-pound car still possesses 5,390 pounds of mass.

When momentum builds, tires and brakes must deal with it.

But technology can determine whether that mass feels like a backpack or a refrigerator strapped to the roof.

That distinction matters more to drivers than the number alone.

BMW M5 Weight Distribution

Weight distribution is nearly as important as total weight.

Why?

Imagine carrying a heavy suitcase directly against your chest. Now stretch your arms and hold the same suitcase away from your body.

Same weight.

Completely different feeling.

Cars work similarly. Where engineers position components affects balance, rotation, traction, and steering behavior.

Older M5s were often celebrated for balanced front-engine, rear-drive dynamics. The 2000 E39 technical sheet, for example, specifies 52.1% front and 47.9% rear weight distribution.

Modern hybrid systems complicate packaging but also give engineers new opportunities. Heavy battery modules can sometimes be placed lower in the chassis, helping reduce the center of gravity compared with mounting equivalent mass high in the vehicle.

Weight is bad for agility.

Low, centrally positioned weight is less bad than high, poorly distributed weight.

BMW M5 Sedan vs M5 Touring Weight

The return of the M5 Touring gives us another fascinating comparison.

BMW USA currently lists:

• M5 Sedan: 5,390 lbs
• M5 Touring: 5,523 lbs

That puts the Touring approximately 133 pounds heavier than the sedan.

Surprisingly modest, isn't it?

The wagon body adds usefulness without creating an enormous weight penalty.

For buyers who want outrageous performance while carrying luggage, dogs, bikes, or family equipment, that extra 133 pounds may seem like an easy trade.

Is the M5 Touring Too Heavy?

At 5,523 pounds, nobody will confuse the Touring with a lightweight sports car.

But that is missing its purpose.

An M5 Touring isn't trying to be a Lotus Elise.

It is trying to combine supercar-like acceleration with the practicality of a premium wagon.

Context changes everything.

Curb Weight vs Gross Vehicle Weight

One source of confusion around BMW M5 weight searches is the difference between curb weight and gross vehicle weight rating, commonly abbreviated GVWR.

They are not interchangeable.

What Is Curb Weight?

Curb weight generally represents the vehicle in operating condition with required fluids and standard equipment, although the precise measurement methodology varies by country and manufacturer.

When people ask what a BMW M5 weighs, curb weight is usually the number they want.

For the current U.S. M5, that figure is 5,390 pounds.

What Is GVWR?

GVWR describes the maximum allowable total operating weight of the vehicle once occupants, luggage, and other permitted payload are included.

BMW lists a 6,482-pound GVWR for the current U.S.-spec M5.

We therefore should not say the M5 “weighs 6,482 pounds” under normal curb-weight terminology.

That's its rated maximum gross vehicle weight, not its normal curb weight.

Why Lighter Cars Usually Feel More Playful

Performance enthusiasts obsess over weight because weight affects almost everything a car does.

Imagine dancing in hiking boots instead of sneakers.

You can still dance well—but every movement demands more energy.

A lighter car generally changes direction more willingly. It asks less of its tires. Brakes have less kinetic energy to dissipate. Suspension components have less mass to control.

Most importantly, lighter vehicles can communicate their behavior more naturally.

This helps explain why older M5s remain deeply loved even though modern ones can demolish them in a straight line.

The old cars often make the driver feel busier.

That is not always the same thing as being faster.

Why Modern Performance Cars Keep Getting Heavier

The M5 is hardly alone.

Across the automotive industry, performance vehicles have become bigger and heavier as manufacturers add safety systems, emissions equipment, larger wheels, stronger structures, infotainment hardware, comfort features, electrification, and increasingly sophisticated drivetrains.

Customers contribute to the trend too.

We say we want lightweight cars, but we also want:

quiet cabins, ventilated seats, enormous screens, advanced audio, all-wheel drive, panoramic roofs, automatic everything, huge brakes, effortless acceleration, and extensive driver assistance.

Those features do not float into the car like feathers.

Every luxury creates a bill.

Sometimes that bill is paid in dollars.

Sometimes in kilograms.

Usually both.

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Can BMW Reduce M5 Weight With Carbon Fiber?

Carbon fiber and other lightweight materials can absolutely help, but there is a limit to what material substitution can economically achieve.

Replacing steel components with aluminum, magnesium, composites, or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic can save meaningful weight.

The problem is cost.

Saving hundreds of pounds from a hybrid luxury sedan without compromising strength, durability, comfort, crash performance, or affordability is far harder than removing the rear seats from a track car.

A lightweight roof or body panel helps.

It cannot magically erase an entire hybrid system.

Unsprung Weight Matters Too

Not every pound affects a car identically.

Reducing unsprung mass—weight associated with components such as wheels, tires, and parts of the suspension—can provide noticeable benefits to ride and handling.

Likewise, reducing rotating mass in wheels and driveline components may change how responsive a vehicle feels.

That means a 20-pound reduction in the right place can sometimes matter more dynamically than 20 pounds removed from carpeting.

Weight placement is engineering.

Not arithmetic alone.

Does BMW M5 Weight Affect Braking?

Absolutely.

A heavier vehicle carries more kinetic energy at a given speed than a lighter vehicle.

When we brake, that energy must go somewhere—primarily into heat.

This is why heavy high-performance cars require substantial braking hardware, cooling, tires, and electronic control systems.

One hard stop may be easy.

Repeated high-speed braking is the real challenge.

On a racetrack, weight becomes increasingly difficult to hide because acceleration, braking, and cornering happen repeatedly.

Heat builds.

Tires work harder.

Brakes suffer.

Physics starts collecting its debts.

Does BMW M5 Weight Affect Fuel Economy?

Weight also influences energy consumption, especially during acceleration and stop-and-go driving.

Moving more mass requires more energy.

The newest M5 partly changes the equation through electrification. Its plug-in-hybrid system allows electric propulsion and energy recuperation under appropriate conditions, making the relationship between engine size, vehicle mass, and efficiency more complex than it was with an E39 or E60.

Still, no engineering trick makes mass completely free.

A lighter car generally requires less energy to accelerate than an otherwise identical heavier one.

Is the Heavy G90 M5 Still a Real M5?

This question goes beyond specifications.

What makes an M5 an M5?

Is it rear-wheel drive?

A naturally aspirated engine?

A manual gearbox?

Low curb weight?

If we use those requirements, several generations would already fail the test.

The M5 has constantly evolved.

The E39 relied on a V8.

The E60 screamed toward the horizon with a V10.

The F10 turned to turbocharging.

The F90 embraced all-wheel drive.

The G90 adds plug-in hybridization.

Yet the central philosophy remains recognizable: take a practical luxury sedan and give it performance capabilities that seem almost absurd.

The recipe changes.

The intention survives.

Which BMW M5 Offers the Best Weight-to-Performance Balance?

There isn't one objective answer.

For an enthusiast prioritizing simplicity and driver involvement, an E39's roughly 4,024-pound curb weight and naturally aspirated V8 may be extremely appealing.

Someone fascinated by exotic engines may gravitate toward the similarly weighted E60 and its magnificent V10.

Drivers wanting enormous usable speed without hybrid-era mass may find the F90 particularly attractive. Its roughly 4,370-pound U.S. curb weight feels relatively lean beside the latest car while still delivering modern all-wheel-drive traction.

And buyers wanting the latest technology, electrified performance, and maximum system output will find the G90 represents an entirely different level of capability.

The “best” M5 therefore depends on what we value.

Numbers cannot answer that for us.

Should BMW M5 Weight Matter When Buying One?

Yes—but not in isolation.

If you're purchasing an M5 primarily for road use, daily driving, highway travel, and explosive acceleration, the newest car's weight may matter far less than online discussions suggest.

If your priorities include track days, steering delicacy, brake longevity, and a lightweight feel, weight deserves considerably more attention.

We should evaluate:

• Total curb weight
• Power-to-weight ratio
• Weight distribution
• Brake capability
• Tire size
• Suspension tuning
• Intended use
• Driving environment
• How the car actually feels behind the wheel

The spec sheet should begin the conversation.

It should not end it.

The Bigger Story Behind BMW M5 Weight

The evolution of M5 weight mirrors the evolution of the entire performance-car industry.

Once upon a time, speed largely came from making an engine stronger and a chassis sharper.

Today it can involve software, active differentials, turbochargers, electric motors, battery systems, torque management, sophisticated suspension, enormous brakes, and computer-controlled all-wheel drive.

The M5 has essentially evolved from a fast executive sedan into a rolling technology laboratory.

We gained capability.

We gained comfort.

We gained traction.

We gained electrification.

And, inevitably, we gained weight.

The fascinating question isn't whether 5,390 pounds is heavy.

Of course it is.

The fascinating question is how effectively BMW can make 5,390 pounds behave like something much lighter.

Conclusion: BMW M5 Weight Is Only Part of the Equation

The current BMW M5 weight of 5,390 pounds (2,445 kg) makes the G90 considerably heavier than its predecessors. An E39 M5 was around 4,024 pounds, while the original F90 came in at roughly 4,370 pounds in U.S. specification.

Those differences are substantial and shouldn't be dismissed.

Weight affects braking, handling, efficiency, tire load, and ultimately how connected a vehicle feels.

But focusing entirely on the scale ignores why the weight exists.

The modern M5 carries all-wheel drive, advanced electronics, luxury equipment, extensive safety engineering, an electric motor, a battery, and a brutally powerful twin-turbo V8. It is trying to be an EV-capable commuter, luxury sedan, grand tourer, and supercar hunter in the same package.

Older M5s were lighter, simpler instruments.

The newest M5 is more like an orchestra.

Which approach is better?

That depends on what we want from the driver's seat.

And perhaps that is why the BMW M5 weight debate is so interesting: we're not really arguing about pounds or kilograms.

We're arguing about what a performance sedan should be.

Frequently Asked Questions About BMW M5 Weight

1. How much does a BMW M5 weigh?

The current G90 BMW M5 Sedan has a U.S. curb weight of 5,390 pounds, equivalent to approximately 2,445 kg. BMW lists the same 2,445-kg figure in Canadian specifications.

2. Why does the new BMW M5 weigh so much?

The newest M5 uses a plug-in-hybrid powertrain combining a twin-turbocharged V8, electric motor, high-voltage battery, and associated electrical and cooling hardware. It also carries M xDrive all-wheel drive, modern safety systems, luxury equipment, larger dimensions, and substantial chassis hardware.

3. How much heavier is the G90 M5 than the F90?

Using BMW's published U.S. curb-weight figures, the G90 weighs 5,390 lbs compared with 4,370 lbs for the original F90, making the newer M5 approximately 1,020 pounds heavier.

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4. What was the weight of the E39 BMW M5?

BMW's U.S. specifications list the 2000 E39 M5 at 4,024 pounds, or about 1,825 kg, with a 52.1/47.9 front-to-rear weight distribution.

5. Is the BMW M5 Touring heavier than the M5 Sedan?

Yes. BMW USA currently lists the M5 Touring at 5,523 pounds, compared with 5,390 pounds for the M5 Sedan. That makes the Touring approximately 133 pounds heavier.

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