Photographers love the so-called golden hour, a time during the latter part of the day, often just before sunset. The softer, reddish light is ideal for capturing stunning photos. However, the low light levels make it bloody difficult to actually see the car. BMW’s choice of a dark grey M5 Touring for the photoshoot make it even more bloody difficult to fully appreciate the car in all its glory.

There’s also the blue hour, which occurs just after sunset and has similar low light levels as the golden hour, but with a blue tint. They are trying to do art when they should be doing sales. Anyway, what we do know is this: the BMW M5 Touring offers the exact same powertrain and performance as the M5 Saloon, with the added practicality of a larger boot.

Like its predecessors, the latest BMW M5 Touring is blisteringly powerful and fast, but this iteration might be the most extreme to date. The M5’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8, combined with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, now results in a car weighing over 2.5 tonnes.

The combustion engine and electric motor generate a combined output of 727 hp and peak torque of 1,000 Nm. The M5 accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed limited to 155 mph. However, with ECU reprogramming, the top speed can be increased to 189 mph.

The BMW M5 Touring can travel up to 24 miles in pure electric mode before the battery is depleted. Inside, it offers a fully equipped interior with all the luxury and modern creature comforts you’d expect in a car costing £112,000.

BMW claims that the M5 Touring has an extremely stiff body structure due to additional bracing. However, they make similar claims with every new car launch, whether it’s a standard model or a performance variant. How much stiffer can they really make a car? I often wonder.

The M5 Touring also benefits from a revised suspension setup and chassis upgrade, which is unsurprising given its considerable weight. The order books for the M5 Touring open today, UK customer deliveries start in early 2025.