Welcome to the party, BMW’s M5 Touring is back, and it’s bigger, brawnier, and packing some serious punch. We’re talking 530 kW of raw power upfront, paired with a cavernous 1,630-liter boot at the back. This isn’t just a wagon; it’s a hyper-wagon with room for the whole family—and all their gear. But don’t let the practicality fool you; this beast is all about performance, even if it tips the scales at a hefty 2,560 kg.

For those who don’t have a clear memory of 2007, this is a momentous occasion. The M5 Touring doesn’t show up often—this is only the third time in history that BMW has unleashed such a creation. And let’s be honest, everything about it is massive.

Stretching five meters long and nearly two meters wide, the M5 Touring has a stiffened body that screams performance while promising to haul everything from luggage to outdoor adventure gear. The boot starts with a 500-liter cargo area, but fold down the split rear seats, and you’re looking at a 1,630-liter cavern, complete with lashing points for securing whatever your weekend warrior lifestyle demands. Does it just us, or does the Touring wear the ‘M5’ badge with more swagger than the saloon?

Underneath the hulking body, it shares its mechanical DNA with the latest M5 saloon—the first plug-in hybrid M5 and the first plug-in hybrid M car if you’re willing to forget the XM ever existed. And honestly, most of us are happy to do just that.

This means that, alongside your kite-surf-jet-ski-bicycle, there’s a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 under the bonnet, delivering 430 kW. Sure, that’s a touch less than the old M5’s V8, but don’t get too worked up. BMW is clearly playing the long game with emissions regulations in mind. To compensate, there’s an electric motor integrated into the gearbox, boosting total output to a hefty 530 kW and 1,000 Nm of torque.

Yes, you could marvel at its ability to rocket from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds or hit 200 km/h in just over 11 seconds. And if you tick the right boxes, you can unlock a top speed of 305 km/h. But what about towing your speedboat or trailer full of adventure toys? The M5 Touring has got you covered with a towing capacity of 2,000 kg, though don’t expect the claimed 64-km electric-only range to hold up under that kind of strain.

Even without a trailer, the M5 Touring has a lot of mass to move. With switchable four-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, adaptive suspension, an 18.6 kWh battery, an electric tailgate, and no carbon roof (because no supplier could make a piece long enough), the M5 Touring weighs in at a colossal 2,560 kg—more than a fully-loaded Bentley Bentayga.

And that’s why the current Audi RS6 Performance, despite being down 74 kW on the BMW, is actually 0.2 seconds quicker from 0 to 100 km/h. It’s also about 500 kg lighter, giving it a significant edge in the sprint.