2018 BMW M5 teased a week before debut

BMW has briefly teased its all-new G30 M5 in a video tweeted ahead of its official unveiling on August 21.

The 10-second teaser features the new BMW M5 barrelling through the desert, though it doesn’t reveal too much of the car, apart from the lower grille, and a squiz at its front wheel and big yellow brake caliper, but it’s enough to get Beemer fans excited.

You can also hear a bit of the soundtrack generated by its 450kW (600hp) 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which is expected to produce more than 700Nm of torque and propel the Bavarian beast from 0-100kmh in “under 3.5sec”.

The ballsy engine will be mated to a modified eight-speed Steptronic auto that will drive all four wheels via a specially developed M version of the company’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Featuring bespoke software to other similarly-equipped vehicles to optimise performance, the all-paw system will be rear-biased and only send power to the front axle when needed.

The driver will also have a choice of utilising all-wheel or rear-wheel drive with a simple push of a button, which disengages the clutch in the transfer case that would otherwise direct torque to the front axle as required.

Wheels’ John Carey, who tested the M5 prototype earlier this year was impressed by the “great harmony in the way the car’s chassis and drivetrain interact, making it terrifically user-friendly”.

His initial impressions were very positive, and while it already seems an improvement over the uncharismatic F10 M5, we’ll have to wait until April next year to see how its proving ground performance translates to Australian roads.

Before then it will make its first public appearance at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.