BMW Villa at Pebble Beach / The M5 Garage at Laguna Seca [Photos + Videos]!

[dezzracer]

M5 Touring is ok looking I guess but I’d go with the Audi wagon instead all day long

[GOLFFRR]

Im really digging that touring I would def pick one of those up for myself

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by dezzracer

M5 Touring is ok looking I guess but I’d go with the Audi wagon instead all day long

Yeah RS6 Avant looks WAYYYYYYY better.

[40 Cylinders]

Since I have an M2, I guess I'm not too surprised with the design direction.. but I really don't care for the gloss black plastic front grille..
Saw a few variations at the dealership and they just look cheap to me.. plus, rock chips, but smears, etc will make it look sad in a year or so... PPF for sure... If you get one, you probably will get use to the weight in no time.. I am at the front on the line for one, but not so sure...An Alpina B8 is looking good ....

[jdl5068]

thank you for sharing the pictures and jealous that you had the experience to go see them. I still need to see one in person since everyone says better in real life.

also would totally go audi or merc wagon options over that

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by cjames231

Thanks for blessing us with such a beauty

Originally Posted by Mani59

Excellent photos, what a great collection and presentation that BMW had for the day. Thank you for sharing!

Originally Posted by dezzracer

M5 Touring is ok looking I guess but I’d go with the Audi wagon instead all day long

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

Im really digging that touring I would def pick one of those up for myself

Originally Posted by jdl5068

thank you for sharing the pictures and jealous that you had the experience to go see them. I still need to see one in person since everyone says better in real life.

also would totally go audi or merc wagon options over that

Thanks everyone, and my pleasure in sharing!!

I honestly also agree on RS6 / E63 wagon (although apparently BMW hinted that the M3 wagon may actually be coming to the US?! That may be the winner if it's priced appropriately.

I will admit, while some of the proportions of the M5 wagon look "off" or "awkward" it is a much more cohesive car in person!

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by 40 Cylinders

Since I have an M2, I guess I'm not too surprised with the design direction.. but I really don't care for the gloss black plastic front grille..
Saw a few variations at the dealership and they just look cheap to me.. plus, rock chips, but smears, etc will make it look sad in a year or so... PPF for sure... If you get one, you probably will get use to the weight in no time.. I am at the front on the line for one, but not so sure...An Alpina B8 is looking good ....

Agree with this... seems like there are just too many openings!

[Bill in Marin]

I was there as well! I posted some additional photos and commentary over in the M8 forum. I was down there on Sat, and also went to the villa. Looks like you hit it on a different day.

https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=31397907

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by Bill in Marin

I was there as well! I posted some additional photos and commentary over in the M8 forum. I was down there on Sat, and also went to the villa. Looks like you hit it on a different day.

https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?p=31397907

Very nice!

Yes, I was there Friday before heading to Quail Lodge. We hit Laguna Seca on Saturday!

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by Bill in Marin

I was there as well! I posted some additional photos and commentary over in the M8 forum. I was down there on Sat, and also went to the villa. Looks like you hit it on a different day.

https://f92.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?p=31397907

Here is a video and photos from Quail!
https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2127545

[Bill in Marin]

Bummed that I missed Quail. I heard that it really was THE event. I think Quail and Pebble are my two favorites, but unfortunately I couldn't make either due to work obligations. Next year!

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by Bill in Marin

Bummed that I missed Quail. I heard that it really was THE event. I think Quail and Pebble are my two favorites, but unfortunately I couldn't make either due to work obligations. Next year!

It never ceases to amaze!! We missed Pebble, also for work obligations (left in the afternoon shortly after Laguna Seca on Saturday). But similarly, next year I hope to be able to stay for Pebble!

[TanzM4]

This was the only pic I took of the new M5 😂.

I guess I should have checked it out, but was to busy checking out the other rides at Laguna Seca.

[AbdullahMDM]

This type of bulky design only works on the touring imo

[AVB-AMG]

I really wanted to like the 2025 BMW M5 Touring (G99)….

SaMaster14: Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful photos! They were very helpful.

After seeing these photos and other YouTube videos of the world reveal of the 2025 BMW M5 Touring (G99) at Pebble Beach in mid-August, I was let down and disappointed, but held out hope that the vehicle would look better, once I saw it in person. Also, I have some major concerns with the decision by BMW to make the G99 a PHEV.

This past Sat. I attended a limited visit to the BMW Port Elizabeth Vehicle Delivery Center (VDC), in Elizabeth, NJ, conducted by the BMW CCA. I was pleasantly surprised to see that BMW USA had brought both of the same BMW M5’s, sedan and touring that were at Pebble Beach, to now display on the VDC floor for us. Being able to see the actual vehicle up front and close, as well as to sit in it, my earlier concerns were sadly confirmed. We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye, the vehicle does not look better in person and the design miscues at both the front and rear of the vehicle exacerbate the other major issues that I have with the G99.

Design – Front End: The G99’s front end, while not employing the cartoonish, exaggerated “buck-tooth” kidney grill” that has been so controversial on some other recent BMW models, is still most unfortunate. To me, there seems to be some practical elements that are missing, and the entire composition appears unfinished. The choice to make the front lower bumper/diffuser look like it was influenced by Star Wars Darth Vader helmet is very awkward and most unfortunate. But the most disconcerting choice was to create two, very large, side-by-side clear openings for forced air cooling of the multiple radiators deeply recessed behind them. I understand the functional need to provide as much cooling as possible, but realistically the G99 is not a race car and very few will ever be tracked. That part of the front end seems to be missing some important aesthetic and functional elements. Most perplexing is that there is no metal or plastic grillage insert inside the upper portion of the grill of either horizontal or vertical slats to better define the grill. Nor are there any below inside those deep recesses, making for a giant open vacuum cleaner or silly opened-mouthed appearance, IMHO. From a real-life practical standpoint, those exposed radiator fins will quickly be damaged from kicked up road debris and stones, as well as to be a repository for sucked up tree leaves when driving on any back roads during the fall season. Finally, I think the overuse of gloss piano black plastic looks cheap and would much prefer either a gloss or matte black carbon fiber option instead.

Design – Rear End: The G99’s rear bumper valence is an unnecessarily a ridiculous 2” thick element finished in gloss piano black, that appears very heavy and protrudes way too much. It is interrupted in the center by a silly divider painted in the body color, that appears as some sort of unfortunate automotive loin cloth / G-string element. This trim piece does not need to be so pronounced and would also benefit by being offered in either a gloss or matte black carbon fiber as an alternative optional choice.
Interior Design: I for one, have not come around to accepting the now universal design of the long, horizontal LCD screen as BMW’s digital dash or instrument cluster. While it functions just fine and one would probably eventually get used to it, to me, it just seems like a large horizontally curved flat screen that has just been inserted in front of the driver. It has not been cleanly integrated into the entire dashboard and essentially looks like it was just applied on top or in front of the dashboard, which I find very disconcerting.

Propulsion System: The new G99 is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, (PHEV). While there are clearly advantages and disadvantages to this type of propulsion, in the long term, it is a transitionary approach between traditional ICE and full EV propulsion systems, until the battery technology evolves further allowing for lighter batteries, less susceptible to degradation from extreme temperatures, faster charging and further range ability for EV’s For anyone, who like me, plans to keep their vehicle for 8-10 years, I would be concerned about the long-term reliability and associated repair costs to the complexity of the PHEV elements. At this point in time, I am more comfortable getting a new vehicle that has just an ICE propulsion system that has most likely reached its pinnacle of technological evolution. That, plus the fact that in the U.S., the gasoline infrastructure is everywhere, while it will still take quite a few years for the electrical charging stations to be installed to make driving an EV a practical road trip / vacation vehicle.
Weight: The BMW USA executives were coming up with all sorts of excuses and rationalizations for the extreme gross weight of 5,529 lbs of the G99. This is one of the inherent problematic issues with a performance PHEV, that combines an large ICE V-8 engine with an electric motor and battery(s). This vehicle needs 717 hp to propel this overweight beast for a decent 0-60 mph time. I must believe that this additional weight will be most unfortunately felt when driving at speed into any tight corners.

Conclusion: Those of us who reside in the U.S. and are currently in the market for a new, high-performance station wagon / touring / shooting brake body type vehicle have only a few choices now. They include the BMW M5 Touring, the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and the soon-to-be released updated Mercedes-Benz E63s AMG, (expected to also be a PHEV). In my opinion, the M-B is not an appealing exterior or interior design, being to soft, rounded and unattractive.

FYI, I have been a long-term owner of multiple BMW’s over the past 25 years, including a 2001 E53 X5, a 2025 E70 X5, and currently a 2016 F15 X5M, as well as multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including a 2000 W210 E45, a 2004 W212 E55 AMG and a 2007 W164 ML63 AMG).
I was part of our American trend to migrate from sedans and station wagons to preferring a SUV. Now, 25 years later, with SUVs as the predominate preferred vehicle to U.S. consumers, I would like to drive a vehicle that is not seen everywhere and has more of a uniqueness about it. There may be an ironic aspect to a number of us SUV drivers now wanting to switch over to a more, car-like vehicle in the form of a station wagon, that does not sacrifice much in the way of cargo capacity, yet also has all-wheel drive and comparable, if not better fuel mileage and better handling than a SUV.

So, after much thought about all of this and seeing and test driving a 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance, I have decided to place a custom, build-to-suit order for one, with expected delivery in the late spring of 2025. (the attached photos are of the 2024 RS 6 Avant Performance that I test drove). The Audi meets most of my aesthetic, technological and practical preferences and requirements, that the BMW G99 does not. As a long-term loyal BMW enthusiast owner, I really wanted to like and buy the 2025 BMW M5 Touring, but alas, it is not for me. I wish you all the best in making your choices.

P.S. - Here is a link to Dan Neil's article reviewing the 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance, that appeared in the August 30, 2024 edition of The Wall Street Journal. It is titled: "2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance: A Wagon With the Soul of a Lamborghini"

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/cars/2...hare_permalink

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by AVB-AMG

I really wanted to like the 2025 BMW M5 Touring (G99)….

SaMaster14: Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful photos! They were very helpful.

After seeing these photos and other YouTube videos of the world reveal of the 2025 BMW M5 Touring (G99) at Pebble Beach in mid-August, I was let down and disappointed, but held out hope that the vehicle would look better, once I saw it in person. Also, I have some major concerns with the decision by BMW to make the G99 a PHEV.

This past Sat. I attended a limited visit to the BMW Port Elizabeth Vehicle Delivery Center (VDC), in Elizabeth, NJ, conducted by the BMW CCA. I was pleasantly surprised to see that BMW USA had brought both of the same BMW M5’s, sedan and touring that were at Pebble Beach, to now display on the VDC floor for us. Being able to see the actual vehicle up front and close, as well as to sit in it, my earlier concerns were sadly confirmed. We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye, the vehicle does not look better in person and the design miscues at both the front and rear of the vehicle exacerbate the other major issues that I have with the G99.

Design – Front End: The G99’s front end, while not employing the cartoonish, exaggerated “buck-tooth” kidney grill” that has been so controversial on some other recent BMW models, is still most unfortunate. To me, there seems to be some practical elements that are missing, and the entire composition appears unfinished. The choice to make the front lower bumper/diffuser look like it was influenced by Star Wars Darth Vader helmet is very awkward and most unfortunate. But the most disconcerting choice was to create two, very large, side-by-side clear openings for forced air cooling of the multiple radiators deeply recessed behind them. I understand the functional need to provide as much cooling as possible, but realistically the G99 is not a race car and very few will ever be tracked. That part of the front end seems to be missing some important aesthetic and functional elements. Most perplexing is that there is no metal or plastic grillage insert inside the upper portion of the grill of either horizontal or vertical slats to better define the grill. Nor are there any below inside those deep recesses, making for a giant open vacuum cleaner or silly opened-mouthed appearance, IMHO. From a real-life practical standpoint, those exposed radiator fins will quickly be damaged from kicked up road debris and stones, as well as to be a repository for sucked up tree leaves when driving on any back roads during the fall season. Finally, I think the overuse of gloss piano black plastic looks cheap and would much prefer either a gloss or matte black carbon fiber option instead.

Design – Rear End: The G99’s rear bumper valence is an unnecessarily a ridiculous 2” thick element finished in gloss piano black, that appears very heavy and protrudes way too much. It is interrupted in the center by a silly divider painted in the body color, that appears as some sort of unfortunate automotive loin cloth / G-string element. This trim piece does not need to be so pronounced and would also benefit by being offered in either a gloss or matte black carbon fiber as an alternative optional choice.
Interior Design: I for one, have not come around to accepting the now universal design of the long, horizontal LCD screen as BMW’s digital dash or instrument cluster. While it functions just fine and one would probably eventually get used to it, to me, it just seems like a large horizontally curved flat screen that has just been inserted in front of the driver. It has not been cleanly integrated into the entire dashboard and essentially looks like it was just applied on top or in front of the dashboard, which I find very disconcerting.

Propulsion System: The new G99 is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, (PHEV). While there are clearly advantages and disadvantages to this type of propulsion, in the long term, it is a transitionary approach between traditional ICE and full EV propulsion systems, until the battery technology evolves further allowing for lighter batteries, less susceptible to degradation from extreme temperatures, faster charging and further range ability for EV’s For anyone, who like me, plans to keep their vehicle for 8-10 years, I would be concerned about the long-term reliability and associated repair costs to the complexity of the PHEV elements. At this point in time, I am more comfortable getting a new vehicle that has just an ICE propulsion system that has most likely reached its pinnacle of technological evolution. That, plus the fact that in the U.S., the gasoline infrastructure is everywhere, while it will still take quite a few years for the electrical charging stations to be installed to make driving an EV a practical road trip / vacation vehicle.
Weight: The BMW USA executives were coming up with all sorts of excuses and rationalizations for the extreme gross weight of 5,529 lbs of the G99. This is one of the inherent problematic issues with a performance PHEV, that combines an large ICE V-8 engine with an electric motor and battery(s). This vehicle needs 717 hp to propel this overweight beast for a decent 0-60 mph time. I must believe that this additional weight will be most unfortunately felt when driving at speed into any tight corners.

Conclusion: Those of us who reside in the U.S. and are currently in the market for a new, high-performance station wagon / touring / shooting brake body type vehicle have only a few choices now. They include the BMW M5 Touring, the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and the soon-to-be released updated Mercedes-Benz E63s AMG, (expected to also be a PHEV). In my opinion, the M-B is not an appealing exterior or interior design, being to soft, rounded and unattractive.

FYI, I have been a long-term owner of multiple BMW’s over the past 25 years, including a 2001 E53 X5, a 2025 E70 X5, and currently a 2016 F15 X5M, as well as multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including a 2000 W210 E45, a 2004 W212 E55 AMG and a 2007 W164 ML63 AMG).
I was part of our American trend to migrate from sedans and station wagons to preferring a SUV. Now, 25 years later, with SUVs as the predominate preferred vehicle to U.S. consumers, I would like to drive a vehicle that is not seen everywhere and has more of a uniqueness about it. There may be an ironic aspect to a number of us SUV drivers now wanting to switch over to a more, car-like vehicle in the form of a station wagon, that does not sacrifice much in the way of cargo capacity, yet also has all-wheel drive and comparable, if not better fuel mileage and better handling than a SUV.

So, after much thought about all of this and seeing and test driving a 2025 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance, I have decided to place a custom, build-to-suit order for one, with expected delivery in the late spring of 2025. (the attached photos are of the 2024 RS 6 Avant Performance that I test drove). The Audi meets most of my aesthetic, technological and practical preferences and requirements, that the BMW G99 does not. As a long-term loyal BMW enthusiast owner, I really wanted to like and buy the 2025 BMW M5 Touring, but alas, it is not for me. I wish you all the best in making your choices.

P.S. - Here is a link to Dan Neil's article reviewing the 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance, that appeared in the August 30, 2024 edition of The Wall Street Journal. It is titled: "2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance: A Wagon With the Soul of a Lamborghini"

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/cars/2...hare_permalink

Especially in the US, the RS6 wagon is still king of this segment (in my opinion). I was underwhelmed by the M5 touring.

Although, apparently if sales do well enough, BMW was considering bringing the M3 Touring to the US... which may be the best of all worlds!