BMW G90 M5 — First Look and Upgrade Guide

The BMW G90 M5 represents the most significant reinvention of the M5 nameplate in the model's history. For the first time the M5 is available as an estate — the M5 Touring — alongside the traditional saloon body style. More significantly, the G90 M5 is BMW's first hybrid M5, combining a twin-turbocharged S68 4.4-litre V8 with an electric motor to produce a combined output of 727bhp. It is the most powerful M5 ever built, and its combination of hybrid efficiency, four-wheel-drive traction, and M-developed chassis dynamics makes it one of the most technically sophisticated performance cars currently on sale.

For the aftermarket, the G90 M5 represents an exciting new platform. It is newer than the F90 M5 it replaces, which means the aftermarket is still developing around it — but the parts that are available have been developed from the outset for a car whose performance potential and owner base make it one of the most compelling build platforms in the current market.

This guide covers everything currently available for the BMW G90 M5 and how to approach building one intelligently.

Understanding the G90 M5 as a Platform

The G90 M5 is built on BMW's CLAR platform — the same architecture used across the current G-series M car range including the G80 M3, G82 M4, G87 M2, and G22 4 Series. This platform sharing has direct implications for aftermarket parts buyers, because mechanical components developed for other G-series M cars frequently transfer to the G90 M5 with direct or minimal modification.

The S68 engine, while unique to the G90 M5 in its hybrid configuration, shares its basic architecture with the S63 V8 used in the F90 M5. Exhaust system architecture, intake components, and cooling upgrades developed around the S68 platform are increasingly available as the aftermarket catches up with this new generation.

The G90's exterior body — wider than the F90 it replaces, with more prominent M-specific styling elements including enlarged front intakes, wider rear haunches, and a more aggressive lower body treatment — creates a strong foundation for carbon fiber and aero upgrades that the aftermarket is actively developing.

Carbon Fiber Front Splitter

The G90 M5's front end is the most aggressive factory front end ever fitted to an M5. Its wide lower intake, prominent front lip, and M-specific bumper surfaces create a foundation that a carbon fiber front splitter enhances naturally — extending the lower bumper line and adding front downforce that is genuinely meaningful on a car capable of 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds.

Front splitter options for the G90 M5 are currently more limited than for established platforms like the G80 M3 and G82 M4, but quality G90-specific options are available from manufacturers who have developed their tooling directly from the production car. As with all G-series M cars, G90-specific fitment verification is essential — the M5's front bumper geometry is unique to this chassis and parts listed generically for G-series BMW M cars will not fit correctly.

For the G90 M5 Touring, front bumper geometry is shared with the saloon — meaning front splitter options developed for the saloon will fit the Touring correctly. This is a useful point for Touring owners who may find fewer explicitly Touring-listed options in the current market.

Exhaust System Upgrades

The S68 hybrid V8 in the G90 M5 faces a more complex exhaust upgrade path than conventional combustion M cars — the electric motor's integration with the V8 means exhaust modifications need to account for the hybrid system's management of power delivery alongside the conventional combustion exhaust architecture.

Despite this complexity, valved cat-back exhaust systems are available for the G90 M5 and deliver the same transformation in acoustic character as on the F90 — a car that sounds significantly more reserved than its performance credentials justify in standard form. In open-valve mode the S68 reveals a deep, authoritative V8 character that the factory exhaust's noise regulation compromises prevent in standard form.

High-flow sports cat downpipes for the G90 M5 are becoming available as the aftermarket develops around this platform. As with the McLaren Artura and Ferrari SF90 — the other hybrid performance cars in our catalog — downpipe and tune work on the G90 M5 requires specialist knowledge of the hybrid system's integration. Choose your tuner as carefully as you choose your parts on this platform.

Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser and Boot Spoiler

The G90 M5's rear end features the most visually dramatic factory treatment of any M5 generation — quad exhaust outlets, wide rear haunches, and a pronounced lower bumper section that creates a strong foundation for carbon aero additions. A carbon fiber rear diffuser replacement transforms this further, adding visual depth and race-derived detailing that better reflects the car's performance capability.

The G90's wider rear haunches — more pronounced than the F90's — make a carbon fiber boot lid spoiler particularly impactful on this generation. A low-profile carbon lip spoiler sits naturally on the G90's longer boot lid and adds aerodynamic punctuation to the rear profile without altering the car's executive proportions. For owners who want a more aggressive rear profile, a taller blade spoiler on carbon end plates makes a bolder statement that suits the G90's wider, more aggressive overall stance.

Suspension Upgrades

The G90 M5's adaptive suspension is among the most sophisticated available on any road car — BMW's latest generation of adaptive dampers, combined with the hybrid system's ability to manage weight transfer through torque vectoring, creates a dynamic package that is genuinely difficult to improve upon for road use.

For track-focused G90 builds, coilover conversion options are beginning to appear from established suspension manufacturers developing around this platform. The G90's weight — heavier than the F90 due to the hybrid system's battery and motor — creates specific spring rate and damper tuning requirements that differ from lighter G-series M cars. Suspension manufacturers developing G90-specific coilover kits are accounting for this weight difference in their spring and damper specifications.

For road-focused owners who want a modest visual improvement, quality lowering springs for the G90 M5 offer a 15–20mm drop with improved visual stance without the complexity of a full coilover conversion.

Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps and Interior Trim

The G90 M5 Competition comes with carbon fiber mirror caps as standard — but standard G90 M5 owners and those wanting to extend the carbon theme further will find mirror cap upgrades among the most immediately satisfying modifications available. The G90's wider body makes the mirror caps proportionally prominent — the visual impact of a carbon mirror cap upgrade is correspondingly significant.

Carbon fiber interior trim for the G90 M5 — dashboard inserts, centre console panels, door card accents, and gear selector surrounds — extends the factory carbon content available on Competition and Individual specification cars and creates a more comprehensively carbon-trimmed environment that suits the G90's performance specification.

The G90 M5 Touring — A Special Case

The G90 M5 Touring deserves specific mention because it is the first M5 estate ever produced — a genuinely significant moment in M car history. Its longer roofline and extended load area create different proportions to the saloon that affect which visual upgrades work most effectively.

Front splitter upgrades work identically on the Touring as on the saloon — the front bumper is shared. Rear aero upgrades require Touring-specific consideration — the Touring's longer roofline and roof spoiler create a different rear visual than the saloon, and boot lid spoiler options designed for the saloon will not fit the Touring's different tailgate geometry. Touring-specific rear aero options are beginning to appear in the market as manufacturers develop around this unique body style.

Building the G90 M5 — The Right Approach

The G90 M5 is a newer platform than most cars in our catalog, which means the aftermarket is still catching up with it. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity — the challenge is that not every upgrade category has a full range of validated options yet, and the opportunity is that the builds being done now on G90 M5s are genuinely pioneering territory in the current scene.

For owners building G90 M5s now, the most practical approach is to focus on the upgrade categories where quality G90-specific options are already available — carbon aero, exhaust, and detailing — while monitoring the market for suspension and performance options as the platform matures.

The G90 M5's combination of extraordinary performance, wider body, and hybrid technology makes it one of the most exciting build platforms in the current market. The aftermarket will develop rapidly around it — and owners who build early will have the most distinctive cars as the platform's modification scene matures.

All BMW G90 M5 parts at Velocity Car Parts are verified for G90-specific fitment and backed by our fitment guarantee. Browse the full BMW G90 M5 collection and start building.