600hp BMW M5 Revealed In Need For Speed Payback
The new BMW M5 may be one of the most hotly-anticipated cars of 2018, but it's debuting in an unusual place: Need For Speed Payback. Thanks to a promotion between the German automaker and Electronic Arts, the new sports sedan will be seen for the first time – as a playable car – in the upcoming game set to be released on November 10. Indeed, it'll be a much cheaper way of getting your hands on some serious horsepower.
In fact, BMW is claiming a heady 600 horsepower from the car, pushed to the road courtesy of M-specific xDrive all-wheel drive; that's a first for the M5 lineage. Torque is a whopping 553 lb-ft. from a twin-turbo V8. No US-specific fuel economy figures yet, but on the European cycle you're looking at 10.5 l/100 km combined, together with 241 g/km of CO2.
The production car won't be released until sometime in 2018. However, ahead of the November 10 release for Need For Speed Payback on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, there'll be an early access preview through the the EA Access and Origin Access Play First Trial. From November 2, you'll be able to play the game for up to 10 hours.
Meanwhile, a leaked video has given us a glimpse of the road-going M5 ahead of schedule, too. Seemingly based on press photography of the sedan that BMW was likely hoping to keep undercover for a while yet, the footage gives a good insight into the new M bodykit, along with the interior. As many would-be M5 buyers were hoping, there's a reasonable degree of restraint on-show.
That's because, while cars that shout their horsepower on their sleeves – yes, Dodge Hellcat, we're looking at you – are appealing to some, others would rather just have performance without parading it. The M5 has always been fairly clandestine in that way, particularly in more sober colors, and the 2018 car looks like it'll continue in those treadmarks.
This isn't the first time we've seen a car company partner up with a new game to reveal a performance model. Back in June, Porsche inked a deal with Forza 7 to debut the 2018 911 GT2 RS at E3 2017. The 700 HP coupe will be a playable star of the Xbox One X title when that's released, though the "most powerful road-approved 911" will be a whole lot rarer in the streets than BMW's speedy sedan, not to mention considerably more expensive.