It’s Christmas time for millions of people, and every few years, we like to wonder what BMW the bearded bringer of gifts would don if the occasion presented itself. Over the years, BMW has pictured Santa Claus in a number of different cars. There’s the year he drifted a 2014 BMW M4, for example, or the time he took an X5 M out for a spin. Cool ideas, but the rear-wheel drive M4 might struggle leaving the North Pole. The X5 M is on the right track, but there’s another car that we think does it even better.
Much more recently, he appeared alongside an at-the-time unreleased M5 Touring. We think that’s the kind of ride the man with the bag would realistically rock. And before you start shouting about the hybrid powertrain, remember: how else could he arrive at house after house without disturbing watchful children and sleeping parents, if not with a silent electric motor powering the chassis?
The M5 Touring Might Be Santa’s Ideal Sled
As a refresher, the M5 Touring rips off 3.5-second zero-to-60 dashes thanks to a 717-horsepower hybrid powertrain. A roaring twin-turbo V8 pairs up with an electric motor integrated with its eight-speed automatic transmission. More importantly for Santa’s use case, the M5 Touring benefits from xDrive all-wheel drive.
You won’t hear it very often, but in this scenario, the hybrid powertrain is one of the best parts about the M5 Touring. The silent but powerful system offers up to 25 miles of electric range, but we imagine Santa would only rely on plug-in power briefly, when approaching houses. Fold down the seats and the M5 Touring gets even more eminently usable, with 57.6 cubic feet of cargo space.
Forgive the pun, but we think Santa would agree with us in calling the M5 Touring incredibly cool. Admittedly, there are some minor niggles. The M5 Touring lacks the ground clearance of the X5 M or other SUVs, which could be problematic in North Pole snow conditions and parts of the world with tough to traverse roads. The hybrid powertrain could also be problematic as Santa might have to stop and charge occasionally.
Neither problem is something a little suspension of disbelief won’t help, and we hope you’ll indulge yourself and enjoy the holidays. The M5 Touring is a great fit for anyone that needs to move quickly and haul stuff with all the amenities. Santa’s no exception. Especially when paired with a festive color like Alpine White, Vegas Red, or Isle of Man Green.
