BMW's New M5 Wheels Are Cast in 0.05 Seconds and Weigh Up to 20% Less
A new M Performance wheel for the M5 sedan and Touring saves up to 20% per wheel. BMW's fall update also hands the X3 M50 the new M350's six-cylinder output.
BMW is fitting its heaviest M car with a new kind of cast wheel. The latest M Performance wheel for the M5 sedan and M5 Touring is made by high-pressure casting, a process BMW says trims up to 20% from each wheel without costing it strength.
The wheels lead BMW's autumn 2026 update list, published September 30 in Munich. The same list gives the X3 M50 xDrive the six-cylinder output of the new 3 Series M350 xDrive and lines up production of the electric iX5 and three new 7 Series versions.
A wheel formed in 0.05 seconds
The process comes from German engineering firm Entec-Stracon, which positions it as an alternative to the low-pressure casting common in aluminum wheel production. Molten aluminum is forced into the mold under vacuum and high pressure, and the wheel takes shape in 0.05 seconds, filling from the rim inward, according to BMW.
Eighty sensors and an AI system watch every casting. The part leaves the mold within seconds and needs no heat treatment afterward. BMW credits a finer grain structure for the added strength, which is what makes the weight cut possible.
The automaker also says the method halves both production time and the energy used per wheel, relies on a recyclable alloy, and allows shapes conventional casting can't produce, such as up to 70 blade-like spokes or very thin, aero-focused sections.
Why the M5 needs it
Weight is this generation's weak spot. The plug-in hybrid M5 makes 717 hp, but the sedan weighs 5,390 pounds, about 1,045 pounds more than its predecessor. Lighter wheels are one way to take some of that back. BMW's optional carbon-ceramic brakes already remove 55 pounds of rotating mass.
The new wheels come as complete sets with sport tires, in 20- or 21-inch sizes (style 1075 M) and a choice of Gold Bronze or Jet Black. BMW promises sharper handling, quicker acceleration, and better braking, but it hasn't published per-wheel weights or prices. The release covers the German market and doesn't say when the sets reach U.S. dealers, where the M5 Touring is sold for the first time in this generation.
BMW calls the M5 application an industry first. Entec-Stracon tells it slightly differently: in February, the supplier said the M5 became the first production car with wheels made by its process in 2025, and that the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class followed in January 2026 with 20-inch wheels.
The X3 M50 gains 44 hp
The X3 M50 xDrive's 3.0-liter inline-six now makes 326 kW, 33 kW more than before. In U.S. terms, that's about 437 hp, up from the 393 hp BMW of North America lists for the current X3 M50. BMW's release quotes 443 "hp" because it uses metric horsepower.
That 326-kW figure matches the M350 xDrive, so BMW's compact SUV and its next sport sedan will share the same top six-cylinder output. The current X3 M50 does 0–60 mph in 4.4 seconds; BMW hasn't released acceleration figures for the updated version. Production starts in December.
What else changes this fall
The new-generation X5 goes into production in December in three versions: the X5 50e and X5 M60e plug-in hybrids and the electric iX5 60 xDrive. The iX5 makes 425 kW (about 570 hp) and is rated at 449 to 528 miles (723–850 km) on the WLTP cycle. Expect a lower EPA figure.
The iX3 lineup, which launched with BMW's award-winning Gen6 battery, adds a 40 xDrive version with 275 kW (about 369 hp) and 320 to 386 miles (515–621 km) of WLTP range. Production begins in February 2027.
The 7 Series gets three inline-six models from November: the 740d xDrive diesel with 230 kW (about 308 hp), the 750e xDrive plug-in hybrid with 360 kW (about 483 hp), and the M760e xDrive plug-in hybrid with 450 kW (about 603 hp). The 7 Series and i7 also gain eight BMW Individual two-tone and dual-finish paint schemes, plus a digital rearview mirror and pre-heating as options.
M Performance versions of the 2 Series Coupe and 4 Series Coupe and Convertible get a Black Package with carbon-fiber trim, a carbon-trimmed steering wheel, and black M badging. It requires the M Sport Package Pro, and on the M440i and M440d it adds 19-inch Jet Black wheels.
On the software side, Amazon Prime Video arrives on cars running Operating System 9 or X in the second half of 2026, and a Drive Challenge feature scores acceleration, steering, and braking in real time on Operating System X. The 3D version of BMW Maps rolls out in October.
BMW hasn't announced U.S. pricing or timing for any of these updates.
