Taking a leaf out of Mercedes’ book, BMW want to offer their customers greater variety of the existing lineup by mixing stuff together and coming up with new models. The new BMW M550i xDrive is one such fusion Bimmer, blending a high-performance V8 engine for the first time with xDrive all-wheel-drive in a 5 Series.

So this thing, to all intents and purposes, is the all-wheel-drive M5 BMW said they would never make. Granted, at 456 hp and 480 lb-ft the 2018 BMW M550i xDrive is considerably weaker than a M5. But with a 0 to 100 time of under 4 seconds it does kind of make the M5 look rather pointless. Of course, the M GmbH nutters will argue that a four-wheel-drive 5er will never handle as sporty as a M5, but the truth is you use more of the performance that sweet engine offers if it’s sent to all four wheels.

Naturally, BMW M550i xDrive comes with a whole bunch of M stuff, with the main highlights including an M rear spoiler on the trunk lid, exterior mirror caps, the kidney grille frame, the special M Performance design accents on the front air intake and the two Air Breathers on the front fenders all in Cerium Grey metallic finish, high-gloss Shadow Line trim around the windows, black chrome tailpipes, Black Dakota leather with blue contrast stitching seats (Nappa optional), latest version of the M sports steering wheel, M design floor mats and pedals made from aluminum.

Meanwhile, the all-wheel-drive is complemented in this M550i with a range of driving aids to make this sedan as planted on the road as it is physically possible. They include: Active Driving Assistant Plus, including Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop & Go, Evasion Aid and Active Lane Keeping Assistant.