5-Series Latest

The new look 5-Series is a mixture of 7-Series & Coupe lines, the official UK launch is due September 2003, clothed in a lightweight chassis loaded with high-tech gadgets. Two new power plants will also be joining the range a bi-Turbo 6 cylinder with 380Bhp & a awesome V10 5.5litre with 500Bhp on tap. A 3.0litre six that will produce 380Bhp & performance to closely match today’s M5.

A 530 Bi-Turbo, BMW’s only blown power plant will go head-to-head against Audi’s S6 & Jaguars S-Type R.

The new M5 will feature a 5.5litre V10 that will produce at least 500Bhp with a sub 5.0sec 0-60Mph time & will have a direct link with BMW’s Motorsport programme.

Codenamed the E60, the new 5-Series will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow next year, with the Touring model to follow in 2004. The new look is both modern & aggressive keeping inline with Chris Bangles design strategy, the front end will be all alloy design, the iDrive system will be more user friendly, bigger boot & more rear leg room over the current 5.

Traction control & Stability are to be accessed by conventional controls, simplifying the iDrive system, ground braking new steering system called Active Front Steering is adopted from ZF, the AFS automatically corrects the angle of the front wheels in heavy side winds & heavy braking. The new 5-Series is also featuring the 7-Series automatic damping control & dynamic drive that irons out the body roll. Other features from the 7-Series include the electronic handbrake & air conditioning that takes into account the intensity of the sun.

Suspension is by MacPherson struts up front & multi-link rear, lightweight aluminium space frame is used mainly forward of the front windscreen making weight savings up to 80kg.

The car is almost identical in length to today’s car at 4775mm but with 50mm extended to the wheelbase, boosting rear leg room.

The new 5-Series is to be powered by 2.0litre in-line four not currently on offer in the UK, also joining the range will be the 2.2, 2.5 & 3.0 litre six cylinder engines, while the 3.6litre & 4.4litre will be adopted from the new 7-Series. Both V8’s will be direct-injection & feature the fuel saving Valvetronic technology. Diesel models are to start with a 2.0litre four, 2.5, 3.0, & range topping 4.0litre common-rail diesel engines, although the 2.0 & 4.0 are currently not available in the UK. Transmission is to include a six-speed manual in the smaller engine variants & six-speed auto in the larger models.

 

Why is this being discussed here? Shouldn't this be on the Off Topic forum?? Moderators??

 

StanR,

I wonder/speculate that this new 530i Turbo with 380HP will be available with a Auto transmission. This car may not be a 'M' car because all 'M' cars must have manual tranny. Since they want to compete the the Audi and Jaq S-Type R. This turbo car intrigues me more than the next M5 V-10. INTERESTING!

 

The 5 series is the biggest competitor of the E class and it is important for all to see whats both have to offer. I have owned 5 series since 1988 (4 already) I already put my deposit on the new E and am looking forward to it. But we need to really keep our eyes open on what the competition is doing....Thats why I posted this...

 

'Off Topic' section is for stuff with no automotive enthusiast relativity.

 

I don't like it at all. I personally is a fan of BMW BUT after seeing where 5 & 7 Series is going. I hope they leave the 3 Series alone!!!!!

 

E55 KEV,

The M3 sedan and some coupes were available with auto trannys. So, M cars do not have to have manuals.

 

/// MB, that is interesting. I read somewhere that BMW's rationale behind not having an M car in the X5 and 7-Series was no manual tranny.

 

MB,
Autos were offered only in the North American market because essentially NA market E36 M3s weren't M cars if you consider the engine to be the most important and deciding factor. Of course that's a bit of a purist approach, surely they were called "M3", but that happened because BMW couldn't afford to ignore huge American market demand. Euro 286/321 hp engine was too expensive for the American market, hence BMW developed a 240 hp engine specifically for NA, which was cheaper, lower revving, but with peakier torque at the same time. It was a simpler unit than the European one, resembling much more the normal production BMW engine than the contemporary European M3 engine. It had no individual throttle bodies and no continuously variable (stepless) VANOS valve timing system of the European-spec motor (only 2 stage VANOS like regular production BMWs), which was really the cornerstone of the Euro engine. VANOS system allowed high and flat torque curve with relatively small engine capacity, the feature for which all the M cars are well known.
So US E36 M3s had a totally different engine from their European cousins, the only thing similar were engine blocks and volume. It wasn't simply a detuned version as it is widely thought, but a different thing altogether. Since US engine was much closer to the production BMW 6 cylinder inline engine it allowed auto transmission installment like on regular BMWs; for example no auto transmission will be offered on US E46 M3 as this time round it has the same engine as European model, which isn't suited for autobox.
I'm sure that US spec M3 is a great car on its' own and I guess it is an M car, but it looks diluted when compared to its' Euro spec sibling. Hence it's always better to differentiate US spec from Euro spec, as they are different cars.
If you ask any BMW enthusiast he will tell you that there is no such thing as automatic M car, thus consciously discounting US spec M3.
For example X5 4.6is has enough power and differences from X5 4.4i to be an M car, but it isn't called X5 M or something, because there is no need to have M version of X5, however you can imagine how much more important it is for BMW to have M3 on the US market. Maybe US E36 M3 should have been badged "332is" or something, to reflect better its' origin.

 

Here you guys, a pic the real thing and I like it!

-Musfather

 

Yuck.
Some of the artist impressions and talk of V10 M5 made we wonder if I hadn't made a mistake ordering new E55. Thank you for the pic, confirms I made the right decision.

 

That pic evokes images of Daewoo and Hyundai for me.
The Asian automakers are very big on making the "eyes" of the car look like angry Samurais.
And I thought the Asians were supposed to be copying the German designs?!

 

I like it! I am partial to all German/Euro high performance sedans. If I could afford them all I would buy them all. If I could afford them I would also own:

MBZ C32
BMW M5 & M3
Jaquar S-type R & X-Type R
Audi S6 & S4

Hell, I would even buy the upcoming Lincoln LS McLaren with 350Hp.

 

Hey E55 KEV, you said it damn straight
I 100% agree

Musfather