Scooter Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 New 5 Series! http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-5-series.html I like it: simple and clean and it looks like a BMW should look. The only nit I have to pick is that I don't really like the shape of the lower opening in the front bumper. No word on whether they reduced the weight any, but the car is longer and wider (but shorter) so probably not. I'm very interested to see the 2012 3 Series. As long as they don't muck that up too badly it's probably going to be my next car. I'd really like it to be lighter, though. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. In other words: SEARCH before you post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaymesbry Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 love it. i wish this could be my next car.. oh well.. i guess FT86 for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Rear end is uglified compared to the current one. Front is so-so. It's not bad, but I think Bangle's 5-series was actually a very good looking car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 love it in the pics but i wont make my mind up till i see it in person. i still dont get the "gran turismo". please dont bring a quasi-wagon instead of the real thing. not that it matters. cts-v wagon has stolen my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katalyst Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 it looks too simliar to the 3- series imo i can barely tell them apart in a quick glance, not that it's really a bad thing the 3-series design is very good i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 the styling cues are the same but the presence differs substantially in person. My only gripe is the 'smiley' face the lower grille and headlights create. Om-Nom-Nom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azca Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 2003 was the best design - all later designs are crap: http://www.dragtimes.com/images/13571-2003-BMW-M5.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gire Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 2003 was the best design - all later designs are crap: http://www.dragtimes.com/images/13571-2003-BMW-M5.jpg I'd love one of those 540i's to this day. I loved it and still do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Yep, that 5 series is timeless classic. Still looks sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 While I would like it if the tail lamps were a little more integrated with one another, overall I have to give the car high marks for a clean design that is very coherent overall. It is one of the better looking 5 series cars out of all 6 generations, 4th gen being the best looking, and the new 6th gen following a close second in my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGTspecB1657615261 Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 2003 was the best design - all later designs are crap: http://www.dragtimes.com/images/13571-2003-BMW-M5.jpg ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLegacy99 Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 I always wanted a 6MT 550i. Specs report only 8 speed auto for the V8 5. Lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 ^ Not true, it seems. Other reports say 550i will be available with 6MT. With twin turbo V8 that's hella appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLegacy99 Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 ^ Not true, it seems. Other reports say 550i will be available with 6MT. With twin turbo V8 that's hella appealing. Well I certainly hope so, but I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped it. I wonder how many they actually sell. Though I haven't seen many new 550s, the ones I have seen were MTs. IMO the 400 HP 4.4L really basterdizes the M line. Its way too much power. So why spend the extra $25k on an M5? That being said (and I realize that I harp on fuel economy perhaps too much around here) I think that BMW should have kept the 550 and 750 output around 360 HP. People utilize the 550i as a DD, certainly more so than an M5, thus I believe that BMW should have turboed a smaller V8 (i.e. their 4.0L, but I do not know a whole about that engine) in an effort to match Ford's Ecoboost approach, but while retaining a V8 engine in the mix. I firmly believe that gas will be back up to $4 a gallon next year, who knows what premium will cost. Just because you can afford a $60k BMW doesn't mean that $4 a gallon at the pump won't impact a wallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 2003 was the best design - all later designs are crap: http://www.dragtimes.com/images/13571-2003-bmw-m5.jpg +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clalaymn Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 This is one of the most pointless things to happen in autodom. ok that was an overstatement, but why does BMW need a 0 series. They have Mini, so why are they gonna make a vehicle that will compete with their own Mini? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Well I certainly hope so, but I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped it. I wonder how many they actually sell. Though I haven't seen many new 550s, the ones I have seen were MTs. IMO the 400 HP 4.4L really basterdizes the M line. Its way too much power. So why spend the extra $25k on an M5? That being said (and I realize that I harp on fuel economy perhaps too much around here) I think that BMW should have kept the 550 and 750 output around 360 HP. People utilize the 550i as a DD, certainly more so than an M5, thus I believe that BMW should have turboed a smaller V8 (i.e. their 4.0L, but I do not know a whole about that engine) in an effort to match Ford's Ecoboost approach, but while retaining a V8 engine in the mix. I firmly believe that gas will be back up to $4 a gallon next year, who knows what premium will cost. Just because you can afford a $60k BMW doesn't mean that $4 a gallon at the pump won't impact a wallet. You just never stop trying to dictate what people need and do not need do you? First of all if someone else wants a 400hp car, truck, SUV, or even motorcycle then that is their business and not yours. If you don't want one, then don't buy one just drive your Prius in the slow lane and shutthefuckup. Also in case you are not familiar with BMW the old M5 is going away, so no more 500hp V10. Instead say hello in about a year or two to a twin turbo V8 rumored to make close to 600hp. So there will still be plenty of differentiation between the 550i and the M5. Also if you think you can buy a 550i with any kind of options or other equipment for $60K then think again, try more like $75K for a well optioned example. People that buy $75K cars with 400hp, really don't give a rat's ass about fuel economy most of the time. I used to sell quite a few of them, and trust me they don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLegacy99 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 The enthusiasts don't want a turbo M5 smartass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 The enthusiasts don't want a turbo M5 smartass. Just like all those car enthusiasts that don't want 911 Turbos, or the older forced induction AMG cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLegacy99 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Just like all those car enthusiasts that don't want 911 Turbos, or the older forced induction AMG cars. Please, you know that there's a difference. People who have been devoted to M cars don't want the turbo. It's not what they know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Please, you know that there's a difference. People who have been devoted to M cars don't want the turbo. It's not what they know. Yeah selling BMW's for 3 years doesn't give me any insight into BMW M buyers at all. Nope. None. I suppose most BMW buyers don't like any kind of turbos. Oh wait, shit..... that pesky 3.0L twin turbo I6 sells very well. That motor even poaches away M3 sales because of easy tuning. Damn. While there might be a tiny handful of M enthusiasts that won't buy an FI car, we are talking about maybe 5%. The other 95% of M buyers buy the M cars because they are obscenely fast and handle really well. Aside from that BMW using forced induction on their factory hot rods actually predates the M division, maybe you've never heard of a 2002 tii Turbo. Neat car, very rare, no shortage of BMW enthusiasts that would give body parts to own an authentic example. I would bet you money that the upcoming M5 will sell very well, and will become extremely popular due to the ability to extract even more power from it than the factory provides with easy electronic tuning. Except I know you wouldn't pay up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserpro2 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 i like the current generation design more though. the 2011 looks like an enlarged 3 series from a distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtb75 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Just like all those car enthusiasts that don't want 911 Turbos, or the older forced induction AMG cars. That's right, real enthusiasts would buy 911 GT3's or M cars instead - not 911 Turbo's or automatic equipped AMG cars... There's a difference between someone with money who likes cars and a true enthusiast. Speaking as the type of car enthusiast SLegacy99 probably has in mind, I totally get what he's saying. Using the 911 as an example, the GT3 buyer is a vastly different customer than the Turbo buyer. Hence why you can get the Turbo in tip and cab models while the GT3's are exclusively stick and hardtop cars. Poseurs need not apply to the GT3 As for the FI M5 issue, with every new generation of BMW M car BMW has been getting further away from being a true enthusiast's car. The cars continue to get bigger and heavier with every new model. Enthusiasts are not lost to this fact, and the addition of FI will just turn more of them away. Look at the E30 M3 for example... It was pretty much a street legal race car they had to build because of homologation rules. Every generation of M3 after that got bigger and heavier - but attracted a larger audience. That's really what this comes down to - selling cars... I'd venture to say that BMW will sell more of the upcoming TT V8 M5 than previous generations - including the V10 E60. True car enthusiasts are a small part of the overall market... Especially for a 150MPH+ living room on wheels like the M5. Go to any BMW CCA HPDE and you don't see many M5's blasting around out there - they're just too big and heavy. BMW is trying to appeal to the larger market and sell more cars... Unfortunately that means they're alienating the enthusiasts who have been with them for so long and helped make them who they are today. I personally like the new 5 series and I'm excited to see what the new M5 has to offer. That being said, it's definitely not a car I'd consider bringing to a track - but I'd never do that with the old M5 either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 That's right, real enthusiasts would buy 911 GT3's or M cars instead - not 911 Turbo's or automatic equipped AMG cars... There's a difference between someone with money who likes cars and a true enthusiast. Speaking as the type of car enthusiast SLegacy99 probably has in mind, I totally get what he's saying. Using the 911 as an example, the GT3 buyer is a vastly different customer than the Turbo buyer. Hence why you can get the Turbo in tip and cab models while the GT3's are exclusively stick and hardtop cars. Poseurs need not apply to the GT3 As for the FI M5 issue, with every new generation of BMW M car BMW has been getting further away from being a true enthusiast's car. The cars continue to get bigger and heavier with every new model. Enthusiasts are not lost to this fact, and the addition of FI will just turn more of them away. Look at the E30 M3 for example... It was pretty much a street legal race car they had to build because of homologation rules. Every generation of M3 after that got bigger and heavier - but attracted a larger audience. That's really what this comes down to - selling cars... I'd venture to say that BMW will sell more of the upcoming TT V8 M5 than previous generations - including the V10 E60. True car enthusiasts are a small part of the overall market... Especially for a 150MPH+ living room on wheels like the M5. Go to any BMW CCA HPDE and you don't see many M5's blasting around out there - they're just too big and heavy. BMW is trying to appeal to the larger market and sell more cars... Unfortunately that means they're alienating the enthusiasts who have been with them for so long and helped make them who they are today. I personally like the new 5 series and I'm excited to see what the new M5 has to offer. That being said, it's definitely not a car I'd consider bringing to a track - but I'd never do that with the old M5 either. I sold a lot of BMW's and I can assure you that BMW is not worried about the tiny percentage of people like you. If they can increase sales by appealing to a wider demographic while maintaining most of their core customers they will more than happily do it. Sacrificing a tiny portion of customers that are resistant to change is an acceptable loss. As you point out not many M5's are used as track cars. An M5 is, and to my mind has always been, a sedan that can comfortably seat four people while providing very high performance and the ability to cover a lot of ground at a high rate of speed and comfort. This high speed ability is both applicable to twisty roads as well as highways. Comparing this kind of vehicle to a car like a GT3 is not in any way appropriate. Other than sharing a thirst for gasoline and possessing four wheels, they have vastly different missions in life. The GT3 is a track toy, not a car you would want to drive cross country. The comparison to the 911 Turbo is much more relevant since the Turbo is both fast and comfortable. Besides, most GT3 owners own another Porsche already and in most cases it is not another hard core track car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtb75 Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 I sold a lot of BMW's and I can assure you that BMW is not worried about the tiny percentage of people like you. If they can increase sales by appealing to a wider demographic while maintaining most of their core customers they will more than happily do it. Sacrificing a tiny portion of customers that are resistant to change is an acceptable loss. As you point out not many M5's are used as track cars. An M5 is, and to my mind has always been, a sedan that can comfortably seat four people while providing very high performance and the ability to cover a lot of ground at a high rate of speed and comfort. This high speed ability is both applicable to twisty roads as well as highways. Comparing this kind of vehicle to a car like a GT3 is not in any way appropriate. Other than sharing a thirst for gasoline and possessing four wheels, they have vastly different missions in life. The GT3 is a track toy, not a car you would want to drive cross country. The comparison to the 911 Turbo is much more relevant since the Turbo is both fast and comfortable. Besides, most GT3 owners own another Porsche already and in most cases it is not another hard core track car. BMW is indeed "worried about a tiny percentage of people" like me - and probably lots of other members of a forum like this... That's exactly why a manufacturer sponsored car club like BMW CCA exists. You certainly don't see Mercedes with a similar car club trying to cater to its enthusiast owners. That's also why you see BMW car corrals at lots of racetracks as well as an active motorsport program. If BMW truly didn't care about us, then they simply wouldn't bother with efforts like that. Yes, they're trying to sell more cars (as I already said), but they're definitely not oblivious to their enthusiast following. As for my GT3 comments - I was not comparing the GT3 to the new 5er... I was addressing your statement that enthusiasts would buy a 911 TT's or AMG's. The true hardcore enthusiasts would choose a GT3 over the TT and an M division car over an AMG. The TT and AMG give the driver accessible performance, but sap some of the enjoyment in the process. The GT3 and M cars are more involving, but not as user friendly. As for driving a GT3 cross country - I'd have no problem doing it... Maybe not a GT3 RS, but a regular GT3 would be fine. I look at the GT3 being the Porsche equivalent to my C6 Z06... And I drove that home from Bowling Green, KY the day after I got it - and was perfectly comfortable in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.