Forward by Auguste Hocking, BMW1st editor.

After the E39 5 series, in many ways the car that is quintessentially a BMW, whose looks define the Bavarian carmaker's modern energies, comes the new 5 series and a new set of challenging looks. The shadow left by its predecessor makes the reception of the E60 all the more difficult and unsteady for BMW. But BMW has never been passive about cars and the E60 is again demonstration of an active and vibrant commitment by BMW to ambitiously revolutionise aesthetics. The E65 brought forth the first of BMW's savage 'makeovers' and the new seven was at first to some a horror, but it quickly caught acceptance and now represents a truly unique sight on the roads. Forays by BMW into reviving the six series and pushing out newer threes in coming months, all with radical looks, are characteristic of the larger trend of aesthetic revolution which genuinely takes hold with only one glance at the new E60 five series.

The E60 is an interesting-looking car. While it is and only can be a beamer (Beemer, beemar or however you like it), it smacks of something different. Having been familiar with some of Honda's creations in recent years, I naturally interpreted some of the styling to an attempt to 'internationalise' the appearance of the BMW 5 to take account of the sleek and compressed looks reminiscent of most Asian cars on the market. While the car is about roughly the same size of the E39, its presence is smaller. Perhaps BMW wishes to clearly establish the five as the mid-sized saloon, protecting itself from the identity similarities between the five & seven series so flagrant the late '80s. Nevertheless, the five looks absolutely smashing in the metal, the headlights an unforgettable attention grabber, giving the car presence, authority and distinct style - the resonant parking rings, familiar from the E39, continue to impress here. The athletic appearance, aided by the beautifully fashioned flanks, embody the car with an striking profile on the road. BMW has set about to change things, however, only time will be the true judge upon the E60: milestone, or flamboyant flop?

Here at bmwfirst.com we (unfortunately) are in no position to even get near a new five for at least a couple of months, so we've brought you a review from the Toronto Star. We will bring you more content later this year. -AH

 

Review / The Toronto Star, by Jim Kenzie

Every time BMW introduces a new 5 Series, car enthusiasts start to worry.

The E34 model - to use the firm's internal designation - running from 1992 to 1996 (the last "square" one), was one of my all-time favourite cars. It took me a while to warm to the rounder, softer-looking E39 that succeeded it, but it has become the benchmark for modern "executive class" sports sedans. Even in the last year of its life, it continues to win comparison tests and places on everybody's Top-However-Many lists.

So the E60, due here in October or November, has its work cut out for it.

Some of my ink-stained colleagues are already whining. The cover of the April, 2003, issue of England's Car magazine shrieks, "SHOCK - Radical new 5 Series - What have they done to our favourite BMW?"

Relax - it's not that serious. Yes, it does have iDrive. Yes, there is some family resemblance to the truly shocking 7 Series and the bizarre Z4 roadster.

But the neuer Fünf (new Five) is roomier inside, lighter, faster, more economical and more environmentally friendly than before. It bristles with new technology that should keep it at the pinnacle of its class. Let's start with the styling. Maybe we've become inured to BMW's new design direction after the 7 and the Z4. But the new 5 just isn't that scary. There is a hint of the 7 Series in the tail, but the bustle aspect of the larger brother is gone. The twin-kidney grille forms are rounder, softer, more Z4-like, but what can you expect? They have to move on.

There's none of the "flame surfacing" - seemingly random curves and creases - that make the Z4 so controversial. In fact, more than one observer agreed that side by side with the Infiniti G35, you could make the argument that the Japanese car is the more offbeat. Wheelbase is up by 62 mm and overall length by 66 mm, benefiting occupants and their cargo. Karim Habib, a Canadian of Lebanese descent, was in charge of the interior design. Both cars I drove had dark-toned plastics, leathers and woods, and I found it all too sombre. Design boss Chris Bangle told me that BMW interiors must have a "sense of solidity and durability." Fine, but in a car this expensive I'd also like more of a "sense of occasion," as you get in any Audi.

The quality of the trim materials will also cause no sleepless nights in Audi's hometown. No arguments with the packaging, though. Rear-seat accommodation, a sore point in the former 5, is now more competitive, with legroom gaining 46 mm. The spacious trunk holds 520 litres, 60 more than before.

The iDrive system is much simpler than in the 7 Series. The controller knob pushes in only four directions, not eight, calling up Navigation, HVAC, Sound System or Communications sub-menus. A separate Menu button makes it much easier to go from function to function.

And if it's all still too confusing, most of the functions can be invoked from dedicated dash-mounted controls or from the standard-fitment multi-function steering wheel. Jet-fighter-like head-up displays that project critical information on a virtual screen in front of the driver are nothing new to Pontiac or Nissan drivers. But BMW ups the ante with a multi-colour, multi-function design that also includes navigational instructions and purports to set new standards in readability, especially in difficult ambient lighting conditions.

BMW is all about technology and innovation, and the 5 earns its stripes here. Working toward lighter weight for better performance and efficiency, the firm's body engineers investigated a completely aluminum structure, but ruled it out for cost and complexity reasons. They also realized that the further from the centre of gravity the weight is concentrated, the less nimble the car.

So they've come up with what can only be called a radical approach: a steel-aluminum hybrid.

Everything from the front firewall (inclusive) forward, including gorgeous pressure-cast suspension strut towers, is aluminum; the rest is steel. To avoid the electrochemical corrosion that can result from intimate contact between dissimilar metals, the riveted and bolted junctions are reinforced with insulating glue.

Total body-in-white weight is 36 kg less than before, contributing to an overall weight reduction of 55 to 75 kg, depending on model.

By focusing the weight reduction on the front of the car, BMW has maintained the 50-50 weight distribution so beloved of suspension engineers, despite the longer wheelbase. Much of the suspension hardware is either borrowed outright or derived from the 7 Series. There's not much radical in the basic design - MacStruts up front, multi-link at the rear - but just about all of it is now aluminum; lower unsprung weight means better ride and handling.

Semi-active roll bar control allows for a softer overall setting for superior comfort in straight-line driving. Hit a corner, though, and hydraulic actuators stiffen the front and rear roll bars to reduce body roll by up to 80 per cent. The new 5 also introduces "Active Steering," as close to steer-by-wire as legislators or, frankly, customers would probably allow.

BMW claims to be the world's largest original-equipment supplier of run-flat tires. The standard rubber on the 5 Series will be conventional, but all optional tires will be run-flats, from one of Bridgestone, Dunlop or Goodyear.

Even in the event of catastrophic deflation, the company says, the reinforced sidewalls and redesigned rims, which prevent the tire from rolling right off the wheel, allow the car to continue to be driven for at least 160 km at 80 km/h.

Unlike some run-flat systems, this one allows fitting conventional tires in case replacement run-flats aren't available.

Only one engine will be offered to us upon launch: the well-regarded 3.0 L in-line six, with variable valve timing and drive-by-wire electronic throttle, producing 231 hp at 5900 rpm and 221 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm. More critically, 90 per cent of that peak value is available from 1500 rpm up to six grand.

Also available in Europe at launch are a 2.2 L gasoline six and a lovely 3.0 L diesel. Despite Mercedes-Benz's announcement of diesel power here for several of its models, BMW has no current plans to bring this torquey, fantastically flexible and efficient engine to our market. Too bad.

No Valvetronic yet, BMW's fuel-saving throttleless system so far being limited to four- and eight-cylinder models.

The 4.4 L, 333 hp V8 from the 7 Series will join the 5 Series party later this fall. A 2.5 L six will also be offered; whether we get that one or not has yet to be announced, but there is a 525i currently.

While BMW hasn't formally announced it yet, the M5 version will arrive probably in about a year with a 500 hp V10.

Both manual and automatic transmissions have six speeds; the autobox is a slightly lightened version of the ZF unit introduced in the 7, while the ZF manual is a new design.

The propeller shaft & dash; transmission to rear axle & dash; is aluminum, BMW claiming a world exclusive on this.

No four-wheel drive yet, and it doesn't look like you'd be able to stick driveshafts through that front suspension. But apparently 4WD hasn't been ruled out for future models.

Unlike most European press previews, we spent the first three hours of this event in a parking lot, that of the container port of this industrial city in southeast Sardinia. The objective was to show off — in a safe, controlled environment — how the Active Steering and run-flat tires work.

First, the run-flats. We ran a car with no air whatsoever in the right rear tire through a coned-off slalom course. The car felt a bit wonky, to be sure, but even at fairly high speeds it was easy enough to control. The Directional Stability Control system continues to function when a tire is down, although it has to work hard.

I first tried an Active Steering car through a tight slalom course. It responded well. For comparison purposes, I jumped into a standard car. On the first left-hand corner, I cranked the wheel — the car didn't seem to respond at all. Much more arm-twisting later, I made the corner, but it was hard work.

Active Steering works — brilliantly.

The downside? On a fast, twisty portion of the road drive, a steering wheel icon flashed on, glowing balefully, indicating the system had gone away. The difference in steering feel was immediately apparent; a fail-safe system ensures that the system defaults to "normal."

We tried the Microsoft solution: shut the car off and reboot. Didn't help.

Following a half-hour photo shoot, though, a restart did resurrect the system. But another 15 minutes of hard, twisting driving and the light came back on again.

Something overheating? Pre-production gremlins? BMW's techies didn't have an answer before we had to leave.

The rest of the drive proved that the new 5 Series remains at the head of the class when it comes to driving dynamics. It corners confidently, rides beautifully, brakes powerfully.

The six-cylinder engine is smooth, flexible, powerful, quiet and efficient. The V8 will be more so, more so, more so, more so and slightly less so when it arrives.

The manual transmission offers smooth, light shifting and BMW's world-class clutch take-up. The automatic might be even better, and will certainly be the transmission of choice for most Canadian 5 Series buyers.

The iDrive controller? Unless you want to adjust the air distribution pattern, you almost never really have to use it.

Prices and exact equipment specifications for Canada haven't been released as of press time, but you can expect the new 5 to run in the same range as it currently does, which is $55,500 for the 525 (2.5 L six), $63,200 for the 530i (3.0 L six) and $74,400 for the 540i (4.4 L V8).

BMW has high expectations for the new 5. Its main rival, the Mercedes E-Class, has led the worldwide sales race virtually forever, and its all-new generation, launched last year, is a sensational car in its own right.

What was that about competition improving the breed?

Vital technical data - 520i

Dimensions in mm
Wheelbase	2,888
Vehicle length	4,841
Vehicle width	1,846
Vehicle height	1,468
Track, front	1,558
Track, rear	1,582
Engine
No. of cylinders/valves per cyl.	6/4
Displacement acc. to ECE Reg. in ccm	2,171
Stroke/Bore in mm	72.0/80.0
Nominal power (kW) at 1/min	125/6,100
Max. torque (Nm) at 1/min	210/3,500
Performance
Drag (cw)	0.26
Top speed (km/h)	230
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (in s)	9.0
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) in 4th/5th	9.4/12.5
Fuel consumption
City (ltr/100 km)	13.0
Highway (ltr/100 km)	6.8
Combined (ltr/100 km)	9.0
CO2 emissions (g/km)	219
Tank capacity (ltr)	70
Wheels
Tyre size front	205/60 R16 92V
Tyre size rear	205/60 R16 92V
Wheel size front	7 J x 16 light alloy
Wheel size rear	7 J x 16 light alloy
Weight in kg
Unladen (EU)	1,560
Max permissible	2,025
Permitted load	540
Permitted axle load, front/rear	980/1,130
The technical data given refers to the German version. Due to certain legal regulations in different countries, deviations in the technical data described here can occur.

Vital technical data - 525i

Dimensions in mm
Wheelbase	2,888
Vehicle length	4,841
Vehicle width	1,846
Vehicle height	1,468
Track, front	1,558
Track, rear	1,582
Engine
No. of cylinders/valves per cyl.	6/4
Displacement acc. to ECE Reg. in ccm	2,494
Stroke/Bore in mm	75.0/84.0
Nominal power (kW) at 1/min	141/6,000
Max. torque (Nm) at 1/min	245/3,500
Performance
Drag (cw)	0.28
Top speed (km/h)	238
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (in s)	7.9
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) in 4th/5th	8.4/-
Fuel consumption
City (ltr/100 km)	13.6
Highway (ltr/100 km)	7.0
Combined (ltr/100 km)	9.4
CO2 emissions (g/km)	228
Tank capacity (ltr)	70
Wheels
Tyre size front	225/55 R16 95W
Tyre size rear	225/55 R16 95W
Wheel size front	7 J x 16 light alloy
Wheel size rear	7 J x 16 light alloy

Vital technical data - 530d

Dimensions in mm
Wheelbase	2,888
Vehicle length	4,841
Vehicle width	1,846
Vehicle height	1,468
Track, front	1,558
Track, rear	1,582
Engine
No. of cylinders/valves per cyl.	6/4
Displacement acc. to ECE Reg. in ccm	2,993
Stroke/Bore in mm	90.0/84.0
Nominal power (kW) at 1/min	160/4,000
Max. torque (Nm) at 1/min	500/2,000
Performance
Drag (cw)	0.28
Top speed (km/h)	245
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (in s)	7.1
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) in 4th/5th	5.4/6.7
Fuel consumption
City (ltr/100 km)	9.5
Highway (ltr/100 km)	5.5
Combined (ltr/100 km)	6.9
CO2 emissions (g/km)	184
Tank capacity (ltr)	70
Wheels
Tyre size front	225/55 R16 95W
Tyre size rear	225/55 R16 95W
Wheel size front	7 J x 16 light alloy
Wheel size rear	7 J x 16 light alloy
Weight in kg
Unladen (EU)	1,670
Max permissible	2,155
Permitted load	560
Permitted axle load, front/rear	1,050/1,180
The technical data given refers to the German version. Due to certain legal regulations in different countries, deviations in the technical data described here can occur. Data from BMW.com

Vital technical data - 530i

Dimensions in mm
Wheelbase	2,888
Vehicle length	4,841
Vehicle width	1,846
Vehicle height	1,468
Track, front	1,558
Track, rear	1,582
Engine
No. of cylinders/valves per cyl.	6/4
Displacement acc. to ECE Reg. in ccm	2,979
Stroke/Bore in mm	89.6/84.0
Nominal power (kW) at 1/min	170/5,900
Max. torque (Nm) at 1/min	300/3,500
Performance
Drag (cw)	0.28
Top speed (km/h)	250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (in s)	6.9
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) in 4th/5th	7.3/10.0
Fuel consumption
City (ltr/100 km)	14.1
Highway (ltr/100 km)	7.0
Combined (ltr/100 km)	9.5
CO2 emissions (g/km)	231
Tank capacity (ltr)	70
Wheels
Tyre size front	225/55 R16 95W
Tyre size rear	225/55 R16 95W
Wheel size front	7 J x 16 light alloy
Wheel size rear	7 J x 16 light alloy
Weight in kg
Unladen (EU)	1,570
Max permissible	2,055
Permitted load	560
Permitted axle load, front/rear	980/1,150
The technical data given refers to the German version. Due to certain legal regulations in different countries, deviations in the technical data described here can occur. Data from BMW.com

Vital technical data - 545i

Dimensions in mm
Wheelbase	2,888
Vehicle length	4,841
Vehicle width	1,846
Vehicle height	1,468
Track, front	1,558
Track, rear	1,582
Engine
No. of cylinders/valves per cyl.	8/4
Displacement acc. to ECE Reg. in ccm	4,398
Stroke/Bore in mm	82.7/92.0
Nominal power (kW) at 1/min	245/6,100
Max. torque (Nm) at 1/min	450/3,600
Performance
Drag (cw)	0.28
Top speed (km/h)	250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (in s)	5.8
Acceleration 80-120 km/h (s) in 4th/5th	5.8/-
Fuel consumption
City (ltr/100 km)	16.3
Highway (ltr/100 km)	7.9
Combined (ltr/100 km)	10.9
CO2 emissions (g/km)	264
Tank capacity (ltr)	70
Wheels
Tyre size front	225/50 R17 94W
Tyre size rear	225/50 R17 94W
Wheel size front	7.5 J x 17 light alloy
Wheel size rear	7.5 J x 17 light alloy
Weight in kg
Unladen (EU)	1,705
Max permissible	2,190
Permitted load	560
Permitted axle load, front/rear	1,050/1,215
The technical data given refers to the German version. Due to certain legal regulations in different countries, deviations in the technical data described here can occur. Data from BMW.com.

Please Note!

This article was extracted from the Toronto Star and does not represent the original creative work of bmwfirst.com. Please be aware that the perspective is from a Canadian outlook. Check prices and details in your local region.

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