Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
BMW M3 GT2 ready for the challenge of Le MansPosted on: 4.06.2010
Author: Horatiu B.
Comments: 0
.Press Release: Following the triumph at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE) in May, Team BMW Motorsport is looking forward to the next highlight of the season on 12th and 13th June 2010: the Le Mans 24 Hours. BMW will line up at the endurance classic on the “Circuit de la Sarthe” with two BMW M3 GT2 racing cars specially adapted to comply with the GT2 regulations of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). One of these is the 17th BMW Art Car, which was designed by Jeff Koons (US) and unveiled in Paris (FR) on Tuesday. We would like to give you a detailed look at the car that claimed BMW’s 19th victory at the Nürburgring and now looks set to cause a sensation in the LM GT2 class in Le Mans.
Already in its fourth generation, the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car developed by BMW M GmbH on the basis of the BMW 3 Series Coupé, demonstrates impressive sportiness – regardless of whether the BMW M3 Coupé for road traffic, the BMW M3 GTS for club racing events, or the BMW M3 GT2 at endurance races and GT classics.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen says: “The series model of the BMW M3 has sportiness in its genes. For this reason it was a natural progression for us to develop a racing version of this car. The fact that the BMW M3 production model is driven by a powerful V8 engine gave us the ideal starting basis.” When starting the development of the BMW M3 GT2 in the middle of 2007, the BMW Motorsport engineers were faced with the ambitious task of making a car that had already been designed for sportiness even more sporty. They could hardly have dreamt of a better basis for this mission than the BMW M3. The production model itself boasts powerful dynamics.
The series version’s eight-cylinder engine with 4.0-litre capacity already produces 420 bhp. The BMW P65 engine, which was derived from this unit and powers the BMW M3 GT2, has been further improved within the GT2 regulations. The eight individual throttle valves receive their intake air via a system made of carbon fibre with load-charge optimised ram tubes. The mechanics have been adjusted to meet the extreme demands of GT and endurance racing: as a result, the BMW P65 has a steel crankshaft, forged skirt pistons, high-performance steel conrods and a dry sump lubrication system. This allows the engine to achieve 500 bhp.
Due to this the BMW M3 GT2 is able to perform the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.42 seconds. With 500 ccm per cylinder and the stroke to bore ratio of 72.5 x 92 millimetres, the engine fulfils the ideal conception of demanding engine designers. The cylinder block is designed with a bed plate lower section and made of a special aluminium alloy. The unit’s dimensions, capacities, number of components and extremely light weight make it the perfect engine to use on the race track.
Intelligent control systems are at work in the BMW M3 GT2. Via two bus systems, the POWER400 control unit actuates all the accessories fitted to the car, such as lights, wipers, etc. Traditional relays and fuses are thus eliminated, ensuring considerable weight saving, improved reliability and ease of application. The functions of the BMW P65 engine are managed by an ECU408 electronic control unit, developed in-house by BMW Motorsport. This unit uses two high-performance micro-processors to control the individual cylinder injection and ignition, as well as the engine data memory system, among other things.
The ECU408 monitors the “Quick Shift” function of the six-speed sequential gearbox on the BMW M3 GT2, which suppresses the ignition when changing gear, thus allowing even faster gear changes. The compact transmission unit is positioned on the rear axle to allow optimal weight distribution. The engineers have not only modified the power train for use in races, but also the chassis. The front and rear axles on the BMW M3 GT2 have an increased wheel castor angle, enlarged track width and greater wheel camber than the series version. The shock absorbers can be adjusted five ways and tubular stabiliser bars can be used to set up the car for a specific track.
Weight optimisation plays an important role for the development of a racing car. What has started with an intelligent lightweight construction and the use of a carbon fibre roof in the road model, the BMW Motorsport engineers consequently continued in the BMW M3 GT2. The use of high-tech carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) played a crucial role in the car achieving a weight of 1,245 kilograms (in ACO specification). As well as the roof of the BMW M3 GT2, the front and rear aprons, bonnet, boot lid, rocker panel, doors, front wing, and flared rear wheel arches are also made of carbon fibre.
The aerodynamics of the BMW M3 GT2 were fine-tuned using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It was also possible to optimise the geometry and kinematics of the chassis and determine the most efficient locations for attachment points on the axles. At the same time, elaborate calculation programmes also made it possible to simulate distortion of the chassis under extreme strain. Using extensive investigations in the wind tunnel, the engineers were able to verify the results of the CFD calculations before starting to build particular components.
A hint of comfort is offered to the drivers by the air conditioning system, when they are at the wheel of the BMW M3 GT2. At the Le Mans 24-hour race regulations stipulate that temperatures in the cockpit must not exceed 32 degrees Celsius. Following a pit stop this figure needs to be reached again within eight minutes. In order to design the cooling as effectively as possible, the passenger compartment was limited by inserting a plastic screen behind the driver’s seat. This helps to minimise the cooling requirements.
Only one aspect has had a higher priority for the BMW Motorsport engineers when developing the car than performance: driver safety. A safety cell made from extremely rigid, precision steel tubing is used in the BMW M3 GT2. This is welded into the unitary construction steel body and effectively protects the driver in the case of a collision. The development and design of the safety cell, which is produced by experts at the BMW Plant Regensburg, takes place using CAD constructions and computer-aided simulations. BMW Motorsport is certified by the FIA as a CAD institute for safety cells.
On the track, the drivers are strapped into a new safety seat, developed by BMW Motorsport, using a six-point belt. In the case of an accident, seat and driver can be lifted out of the car through the roof. In addition, the drivers are protected by HANS (Head-and-Neck Support), energy-absorbing foam in hollow sections, and crash pads in the doors.
While high-performance compound brakes ensure excellent deceleration in the BMW M3 Coupé, the brakes in the BMW M3 GT2 have a fixed-calliper design. The aluminium brake callipers consist of six pistons on the front wheels and four pistons on the rear wheels. The inner-vented grey-cast iron brake discs on the BMW M3 GT2 have a diameter of 378 mm at the front and 355 mm at the rear.
As a development partner of BMW Motorsport, Dunlop equips the BMW M3 GT2 with high-performance racing tyres, which optimally transfer the acceleration and braking torque to the track and are able to withstand extreme lateral forces. The tyre manufacturer has been involved in the development of the GT sports car right from the word go. The BMW M3 GT2 takes to the track on 18-inch wheels with aluminium rims.
The New BMW 2011 5 Series
2011 BMW 5 Series First Look
Longer, Lower, Wider
By Matt Davis, Contributor
Published Nov 23, 2009
Seems only yesterday that the first-generation BMW 5 Series E12 came out and quietly started to revolutionize North America's outlook on the four-door sedan. But that was actually 37 years and 5.5 million worldwide sales ago. Now we're talking about the sixth-generation F10, the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan model, and it looks about a half size larger than the old E12. Have we all gotten that big?
BMW just had us in to the FIZ projekt centre in Munich to gaze at every square inch of its new premium midsize executive sedan, up close and inside-out. We'll get to drive it in January 2010, but right now it's easy to say that this 5 Series is nowhere near as controversial to look at as the current E60 car with its Chris Bangle-era styling — those Dame Edna lights and flattened not-so-kidney grille we first beheld in 2003.
This all-new 2011 BMW 5 Series is back to being one stern and handsome German, meant to take on the other sternly handsome Germans like the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. Not forgetting, of course, the serious trio of Cadillac CTS, Jaguar XF and Lexus GS.
Turbos Are Go
When the F10 5 Series sedan comes to North America in June 2010, the first two setups will be the gas-slaking marquee cars, the 2011 BMW 535i with its 302-horsepower turbocharged direct-injected 3.0-liter inline-6 with intake-side Valvetronic, and the 2011 BMW 550i with its recently developed, 402-hp twin-turbo direct-injected 4.4-liter V8.
Meanwhile, North American BMW reps also tell us that "pricing still hasn't been finalized, but we may see little or no price hike at all on the 535i." Ahh, yes, there are some bright sides to a Great Recession and total market collapse, aren't there? So, that theoretically would still be $51,100 for the 2011 BMW 535i with its optional eight-speed automatic transmission. If all true, wow.
For the 2011 BMW 550i, the ZF-built eight-speed is standard equipment and it comes attached to the TwinPower turbo V8 that replaces the last-gen car's 362-hp 4.8-liter naturally aspirated unit, and following the 8.6 percent price hike promised in Germany, we're looking at $65,600, more or less. Comparing the power and fuel usage between the current 550i's 4.8-liter V8 and new twin-turbo 4.4-liter, horsepower is up by 11 percent while fuel use drops by 5 percent. Acceleration to 60 mph for the 550i is pretty much as it was before at just under 5 seconds, and top speed on all cars in North America is limited to 130 mph, extendable up to 150 mph with the Sport package.
Once again BMW will be the only manufacturer in this segment to offer a manual transmission, so buyers of the 2011 BMW 535i can choose a newly designed, dry-sump six-speed manual, but so far this has represented just over 5 percent of 5 Series buyers in North America.
Cooler, Less Flame
As far as looks go, the controversial Chris Bangle influence is now completely gone. Now, with a cuddlier but just as creative Adrian van Hooydonk leading the sketch sessions, we're back to Bimmer essentials (although better off for having gone through the Bangle era).
Also in mid-2011 we can expect the BMW M5, which reportedly carries a 550-hp version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8.
Versus the E60 generation of the 5 Series, the new car's dimensions are almost all bigger, of course. The F10's overall length of 192.9 inches is up by 2.3 inches, while width is increased by half an inch and the height actually comes down just a wee bit. The new 5's wheelbase is the longest in this market segment at 116.9 inches, or 3.2 inches greater than the current car. The well-haunched wheel arches tell no lies either, as the front track is up by 1.7 inches at 63.0 inches total, and the rear is now at 64.1 inches for an increase of 1.8 inches.
Though the hood, front fender and door panels are all aluminum to save weight (the doors alone purportedly saving 51 pounds versus steel), the 550i takes on 375 pounds by our math and BMW's specifications sheet, weighing in at 4,035 pounds at the curb with no passengers. This is the price to pay for larger cars where many items on the chassis must grow to fit, plus the standard eight-speed automatic adds weight over the outgoing six-speed unit. As 5 Series Project Director Josef Wüst tells us, "It is easy to track down weight issues and comment, yes, but we were focused on efficiencies and improved structural issues."
Aesthetically we like what we see, as this new 5 Series falls visually between the current 3 and 7 Series. Is it too soft-edged in the front, or just finally all cleaned up? You decide. The visual tricks to make it seem more imposing — bigger, wider triple intakes at the chin, liberal use of horizontal lines front and back, stretched lighting units — match well with the slightly lower height, wider track with pronounced haunches, and greater overall width. The rear end has been bulked up a touch to differentiate itself from the stretched look of the 7 Series, while the thinner C-pillar wrapping the "Hofmeisterknick" nicely sports up the rear half of the profile. And we're happy to see loud and proud kidney grilles come back to the 5 Series. The standard tires for the 535i and 550i will be 245/45R18s, while the Sport package offers hotter 19-inch wheels and tires.
Business Lounge
When it comes to the interior, the biggest gain in passenger room is to front-seat head and shoulder room, both up by 1.4 inches. The other bit worth mentioning is a meager benefit of the stretched wheelbase, as rear knee room grows by only a half inch.
When it comes to style, the echoes of the new 7 Series are especially strong (the new 5 and the 7 are being built together at the factory in Dingolfing), and the driver benefits from a mild cockpit effect with the upper center stack angled 6 degrees toward him. We enjoy our Black Panel technology, so extraneous, unlit readouts are masked from view until required. Fourth-generation iDrive can be had not only with the standard 7.0-inch screen but also in optional Professional grade with a 10.2-inch screen.
The raft of optional software-driven safety enhancements seen in the 7 Series is also available to 5 Series buyers and is a what's-what of things we never imagined needing but some of which we do appreciate. Like the optional Parking Assistant, which steers the car for you into a parallel slot after determining (while passing along at speeds up to 22 mph) that there are at least 47 inches of wiggle room. And then there's the back-up camera with top and side views that work like those of the security bunker at the Pentagon. Really, your 5 Series can be covered in cameras and radars by the time you steer it off the sales lot.
Dynamic War Chest
If you'd like a bit more involvement with the new eight-speed automatic that's standard for the BMW 550i, you can always take the Sport version with steering wheel shift paddles and specific console lever for $500. And (hooray!) all flappers are now as in the M Logic setup, with the left paddle in charge of downshifts and the right paddle taking responsibility for upshifts. BMW says the ZF-designed eight-speed is "98 percent efficient," and you'll note that 7th and 8th gear are very tall for fuel efficiency. We also like the transmission's ability to declutch from 8th to 2nd gear in one snappy move, plus there's markedly less torque converter slip as you drive away from a standstill.
Then, naturally for any Bimmer, comes the discussion of the chassis, steering and suspension. BMW boasts that the F10 chassis is the sportiest, yet also the most comfortable, ever in this segment. Given how we've been blown away by essentially the same architecture under the 2010 750i F01, we have a feeling that the quality of the drive at this size should be finer yet. The BMW Driving Dynamics Control works in Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+, toying with throttle response, shift timing and steering assistance, with the DSC stability control switching automatically to looser drift thresholds in Sport+. Poke it all the way off and the virtually locked electronic limited-slip differential plays gently with the rear brakes to keep things fun yet not life-threatening. Get the optional active suspension damping control and DDC will take care of it as well. Once you match all this with the new car's active roll control like that of the 7 Series and the dynamics soufflé comes to a delectable point. These three features now get bundled together in a $5,000 Sport package under the name Dynamic Drive.
The front multilink suspension structure is executed largely in aluminum and uses wishbone-style track arms and negative camber to quicken reactions to input at the steering wheel. Then out back there is the five-joint multilink "Integral V" suspension design. BMW engineers are saying they've made certain to keep the dynamics of steering, ride and drive as discrete as possible without compromising in any area, and we'll see if that's true come our January drive.
The various steels and aluminums used in the new car make the chassis some 55 percent better at resisting twisting and bending forces. We expect the first cars available for driving to come with the optional four-wheel steering, which is called Integral Active Steering, technology introduced by the 7 Series. Up to 37 mph, the rear wheels turn 2.5 degrees in the opposite sense from the front wheels to quicken low-speed steering response and also shrink the turning circle by 1.7 feet. Above 37 mph, the rears turn in the same direction as the fronts to brisk up the handling. Meanwhile, electric-assist power steering is standard for all models of the 5 Series, and we'll be looking to see if this feels like way too much help.
More To Follow
Following the June 2010 launch in North America of the new 2011 BMW 550i and 2011 BMW 535i, the line will fill out when the 528i (the highest-volume model of the 5 Series in the U.S.) shows up later in 2010. At the same time, we'll also see the all-wheel-drive xDrive versions of the car (now made easier to engineer with the new suspension configuration), including the 528xi, 535xi and 550xi.
After this, we might be getting the latest F11-generation 535xi Sport Wagon at the start of 2011 with much sleeker styling, since the F07-generation BMW 5 Series GT has come along as the load-hauler and freed up the wagon to get less boxy. Nevertheless, total U.S. sales of the Sport Wagon continue to be so meager that Vice President of BMW Sales Ian Robertson tells us, "The bosses are still undecided about blessing your shores withal."
You should look for evidence of BMW's diesel initiative in the U.S. in mid-2011 when the BMW 535d will arrive with its 262-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 common-rail diesel.
Also in mid-2011 we can expect the fifth-generation BMW M5, which reportedly carries a 550-hp version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with a new twin-clutch eight-speed automated manual transmission or (upon request) a six-speed manual. Spy videos of this future standard-setter at the Nürburgring show off a monster exhaust note and rapid-fire downshifts. The current 5.0-liter V10 apparently kills the planet, costs the company too much to redevelop and sort of lost its relevance anyway once Formula 1 went V8 and then BMW decided not to participate in F1 at all after this season.
Long and short, what we have here in the 2011 BMW 5 Series is essentially a downsized 7 Series. If it fulfills every lofty expectation, the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan will remain the sales leader in this lucrative segment.
Longer, Lower, Wider
By Matt Davis, Contributor
Published Nov 23, 2009
Seems only yesterday that the first-generation BMW 5 Series E12 came out and quietly started to revolutionize North America's outlook on the four-door sedan. But that was actually 37 years and 5.5 million worldwide sales ago. Now we're talking about the sixth-generation F10, the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan model, and it looks about a half size larger than the old E12. Have we all gotten that big?
BMW just had us in to the FIZ projekt centre in Munich to gaze at every square inch of its new premium midsize executive sedan, up close and inside-out. We'll get to drive it in January 2010, but right now it's easy to say that this 5 Series is nowhere near as controversial to look at as the current E60 car with its Chris Bangle-era styling — those Dame Edna lights and flattened not-so-kidney grille we first beheld in 2003.
This all-new 2011 BMW 5 Series is back to being one stern and handsome German, meant to take on the other sternly handsome Germans like the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. Not forgetting, of course, the serious trio of Cadillac CTS, Jaguar XF and Lexus GS.
Turbos Are Go
When the F10 5 Series sedan comes to North America in June 2010, the first two setups will be the gas-slaking marquee cars, the 2011 BMW 535i with its 302-horsepower turbocharged direct-injected 3.0-liter inline-6 with intake-side Valvetronic, and the 2011 BMW 550i with its recently developed, 402-hp twin-turbo direct-injected 4.4-liter V8.
Meanwhile, North American BMW reps also tell us that "pricing still hasn't been finalized, but we may see little or no price hike at all on the 535i." Ahh, yes, there are some bright sides to a Great Recession and total market collapse, aren't there? So, that theoretically would still be $51,100 for the 2011 BMW 535i with its optional eight-speed automatic transmission. If all true, wow.
For the 2011 BMW 550i, the ZF-built eight-speed is standard equipment and it comes attached to the TwinPower turbo V8 that replaces the last-gen car's 362-hp 4.8-liter naturally aspirated unit, and following the 8.6 percent price hike promised in Germany, we're looking at $65,600, more or less. Comparing the power and fuel usage between the current 550i's 4.8-liter V8 and new twin-turbo 4.4-liter, horsepower is up by 11 percent while fuel use drops by 5 percent. Acceleration to 60 mph for the 550i is pretty much as it was before at just under 5 seconds, and top speed on all cars in North America is limited to 130 mph, extendable up to 150 mph with the Sport package.
Once again BMW will be the only manufacturer in this segment to offer a manual transmission, so buyers of the 2011 BMW 535i can choose a newly designed, dry-sump six-speed manual, but so far this has represented just over 5 percent of 5 Series buyers in North America.
Cooler, Less Flame
As far as looks go, the controversial Chris Bangle influence is now completely gone. Now, with a cuddlier but just as creative Adrian van Hooydonk leading the sketch sessions, we're back to Bimmer essentials (although better off for having gone through the Bangle era).
Also in mid-2011 we can expect the BMW M5, which reportedly carries a 550-hp version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8.
Versus the E60 generation of the 5 Series, the new car's dimensions are almost all bigger, of course. The F10's overall length of 192.9 inches is up by 2.3 inches, while width is increased by half an inch and the height actually comes down just a wee bit. The new 5's wheelbase is the longest in this market segment at 116.9 inches, or 3.2 inches greater than the current car. The well-haunched wheel arches tell no lies either, as the front track is up by 1.7 inches at 63.0 inches total, and the rear is now at 64.1 inches for an increase of 1.8 inches.
Though the hood, front fender and door panels are all aluminum to save weight (the doors alone purportedly saving 51 pounds versus steel), the 550i takes on 375 pounds by our math and BMW's specifications sheet, weighing in at 4,035 pounds at the curb with no passengers. This is the price to pay for larger cars where many items on the chassis must grow to fit, plus the standard eight-speed automatic adds weight over the outgoing six-speed unit. As 5 Series Project Director Josef Wüst tells us, "It is easy to track down weight issues and comment, yes, but we were focused on efficiencies and improved structural issues."
Aesthetically we like what we see, as this new 5 Series falls visually between the current 3 and 7 Series. Is it too soft-edged in the front, or just finally all cleaned up? You decide. The visual tricks to make it seem more imposing — bigger, wider triple intakes at the chin, liberal use of horizontal lines front and back, stretched lighting units — match well with the slightly lower height, wider track with pronounced haunches, and greater overall width. The rear end has been bulked up a touch to differentiate itself from the stretched look of the 7 Series, while the thinner C-pillar wrapping the "Hofmeisterknick" nicely sports up the rear half of the profile. And we're happy to see loud and proud kidney grilles come back to the 5 Series. The standard tires for the 535i and 550i will be 245/45R18s, while the Sport package offers hotter 19-inch wheels and tires.
Business Lounge
When it comes to the interior, the biggest gain in passenger room is to front-seat head and shoulder room, both up by 1.4 inches. The other bit worth mentioning is a meager benefit of the stretched wheelbase, as rear knee room grows by only a half inch.
When it comes to style, the echoes of the new 7 Series are especially strong (the new 5 and the 7 are being built together at the factory in Dingolfing), and the driver benefits from a mild cockpit effect with the upper center stack angled 6 degrees toward him. We enjoy our Black Panel technology, so extraneous, unlit readouts are masked from view until required. Fourth-generation iDrive can be had not only with the standard 7.0-inch screen but also in optional Professional grade with a 10.2-inch screen.
The raft of optional software-driven safety enhancements seen in the 7 Series is also available to 5 Series buyers and is a what's-what of things we never imagined needing but some of which we do appreciate. Like the optional Parking Assistant, which steers the car for you into a parallel slot after determining (while passing along at speeds up to 22 mph) that there are at least 47 inches of wiggle room. And then there's the back-up camera with top and side views that work like those of the security bunker at the Pentagon. Really, your 5 Series can be covered in cameras and radars by the time you steer it off the sales lot.
Dynamic War Chest
If you'd like a bit more involvement with the new eight-speed automatic that's standard for the BMW 550i, you can always take the Sport version with steering wheel shift paddles and specific console lever for $500. And (hooray!) all flappers are now as in the M Logic setup, with the left paddle in charge of downshifts and the right paddle taking responsibility for upshifts. BMW says the ZF-designed eight-speed is "98 percent efficient," and you'll note that 7th and 8th gear are very tall for fuel efficiency. We also like the transmission's ability to declutch from 8th to 2nd gear in one snappy move, plus there's markedly less torque converter slip as you drive away from a standstill.
Then, naturally for any Bimmer, comes the discussion of the chassis, steering and suspension. BMW boasts that the F10 chassis is the sportiest, yet also the most comfortable, ever in this segment. Given how we've been blown away by essentially the same architecture under the 2010 750i F01, we have a feeling that the quality of the drive at this size should be finer yet. The BMW Driving Dynamics Control works in Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+, toying with throttle response, shift timing and steering assistance, with the DSC stability control switching automatically to looser drift thresholds in Sport+. Poke it all the way off and the virtually locked electronic limited-slip differential plays gently with the rear brakes to keep things fun yet not life-threatening. Get the optional active suspension damping control and DDC will take care of it as well. Once you match all this with the new car's active roll control like that of the 7 Series and the dynamics soufflé comes to a delectable point. These three features now get bundled together in a $5,000 Sport package under the name Dynamic Drive.
The front multilink suspension structure is executed largely in aluminum and uses wishbone-style track arms and negative camber to quicken reactions to input at the steering wheel. Then out back there is the five-joint multilink "Integral V" suspension design. BMW engineers are saying they've made certain to keep the dynamics of steering, ride and drive as discrete as possible without compromising in any area, and we'll see if that's true come our January drive.
The various steels and aluminums used in the new car make the chassis some 55 percent better at resisting twisting and bending forces. We expect the first cars available for driving to come with the optional four-wheel steering, which is called Integral Active Steering, technology introduced by the 7 Series. Up to 37 mph, the rear wheels turn 2.5 degrees in the opposite sense from the front wheels to quicken low-speed steering response and also shrink the turning circle by 1.7 feet. Above 37 mph, the rears turn in the same direction as the fronts to brisk up the handling. Meanwhile, electric-assist power steering is standard for all models of the 5 Series, and we'll be looking to see if this feels like way too much help.
More To Follow
Following the June 2010 launch in North America of the new 2011 BMW 550i and 2011 BMW 535i, the line will fill out when the 528i (the highest-volume model of the 5 Series in the U.S.) shows up later in 2010. At the same time, we'll also see the all-wheel-drive xDrive versions of the car (now made easier to engineer with the new suspension configuration), including the 528xi, 535xi and 550xi.
After this, we might be getting the latest F11-generation 535xi Sport Wagon at the start of 2011 with much sleeker styling, since the F07-generation BMW 5 Series GT has come along as the load-hauler and freed up the wagon to get less boxy. Nevertheless, total U.S. sales of the Sport Wagon continue to be so meager that Vice President of BMW Sales Ian Robertson tells us, "The bosses are still undecided about blessing your shores withal."
You should look for evidence of BMW's diesel initiative in the U.S. in mid-2011 when the BMW 535d will arrive with its 262-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 common-rail diesel.
Also in mid-2011 we can expect the fifth-generation BMW M5, which reportedly carries a 550-hp version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with a new twin-clutch eight-speed automated manual transmission or (upon request) a six-speed manual. Spy videos of this future standard-setter at the Nürburgring show off a monster exhaust note and rapid-fire downshifts. The current 5.0-liter V10 apparently kills the planet, costs the company too much to redevelop and sort of lost its relevance anyway once Formula 1 went V8 and then BMW decided not to participate in F1 at all after this season.
Long and short, what we have here in the 2011 BMW 5 Series is essentially a downsized 7 Series. If it fulfills every lofty expectation, the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan will remain the sales leader in this lucrative segment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)