Yesterday we brought you spy photos of a next-generation BMW M5 lapping the Nurburgring. Today, the car's front bra came off, and even through the pyschodelic camo livery, you can get a good idea of what the redesigned M5 will look like. Immediately, this strikes you as a less radical face than that of the current M5. It also suggests that, like the 2009 7 Series, the next 5 Series will return to conservative styling.
You can also see the prominent power bulge in the M5 prototype's hood. Since the M5 story dropped yesterday, sources close to the project have told us that a V10 engine is definitely not in the cards, leaving the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 as the next M5's most likely powerplant.
You'll remember that we reported that the redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series would make its debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. If BMW follows the same timelines it did for the current generation, we won't see the Motorsport version of the 5 Series until model-year 2013.
e46fanatics says:
10:14 PM, 09/17/09
I like the direction of where bmw is going with this 5-series.
hondacura4 says:
10:43 AM, 09/18/09
"I like the direction of where BMW is going with this 5-series. "
Styling wise, yes. In regards to the engine, no, as the V8TT will kill one of the defining attributes of the M5's character as well as ///M overall. Sure it makes a sh*t load more torque vs the V10 but the high revs just gave the M5 a truly unique and racy experience.
walking_dead says:
11:29 AM, 09/18/09
Bangle took chances and I appreciate that,
It took time for his designs to mature to eye, but the 5 series is an amazing piece of Avant - Garde design.
Profits are so tight, that risks are no longer allowed and here we are, slab sided BMWs
Everyone derided Bangle and now he is gone, be careful what you wish for.
atenza94546 says:
05:01 PM, 09/18/09
It is a product of competetion. M Benz are out of ideas of improving their engines line up for AMG. The more horse power they put out the bigger the engine size it is. Also the S6/RS6 are going to be exhausted with the engine size. Pretty soon Audi and MBenz will start doing so. Car business are like that until their are a new technology to boost engine power and at the same time it will meet all government standard otherwise it will be changing back and forth. Note that the most sports, racy car use to have turbo in it. Even the F1 use to have a 1.8liter V12 turbo. Turbo or Hybrid ???
chopperx says:
08:59 PM, 09/18/09
"Bangle took chances and I appreciate that,
It took time for his designs to mature to eye"
I took the time to look at his "flamed surfaced" Z4 resembled a sagging clown car... NOT good design and never will be when looked at in history.
However, the new Z4 is another story - amazing machine inside and out!
hondacura4 says:
08:16 AM, 09/19/09
"M Benz are out of ideas of improving their engines line up for AMG."
Atenza, how is Mercedes out of ideas? In case you didn't know AMG used to take mainstream Mercedes engines and modify them for AMG use. Today AMG develops its own engines and has much more involvement in the entire development of the vehicles. The C 63 AMG is the first AMG Mercedes designed from the ground up for performance, as compared to previous AMG cars which essentially featured "bolt on" performance modifications.
AMG wanted to become a bit more independent while raising their own bar when it came to tactile, fun performance and they have succeeded. It started with the current C63 and will progress from there. Its been said the C63 is the best AMG product to date.
In case you didn't know, the AMG 6.2L V8 is the worlds most powerful normally aspirated V8. If that says Mercedes is running out of ideas, Id surely hate to see them with ideas.
"Also the S6/RS6 are going to be exhausted with the engine size."
Exhausted? You care to elaborate a bit more? With the RS6, Audi uses a 5.0L twin turbo V10 which produces 580hp/479ftlbs of torque. Given its boosted I'm sure this engine has much more to give if necessary. With the RS6 its certainly not the drivetrain holding it back its the weight of the car as it weighs nearly 4500LBS!
The S6 which uses a 5.2L normally aspirated V10 has 450hp/398ftlbs of torque. Exhausted... I think not.
sgude says:
09:25 AM, 09/22/09
Chopperx -- Bangle didn't design the Z4; Anders Warming did. Bangle was the design chief of BMW at the time and part of the philosophy advanced by he and Adrian van Hooydonk (the BMW design chief now) was flame-surfacing.
And I disagree with you -- the Z4 was not "beautiful" but it has always been interesting to look at.
The Zeppelin (the current 5-Series) has been one of my favorite designs since its debut. I don't particularly like the headlights, but the proportions, stance and details are fascinating. Hopefully the new 5er won't lose that.