Emphasisplaced judiciously on certain areas of design enhances the enjoyment of the superior driving experience in the BMW M5 high-performance sedan. In parallel with the launch of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan, the new BMW 5 Series Touring and the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, BMW M GmbH’s most successful model is also undergoing a carefully devised revision. Fine-tuned design underscores the hallmark M athleticism and challenging presence of the new BMW M5, while the optional Competition Package, new equipment features and a further extended range of BMW ConnectedDrive features emphasise its innovative character.

The BMW M5 is driven by a 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and peak output of 412 kW/560 hp. In combination with the seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission, the Active M Differential at the rear axle and model-specific suspension technology precisely tuned to the performance curve with racing know-how, this high-revving power unit guarantees outstanding dynamic driving performance. For a further boost in performance, the Competition Package now comes as an optional extra with features that tap into a new dimension of dynamics in trademark BMW M style.

The Competition Package was specifically devised to boost the handling properties of the BMW M5. With the Competition Package, the output of the high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology is raised by 11 kW to 423 kW/575 hp. In addition, the newly developed M carbon ceramic brakes have been available as an option since March 2013.

A particularly striking innovation in the appearance of the BMW M5 is the M “kidney grille”, which now features the model designation and whose slats cite the double-spoke design of the M light alloys. In addition to standard xenon headlights, there is now the option of Adaptive LED Headlights which emit a particularly bright white light generated by a pair of LED units situated horizontally in the middle of each light ring. A standard feature on the BMW M5 are the new-design tail lights with strikingly thin LED light strips that generate a high contrast and add to the unmistakable night-time look.

The hallmark M feeling is also conveyed by the M leather steering wheel, whose new design likewise takes visual cues from the double-spoke wheels. The interior of the sedan has also gained an increase in volume of the storage compartment under the armrest in the centre console area. The Control Display of the standard-fitted iDrive operating system now features chrome trim on the sides. For the first time, an optional Touch Controller is available with a touch-sensitive surface allowing, for example, characters to be entered when programming a destination for the navigation system.

As of July, BMW Individual will be offering a range of new exterior colours for the BMW M5 (Pure Metal Silver, Pyrite Brown metallic, Frozen Blue metallic and further BMW Individual matt paintwork finishes), as well as exclusive leather shades (Cashmere Beige and Nutmeg). With the BMW Individual paintwork Pure Metal Silver, for example, the body takes on a deep, brilliant lustre. This unique metallic gleam is down to the combination of a special-effect pigment with a water-based paint system. The addition of ultra-thin aluminium flakes guarantees a uniform and gleaming surface. Depending on the angle of view, these flakes create a light-dark contrast and accentuate the surfaces of the body. This paintwork showcases the model’s lines and contours to even better effect and adds striking touches to the vehicle’s design.

The further extended range of features from BMW ConnectedDrive also ensures that the new BMW M5 is in pole position in its sector when it comes to intelligent connectivity. Innovative driver assistance systems and mobility services optimise safety and comfort while driving as well as the use of infotainment programmes. The new Driving Assistant system combines Lane Departure Warning with Collision Warning including braking function. Its camera, mounted in the windscreen area, registers vehicles and pedestrians and gives the driver visual and acoustic warning signals if a potential collision is detected. In critical situations, moderate hazard braking is actuated. The glare-free High Beam Assistant is now also optionally available for the BMW M5, while the Lane Change Warning system can now be used from a speed of 20 km/h (12.4 mph).

The new Online Entertainment option, meanwhile, makes for a particularly varied audio programme. It allows online access to a music database containing around 12 million tracks. In conjunction with the Navigation System Professional and the ConnectedDrive Services option, additional features are available, among them Concierge Services, Remote Services and Real Time Traffic Information.

The article World Premiere: BMW M5 Facelift appeared first on BMW BLOG

BMW M unveiled today the BMW M5 Facelift at the 2013 M Festival.

Albert Biermann, Head of Engineering at M, and Thomas Schemera, Marketing Director for BMW M, introduced visual and power upgrades to the popular sporty sedan. Along with styling updates, the M folks also debuted the Competition Package with its 575 horsepower.

BMW M engineers have applied extensive modifications to the chassis set-up as well. Along with the suspension and damping systems, the stabilizer bars have also been more tautly tuned. In the BMW M5 this adjustment has resulted in a lowering of the car by around 10 millimeters. The potential inherent in the rear axle design – based on the race-derived principle of the rear axle subframe being bolted to the body – and the even more precisely calculated elastokinematics for the front axle are exploited to the full in the models featuring the Competition Package, with the aim of enhancing driving precision.

The Competition Package was specifically devised to boost the handling properties of the BMW M5 and it costs a bit over 9,000 euros in Germany. In addition, the newly developed M carbon ceramic brakes have been available as an option since March 2013.

With the Competition Package, the M Dynamic mode of the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system is even more acutely geared to sporty handling characteristics. The package additionally includes exclusively designed 20-inch M light-alloy wheels along with a sport exhaust system featuring customary M twin tailpipes in black chrome that lend an unmistakable sporty note to both the look and the sound of the car.

The M “kidney grille”, which now features the model designation and whose slats cite the double-spoke design of the M light alloys. An option of Adaptive LED Headlights is now offered. A standard feature on the BMW M5 are the taillights with strikingly thin LED light strips that generate a high contrast and add to the unmistakable night-time look.

The interior of the sedan has also gained an increase in volume of the storage compartment under the armrest in the centre console area. The Control Display of the standard-fitted iDrive operating system now features chrome trim on the sides. For the first time, an optional Touch Controller is available with a touch-sensitive surface allowing, for example, characters to be entered when programming a destination for the navigation system.

As of July, BMW Individual will be offering a range of new exterior colours for the BMW M5 (Pure Metal Silver, Pyrite Brown metallic, Frozen Blue metallic and further BMW Individual matt paintwork finishes), as well as exclusive leather shades (Cashmere Beige and Nutmeg).

The model introduced at the M Festival was painted in the Frozen Blue metallic color. In person the M5 sedan is a stunner and BMW M says that it was really hard to improve an already competitive and dominant M5. The new headlights are quickly becoming a darling of BMW fans, as the M6 Coupe discovered itself, and the iDrive Touch inside takes BMW into the world of tactile devices and seamless touch controls.

The new Frozen Blue color reminds us of ALPINA paint jobs. The matte metallic is a nice inclusion in the BMW Individual catalog, but it remains to be seen if it will be available for the Competition Package only.

The article BMW M5 Facelift with 475 hp makes debut at 2013 M Festival appeared first on BMW BLOG

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo combines signature BMW proportions with an innovative body concept. The elegantly stretched coupé roofline, four doors with frameless windows and a high-opening tailgate exude sporting intent, luxurious long-distance comfort and extensive variability. Carefully targeted modifications to the car’s design shine an even brighter spotlight on its unmistakable character, which meets the highest standards across an extremely wide spectrum.

A new air intake highlights the powerful presence of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo’s front end. The tailgate, meanwhile, has been extended rearwards and gives the roofline’s transition into the rear an even more harmonious appearance. All of which allows the car as a whole to cut a lower- slung and dynamically stretched figure. These sharpened contours have also had a positive effect on the boot capacity of the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, which has been increased by 60 litres to 500 litres.

Horizontally structured and three-dimensional surfaces play a defining role in the new look of the rear end. Vibrant light and shade effects around the licence plate mount, a dynamically sweeping crease extending into the flanks and a chrome trim strip in the rear apron give the tail end a lighter and sportier feel. This impression is reinforced by the new outline of the two-section rear lights. Their horizontal layout is accentuated internally by a light design distilled into two LED light strips.

Interior: each model variant offers its own take on long-distance comfort, variability and a luxurious ambience.

New details inside all the cars in the new BMW 5 Series provide a refined premium impression and increased functionality. In all models the Control Display of the standard iDrive operating system is now bordered on both sides by high-quality chrome trim strips. And the storage compartments and cup holders in the centre console of the Sedan and Touring now have increased capacity.

Generous levels of space, exquisite materials and high-quality workmanship all contribute to the premium ambience characteristic of the BMW 5 Series model family, as do exclusive interior design details like the standard iDrive and the black-panel technology of the instrument cluster and automatic climate control system’s display.

The iDrive Controller can be ordered as an option with a touch-sensitive surface allowing character recognition. For example, a destination can be programmed into the navigation system by spelling out the desired address using finger movements on the Controller’s surface. The existing “Speller” in the Control Display can also be used to this end, and the driver can alternate freely between the two operating methods while entering a command.

Another option unique in this segment is the multifunction instrument display designed to enhance driving pleasure. This 10.25-inch TFT cockpit screen takes its cues from the Driving Experience Control mode selected. Varying graphics and colour schemes ensure clear differentiation. In COMFORT mode the instrument display depicts a classical combination of four circular instruments. A magnifying glass function highlights the car’s current speed and revs. In ECO PRO mode the rev counter morphs into an EfficientDynamics display, which indicates how efficiently you are driving. In SPORT mode the speedometer shows the car’s speed digitally in the form of a large central figure, while the gear currently engaged is displayed in the centre of the rev counter.

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo offers an unmatched blend of luxurious long- distance comfort and versatility, fusing the imposing elegance of a Sedan with the variable-usage interior of a Touring model and the versatility of a Sports Activity Vehicle. Its seating position – slightly raised to a height somewhere between that offered by a sedan and an SAV – allows particularly comfortable entry and exit. Rear passengers can enjoy legroom and headroom normally the preserve of luxury cars. The rear seats slide forward by 73 millimetres and the angle of their backrests can be adjusted through 33 degrees. When released from its locked position, the partition behind the rear seats follows the longitudinal movements of the seats, allowing boot capacity to grow from 500 to 650 litres. The partition and rear seat backrests can be split 40 : 20 : 40. Folding down all the elements and moving the rear seats all the way forward allows the Gran Turismo to reveal its maximum 1,750 litres of load capacity. To load items into the boot, one can either open the full, high-opening tailgate or a separate boot lid below the rear window. Similarly to a sedan, this smaller opening allows access to the load area without disturbing rear seat passengers.

Automatic tailgate operation comes as standard on the BMW 5 Series Touring and BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and is also available as an option for the BMW 5 Series Sedan. The function of the optional Comfort Access system that allows the tailgate to be opened hands-free has been extended – for all members of the new BMW 5 Series model family – to include a closing mechanism, which means that a movement of the foot under the rear apron can now be used to prompt the tailgate to close as well as open. After unloading items from the boot, customers can therefore also close the tailgate without having to put down the items they’re holding.

New to the BMW 5 Series: BMW Lines offer detailed personalisation.

BMW 5 Series customers can choose from a wide selection of exterior paint colours. New additions to the range – and available for all models – are Calisto Grey metallic, Jatoba metallic, Mineral White metallic and Glacier Silver metallic. New variants have also been added to the line-up of optional light- alloy wheels.

Exclusively composed BMW Lines are now available for the first time to all members of the new BMW 5 Series model family as an alternative to standard specification. Customers can choose between the BMW Luxury Line and BMW Modern Line design packages, which shine the spotlight on selected facets of the car’s character to great effect. Both Lines include LED fog lamps, 18-inch (BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo: 19-inch) light-alloy wheels, B-pillar trim and exterior mirror bases in high-gloss black, illuminated door pulls with chrome trim and likewise illuminated door sill strips with aluminium inserts bearing BMW lettering. Luxury / Modern badges can be found on the front side panels.

The BMW Luxury Line exudes a high level of elegance and exclusiveness thanks to a carefully assembled selection of further particularly high-class features for the exterior and interior. The chrome finish of the trim bars in the outer sections of the lower air intake, the fronts of the black kidney grille slats, the window recess finishers, the trim strip in the rear apron and the exhaust tailpipe embellishers all add gleaming touches. Leather upholstery with exclusive stitching, a black sports leather steering wheel and interior trim strips in exquisite Fineline anthracite wood create a particularly refined interior ambience.

The BMW Modern Line package displays a strikingly contemporary and dynamic edge. The air intake bars, kidney grille slats, rear trim strip and tailpipe embellishers come in matt chrome, and the instrument panel and sports leather steering wheel can be specified as an option in the light colour shade Oyster. Interior trim strips in dark Pearl and exclusive stitching for the optional leather upholstery ensure the interior creates an eye-catching impression.

All variants of the new BMW 5 Series can also be ordered with a model- specific M Sport package, further increasing the scope for individualisation.

The article BMW 5 Series GT Facelift – World Premiere appeared first on BMW BLOG

In 2012, BMW and Toyota corporations announced a new partnership to expand their existing cooperation on EV battery R&D. The joint efforts will also include a future cooperation on fuel cells, powertrain electrification, CFRP production, and BMW-Toyota Sports Car.

First rumors mentioned a possible successor to the popular Supra model. But MotorTrend joins the rumormill today with new information around a stand-alone coupe that will be positioned differently than the Z4 or even the i8 hybrids sportscar. A source close to Toyota told MotorTrend that by the time of the official announcement in January, the two companies had already conducted feasibility studies and development was well underway.

Apparently the green-light came directly from Toyota boss Akio Toyoda, the same exec responsible for green-lighting the Lexus LFA and Toyota GT86. Tada is said to have already visited BMW multiple times in the past year or so.

“I am hoping for a synergy effect with BMW that will result in a product that none of us could have imagined; something more than anyone expects. I would like that to be something like a sports car,” Tada said in the interview. “I would even go so far as to say that for the collaboration to work we have to bring a product which exceeds all these expectations.”

So where is the hybrid’s power going to come from? The rumormill mentions that naturally aspirated, supercharged, and turbocharged versions are reportedly being considered paired with electric motors. A source tells the same magazine Toyota has been working on an all-wheel-drive GT86 equipped with front in-wheel motors and that this setup could make it into the new BMW-Toyota sports car. Additionally, the source says that BMW and Toyota products will have significantly different sheetmetal, unlike the 86/FR-S/BRZ.

The BMW-Toyota concept car is expected to be shown later this year at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.

[Source: MotorTrend]