BMW launches M5 Touring
RHD super-quick estate plus 5-Series updates
   BMW M5 Touring    2007 BMW 5 Series |
BMW has announced details of the a mid-life refresh for the 5 Series Saloon and Touring range, plus the new BMW M5 Touring.
BMW reckoned the new 5 Series offers more performance, efficiency, practicality and owner appeal. Economy is up by as much as 25 per cent, along with added technology such as a lane departure warning system.
M5 Touring
Powered by BMW's award-winning 5-litre V10 driving through BMW’s seven-speed sequential manual gearbox, the new M5 Touring -- the first in right-hand drive format -- offers up to 1,650 litres of boot space for those needing to shift loads quickly.
The M5 Touring redlines at 8,250rpm and offers 507bhp and 383lb-ft of torque to hit 62mph in 4.8 seconds, only 0.1 seconds slower than the saloon. Without the 155mph electronic limiter the new M5 Touring would be capable of achieving 200mph, said BMW.
Oily bits
The gearbox features eleven different change patterns so you can spend ages setting up the car before you go anywhere. There are six settings to vary the speed and response of gear changes in manual mode and five automatic modes. A launch control function delivers the fastest possible acceleration from standstill.
Like the saloon, the new M5 Touring features a three-stage DSC+ traction control system that can be disabled. The default mode offers drivers high levels of performance and stability. M Dynamic Mode allows an enthusiastic driver the ability to push the M5 Touring up to and beyond the limits of traction, permitting some sideslip and counter-steering before the system cuts in and is selected in the M Drive Manager.
BMW M’s variable M differential also offers stability and traction when accelerating out of high-speed corners, with up to 100 per cent of drive being transferred to the rear wheel with most traction. Finally, the Electronic Damper Control (EDC) system offers three suspension settings according to prevailing driving conditions.
Inside and out
BMW's keen to stress the usability of all this electrickery. The M Drive Manager packages programmable settings, so that one button sets the car up as required. You select preferred settings for power, gearbox, EDC and DSC modes, head-up display and the degree of active seat bolster support via the iDrive menu. The M Drive button on the steering wheel then selects the desired combination and changes the car's setup. One moment the M5 Touring is a placid and practical family car, the next it’s more akin to a track day special, said BMW.
Visually, the new M5 Touring follows BMW M’s philosophy of high performance in the body of a standard car with discreet styling enhancements. The larger front air dam, side sills, side gills and a rear valance with BMW M’s quad tailpipes protruding all hint at the performance of a hot estate.
Internally the new M5 Touring features the same enhancements as the standard 5 Series as well as offering the saloon's active seat bolsters. And the 825W high end audio system uses 16 loudspeakers, it says here.
The new BMW M5 Touring starts production in March 2007 and will be priced at £67,075 on the road.
Product manager Lee Connolly said: “The M5 Touring will be the perfect car for delivering owners' luggage to their holiday homes in France or Spain. Usefully, their luggage will arrive before they do.”
Saloon and Touring
The updated 5 Series features engine innovations such as high precision direct injection and twin-turbocharging top boost performance and economy alongside technologies such as a lane departure warning system and a head-up display.
All nine power units in the 5 Series Saloon and Touring ranges are either entirely new to the car, or have been significantly revised over the previous model. As a result, power and torque are up by up to 20hp and 15lb-ft respectively.
High precision fuel injection is offered for the first time on all six-cylinder petrol-powered 5 Series models. Piezo crystal injectors deliver a precise amount of fuel mixture, exactly when required.
Economy is improved by a BMW first: brake energy regeneration (BER). BER forms a key component of BMW’s efficient dynamics programme. This focuses on three areas – weight, dynamics and consumption – with the intent of developing more power from less fuel in a lower-weight vehicle.
BER takes advantage of energy currently lost through the engine over-run during braking. It uses alternator control and a high-capacity absorbent glass mat battery. When the engine over-runs, the alternator engages and powers up the battery to 100 per cent with what would have been lost energy. It also reduces drag on the engine by only engaging and charging when required. BER will combine with other technologies and other products during 2007 to provide even greater efficiency benefits, said BMW. In isolation, it provides an average three per cent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions.
Options
All 5 Series Saloon and Touring models come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox (automatic standard on 535d variants), with most expected to plump for the auto. Using upgraded hydraulics, an innovative torque converter and software, the new auto box responds to the slightest movement of the throttle pedal with reaction times increased by 40 per cent, and shift times halved, said BMW.
The 550i, 540i, 530i, 535d and 530d models also get BMW’s all-new automatic sports transmission as an option. One press of the Sport button behind the gear lever allows shifts to be made using steering wheel mounted paddles to deliver even faster, more dynamic, changes.
The lane departure warning system consists of a camera mounted next to the interior mirror that monitors the white lines on the road ahead. If the car crosses the line without obvious intent or without the indicator being used, the driver is notified by a vibration through the steering wheel (standard on 550i and 535d models - £350 on other models).
The active cruise control offers a £1,050 Stop and Go option. Previously, active cruise control would maintain a constant speed while monitoring the traffic ahead, and reacted to a slowing vehicle in front by slowing the BMW. With Stop and Go, the new system keeps the car a fixed distance ahead, even in slow moving stop and go traffic situations, bringing the car to a complete stop. If the period of standstill is less than three seconds, the car will resume its programmed speed
Design and styling
External changes are evolutionary. At the front, the headlamps and indicator units use clear glass technology while the kidney grille now sits flush with the bumper. The air duct in the front valance has also been redesigned, while at the side the sill has an additional contour line. At the rear, the indicators, running and brake lights now use horizontal LED light bars to emphasise the width of the rear.
Inside, the changes refine ergonomic details. The door panels have been redesigned, with the window switches now integrated into the horizontal armrests. In common with other recent BMWs, drivers now have the benefit of eight freely programmable 'favourites' buttons on the dashboard enabling them to more easily access their most frequently used features such as one-touch navigation destination input, or telephone calls.
The new BMW 5 Series range starts production in March 2007, with prices ranging from £26,980 OTR (520d SE Saloon) to £49,805 OTR (550i M Sport Touring).
Interesting. I remember the old 325iX and the 525iX, think they were both LHD only though? Will they be bringing RHD to the UK, or will it be like manual gearbox M5s in LHD only?
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