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BMW 5-series scooped
By
Tim Pollard
04 January 2008 11:12
The next round of post-Bangle BMWs is well under way – and now we’ve caught the first new 5-series prototypes out on test. Under the swathes of black cladding, riveted dummy panels and false grilles disguising this test car lies the replacement Five that rolls into showrooms in 2009.
Our spyshots reveal a very short front overhang and long wheelbase to eke out extra inches for limbs and luggage – but there are few major changes distinguishable from the outline of this prototype. Munich sources confirm that the design of the new 5-series won’t be anywhere near as radical as today’s E60. That car was a harbinger of leftfield Bangle design, and one of the most successful of the original flame-surfacing cars, CAR reckons.
Cautious design, radical underneath
So the design of the new Five won’t shock as much as products unleashed on BMW buyers back in the early Noughties. Expect a dose of Concept CS style, especially in the front end treatment. The designers are making more use of LED lighting systems, which will increasingly change the face of BMWs. A new type of ‘eyebrow’ LED is likely to wrap around the top of the headlamp.
However, most of the innovation will be under the skin, BMW engineers working hard to improve the Five’s cutting-edge handling and performance on the one hand, and making sure it meets the necessary green credentials on the other.
