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Today, NHSTA announced that BMW is recalling 200,000 vehicles in the BMW said that its dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall is expected to begin during late September 2008. The German carmaker also announced that it will extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit.
The so-called BMW V-Series or as the Bavarian carmaker likes to call it the PAS, which is short for Progressive Activity Sedan, has been caught by the fanboys over at Autogespot taking a nap somewhere in Germany. The PAS is based on the architecture of the next-generation 5-Series but it will feature a higher roofline, a coupe-like fastback rear-end and slightly raised road clearance. To top it all, BMW insiders have told CarScoop that it will also be more practical. -ContinuedConfused? Join the club. It’s not a sedan, it’s not a station-wagon, it’s not a SUV nor a MPV, so what the heck is it? Guess we’ll have to wait until the third quarter of 2009 when BMW officially takes the covers off the PAS to find out.
Via: Autogespot
With all that talk about the Hyundai Genesis being an economical alternative to the BMW 5-Series, a street race between the two mid-size sedans was bound to happen somewhere. The poster of the video that was shot in Korea, supports that a Korean-spec Genesis BH330 equipped with a262Hp 3.3 V6 engine managed to win a BMW 530i (3.0 straight-six with 272Hp) in a head-to-head street race. At least that’s what the poster says as the video shows the bimmer leaving the Genesis behind in the beginning and well, that’s about all we see. -ContinuedBut even if the video actually showed a winner, having taken part in several professional performance tests ourselves, we can say that one shouldn’t take these amateur drag/street races too seriously as we’ve seen time differences of more than 2 seconds in a 0 to 60mph sprint by the same car and the same driver.
Via: eGMcartech
Just because we wouldn’t replace the standard tail-lamps of a E34 BMW 5-Series with a set of taillights with LED technology, it doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong if you would do it. The LED tail-lamps from “in.pro” are available it two different designs with red/black or red/clear crystals. According to “in.pro”, thanks to the LED technology used, the brake lights are activated quicker thus allowing the person behind you to react faster in case of an emergency. –More pics after the jump
BMW is introducing three special edition versions of its 5-Series model at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Available from March 2008, the Exclusive, Lifestyle and Sport Editions will be offered in both PRESS RELEASE:
Refined luxury: BMW 5 Series Edition Exclusive.
The BMW 5 Series Edition Exclusive focuses on most sophisticated style and elegance with supreme quality all round. Indeed, this claim is borne out clearly at very first sight by the exclusive paintwork in Platinum Bronze Metallic and with a further choice of five additional metallic colours.
Both the Saloon and the Touring gain additional style through Chrome Line on the side window surrounds, the window shaft covers and the screenwasher nozzles, as well as high-gloss Satin Chrome on the B-pillars and the window trim on the rear doors.
A further sign of distinction is the 17-inch light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design, while electrically adjustable comfort seats, high-quality cowhide in Black or Tobacco with appropriate contrast seams and wood inlays in bamboo grain Anthracite likewise serve to provide a luxurious ambience.
Modern class: BMW 5 Series Edition Lifestyle.
The BMW 5 Series Edition Lifestyle offers a most sophisticated combination of elegance and extravagance. This special model comes with a choice of six metallic paintwork colours, among them exclusive Neptune Blue. Apart from Satin Chrome on the B-pillars, the window shaft covers and the side window surrounds, 17-inch light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design round off the sophisticated look of the car. Discreet, grey wooden inlays in poplar grain and the roof lining in anthracite create a particularly aesthetic ambience within the interior, the upholstery coming either in Reflex, a special combination of cloth and leather or, as an option, in Dakota leather.
Pure driving pleasure: BMW 5 Series Edition Sport.
The BMW 5 Series Edition Sport is unusually dynamic and muscular in its looks and style. In this case the athletic lines of the body are accentuated by powerful colours, for the first time offering the customer the choice of Imola Red and Le Mans Blue inspired by motorsport over and above the other colour options.
Further features are the M Sports Suspension, 18-inch M light-alloy wheels in dual-spoke design, an M Streamlining Package, and high-gloss Shadow Line on the side window surrounds and window shaft covers on the Edition Sport 5 Series.
The interior comes with appropriately matched colours and interior trim in aluminium. The sports seats, in turn, are finished as standard in Flashlight, a unique combination of cloth and leather or, as an option, in Dakota leather. Comfort seats are also available as an option, and the roof lining in Anthracite, an M footrest, an M leather steering wheel and – on manual gearbox models – an M gearshift lever knob round off the sporting impression.
Clever choice: BMW 5 Series Comfort Package.
Parallel to the introduction of the new Edition Models, the BMW 5 Series is also available with the new Comfort Package. This very practical equipment package comprises the most popular options such as bi-xenon headlights with a headlight washing system, Comfort Access, automatic Soft Close on the doors, as well as through-loading for the BMW 5 Series Saloon and, respectively, automatic operation of the rear lid on the Touring.
January 29 marks an important milestone in the 5-Series history as the 5 millionth model rolled off the production line at the Bavarian carmaker’s Dingolfing factory. The 5 millionth model is a 530d
The Latvian driver of this BMW 5-Series is one lucky son of a gun. The hole you see in the windshield was created by a flying piece of metal that hit the Bimmer when it was travelling on the road. The metal smashed the windshield, bypassing the driver’s head by maybe less than an inch as you can see from the scratches on his headrest in the pictures after the jump and then it came out from the rear window. Absolutely mind blowing, isn’t it… -More images after the jump
Pics via: Englishrussia
WTF; a 5-Series with a 4cylinder, 2.0-liter gasoline engine? What’s next, a 516i… Ok, we know that European car manufactures are attempting a downsize in engine capacities, but most modern 4cylinder bimmers were a turn off -M3 & 318is excluded. Damn, with the exception of the diesel variants (520d), the last time BMW came out with a 4pot 5-Series was 11 years ago with the E34 518i in ’96! However, take a look at the specs and the 520i doesn’t sound that bad. See, the 520i is equipped with the 120i/320i’s 2.0L unit which delivers a satisfactory 170 Hp and 210 Nm or 155lbs/ft of maximum toque. -Continued: Click "Read More..." belowBMW says that the 520i, which will be available in both sedan and Touring variants, sprints form zero to 100 km/h (62mph) with a manual 6-speed gearbox in 8.7 seconds (Touring: 9.0 sec) while it can travel to speeds up to 224 km/h – 139mph (Touring: 220 km/h -137mph). Meanwhile, consumption figures are quite low with BMW announcing an avg. fuel cons. of 6.7 litres per 100 km (35.1 mpg) for the sedan and 6.9 litres per 100 km (34.1 mpg) for the Touring.
Sales of the 520i which will be available solely in the European market -forget about N.America, will kick off in the beginning of October.
BMW’s 5-Series may buy you the “ultimate driving experience” but it won’t win you high performance quality in the new side-impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted side impact crash tests on luxury sedans. The highest safety rating went to the Acura RL, Kia Amanti and Volvo S80 with second prize going to the Cadillac STS and Mercedes E-Class. The worst performer according to IIHS’s test was the 2008 BMW 5 series. But, a KIA safer than a BMW?- Did we miss something? According to the IIHS, the air bags in the BMW 5 Series protected the head, but separate air bags designed to protect the chest and abdomen performed poorly. BMW has some explaining to do. In fact, they did just that. Except a spokesperson claimed that "the issue is that depending on the location of seat, the location of dummy, the location of the sled, the results could change, this was one test on one day on one car." The institute's test indicated the 5 Series has a strong body structure but the dummy was injured when it was “hit by the arm rest”. Well, in that case: Attention all BMW drivers, in case of an accident, beware of flying cup holders! -IIHS press release after the jump
Posted by Dani
PRESS RELEASE: New side tests of large luxury cars: luxury doesn't always buy safety
ARLINGTON, VA — Three of six large car models earn the top rating of good, but one is marginal in side impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Results show a range of performance in how well large cars are designed to protect people in serious side crashes.
Ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor are based on a crash test in which a barrier designed to replicate the front end of a typical SUV or pickup truck strikes the tested vehicle in the side at 31 mph.
The best performers are the Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and Volvo S80, all 2007 models. The S80 also earns the Institute's 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior overall crash protection. The S80 qualifies because it's rated good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and has electronic stability control as standard equipment. The 2007 Cadillac STS and Mercedes E class earn acceptable ratings in the latest round of side tests. The worst performer is the 2008 BMW 5 series, which earns the second lowest rating of marginal for side impact protection. All 6 cars are equipped with standard side airbags that protect the heads of people in front and rear seats.
Side impacts are the second most common fatal crash type after frontal crashes. About 9,200 people in passenger vehicles were killed in side impacts in 2005. In crashes with other passenger vehicles during 2004-05, 49 percent of driver deaths in 1-3-year-old cars and minivans occurred in side impacts, up from 31 percent in 1980-81. During the same time, the proportion of driver deaths in frontal crashes declined from 61 to 46 percent.
"These changes are attributable to two effects," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "There have been significant improvements in frontal crash protection — standard airbags, improved structural designs, and increased use of safety belts, for example. At the same time, growing sales of SUVs and pickups have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, thereby increasing the risks to occupants of many vehicles struck in the side."
High price doesn't always predict safety performance: The lowest priced vehicle in the group the Institute recently tested, the Amanti, was one of the best performers. One of the most expensive models, the 5 series, was the worst.
"The Amanti shows that you don't have to buy an expensive car to get good protection in crashes with SUVs and pickup trucks," Lund points out. The side structure of the Amanti allowed more intrusion than in the other cars in this group, but all of the injury measures recorded on the dummies were low. The standard head curtain airbags for front- and back-seat occupants kept the dummies' heads from hitting any hard structures including the intruding crash test barrier.
The head-protecting airbags in the BMW 5 series are tubular structures that differ from the curtain airbags in the Amanti but also are effective. However, torso protection is rated poor for the driver dummy in the 5 series, even though it has separate airbags designed to protect the chests and abdomens of front-seat occupants. Measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely to occur in a real-world crash of this severity. A pelvic fracture also would be possible.
Changes are made to improve occupant protection in side impacts: The Mercedes E class was re-engineered for 2007 with an emphasis on improving occupant protection in side crashes. When the Institute tested an early production model in 2007, the car earned an acceptable rating mainly because of high forces recorded on the driver dummy's torso. Mercedes changed the front door trim panels on cars built after May 2007 to try to fix the problem and asked the Institute to test the revised car. The result was a slight improvement but not enough to change this car's rating. The test of the revised design still showed high forces on the driver dummy that could result in rib and pelvic fractures in a real-world crash of similar severity.
"The E class earns the Institute's top rating of good for front and rear crash protection. If this manufacturer can improve side impact protection, this car will earn TOP SAFETY PICK," Lund says.
General Motors made changes to the Cadillac STS including reinforcing the B-pillars, changing front door trim panels, and modifying the side torso airbags. The car with these changes earns the second highest rating of acceptable.
The side impact test is only one aspect used to evaluate vehicle crashworthiness. The Institute also conducts 40 mph frontal offset crash tests and evaluates vehicles' seat/head restraint designs for protection in rear crashes. Nearly every passenger vehicle, including all of the cars in this group, now earns the highest rating of good for frontal crash protection. However, side and rear evaluations vary widely. Consumers shopping for safety need to be aware of these differences and choose vehicles that offer the best overall protection in crashes. For comparative evaluations of hundreds of passenger vehicles, go to www.iihs.org/ratings.
How side tests are conducted: A vehicle's side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Overall ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the test. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various body regions. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.
Judging from BMW’s latest CS 4door-coupe concept and what insiders had to say about it, I firmly believe that the Bavarian company will fine-tweak its design language but in no way will they attempt to diminish the controversial factor out of the styling equation. Saying that, in my opinion, Autmotorsport’s artistic impression previews an elegant and sporty looking next-gen 5-Series, but way too toned down for BMW’s current design standards. Via: Motorionline , Source: Automotorsport
Technorati: BMW+5-Series, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007, pictures, images
Technorati: Hartge, BMW+5-Series, Tuning, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007, pictures, images
Hi-o-Silver! Hold the horses’ boyz! Isn’t it kinda of early for 5-Series renderings especially since BMW only just subtlety facelifted its executive sedan about a week ago? Maybe, but between you and me, renderings make the (auto)world go around! And a few words about Auto Motor & Sport’s (Swedish version) 2010 BMW 5-Series renderings. Call me weird, but I don’t see much of a 5-Series here. What I see or rather, what I’d like to be looking at here is a facelift version of the current 3-Series sedan. Don’t you agree? Via: Automotorsport
Technorati: BMW+5-Series, BMW+3-Series, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007, pictures, images
It’s about time we took a break from all that 
Starting off with its exterior appearance the slightly revamped 5 Series obtains a different air intake on the front bumper, crystal - clear headlamps and a redesigned grille. In the interior the most significant changes include the revised trim, upgraded material quality, revamped i-Drive system and a new auto gearbox knob (like the one on the 2007 X5). Word has it that the facelifted 5 Series which will go on sale in
Technorati: BMW+5+Series, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007, pictures, images
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