BMW Launches Updated 5-Series Range with New 2.0-liter Turbo Petrol and Diesel Engines

The latest additions to the BMW 5-Series sedan and Touring (station-wagon) were launched in Europe today following an announcement earlier this summer. The Bavarian firm's long-running executive model series gains three-new engines as well as some other updates throughout the range.

New for the 2012 model year is a pair of 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four petrol engines delivering 184HP in the 520i and 245HP in the 528i, plus a four-cylinder diesel unit with the same displacement delivering 184HP on the 520d EfficientDynamics model.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Diesel,New Cars

BMW UK Sells Two Millionth Vehicle in Britain 31 Years after it Officially Entered the Market

Some 31 years after it officially opened shop in the British market, BMW UK Ltd has sold its two millionth vehicle, a 530d Gran Turismo. Coincidentally, the company's first car sold in the UK on January 1, 1980, was also a 5-Series, albeit an E12 M535i saloon. Read more »

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Classics,Reports,UK

BMW Introduces the New ActiveHybrid 5 with a Turbocharged Six, will it have the Same Fate as the X6 Hybrid?

For the most part, BMW has made some smart decisions over the years, but occasionally, even the all-knowing Bavarians make mistakes. The ActiveHybrid X6, which will reportedly soon be retired from BMW's American line-up due to poor sales, is one such example: a 480HP turbocharged V8 hybrid with mildly better fuel efficiency (19mpg highway) but with a similar price tag to the almighty X6 M.

Their counterparts at Audi seem to be doing a better job, as proved with the new A8 Hybrid that combines a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with an electric motor for a fuel economy of 6.4 liters per 100 km (36.8mpg US).

This brings us to the new ActiveHybrid 5 sedan that was introduced today, ahead of its sales launch in March 2012.

BMW decided to base the first hybrid version of the latest 5-Series on the 535i – not the wisest choice if you're targeting fuel efficiency and low emissions.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Hybrids,New Cars

BMW Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the 5-Series with Special Edition 528i in Japan

In a few months' time, the BMW 5-Series will enjoy its 30th birthday but the Bavarian automaker has already begun churning out special edition models to mark the event, starting with the "528i 30th Anniversary Edition" that went on sale in Japan today.

Only 200 examples of the special edition 528i sedan, which is powered by BMW's 3.0-liter straight-six petrol, will be built for the local market.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Japan,New Cars

BMW Joins Skynet’s Army with Ultimate…Self-Driving Machine

Dr. Nico Kampchen is driving on the A9 motorway from Munich to Nuremberg, or rather, he is trying to since, as usual, there is a lot of traffic. However, unlike other drivers around him, he isn’t stressed one bit.

While it could be because he seated inside the soothing cabin of BMW’s new 5-Series, it’s not. Dr Kampchen is conspicuously calm because his car is actually driving itself, accelerating, braking and even overtaking while the driver simply monitors the situation.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW Videos,gadgets,Offbeat News,Reports

Bavaria's Polizei Takes in New BMW 5-Series Touring Patrol Cars

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann accepted a larger than life key to a new fleet of BMW 5-Series Touring police cruisers from the Head of BMW Group sales to public authorities, Alexander Thorwirth.

The ministry took in a total of nine specially modified examples of the latest 5-Series estate that will be used in Munich and other areas of the state.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Offbeat News,Police Cars

Canadian Police Baffled by BMW 5 Series Driven off a Boat Launch into the Sea

As one of the more popular executive sedans in the market, the BMW 5 Series tends to get some unwanted attention, but what took place at Fleming Beach in Victoria, Canada, during the early hours of Thursday is baffling, to say the least.

Victoria police were called to the Fleming Beach boat launch at around 5 a.m. Thursday morning by local fisherman that discovered a late, grey-green colored BMW 5-Series sitting around 30 metres (close to 100 feet) from shore.

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Posted in: Accidents,BMW,BMW 5-Series,Canada,Offbeat News

BMW 5-Series Gains New 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Turbo Engines, 5-Series GT gets the M Sport Treatment

There’s a lot going on in Munich today as BMW has unleashed details on its new model year portfolio. Following the news on the 6-Series, more of which you can read in our previous post here, we bring you the updates to the 5-Series range that includes the four-door sedan, the Touring (station wagon) and the Gran Turismo liftback.

We’ll begin with the changes to the engine lineup of the 5-Series saloon and Touring models. Starting from this fall, European buyers will be able to order the 5-Series with BMW’s brand-new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, which is offered in two forms producing 184HP and 270Nm (199 lb-ft) in the 520i and 245HP and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) in the 528i.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW 5-Series GT,Diesel,New Cars,Reports,Tuning

SCOOP: BMW Attempts to Spiff up 5-Series GT with M Sport Package

What do you do to improve the image of a vehicle that looks like the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo? Well, the painful answer to that question would be to head back to the drawing board. However, given that this is not an option for a model launched less than two years ago, BMW thought of spicing it up with the always welcome M Sports package.

Spied here in Germany, the prototype model of the 5-Series GT with the M Sports treatment gains new, lower front and rear bumpers, deeper side skirts and larger alloy wheels in a different design.

As is the case with all M Sports Packages, we can expect minor tweaks in the interior with a three-spoke steering wheel, sports seats, aluminum pedals and door sills, plus bespoke upholstery and headlining.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW 5-Series GT,BMW Scoops,Scoops

BMW 5-Series F10 gets the Black Bison Makeover from Wald International

We knew it wouldn’t be long before Wald International, one of Japan’s most well-known styling houses, released its program for the latest BMW 5-Series sedan, codenamed F10.

The Japanese tuner’s Black Edition Sports Line BMW 5-Series comes with an assortment of aero body pieces made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,Japan,Tuning,Wald

Hail Fail: BMW 5-Series Owner Tries to Save His Car by Dressing it Up…

Unless you are able drive into to an enclosed garage nearby, there’s not really much you can do to protect your car -or anything else in danger for that matter- if you are caught out in a severe hail storm. However, this doesn’t mean that some people won’t try to prevent the inevitable like this owner of a previous generation BMW 5-Series sedan.

Said to be a Croatian tourist on a visit to Slovenia, the owner of the Bimmer attempted to save the body of his beloved car by covering it up with whatever he could find. In this case, the only available items were some clothes he had in a plastic bag. Somehow, it doesn't seem like such a great idea... Watch the clip right after the break.

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Posted in: Accidents,BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW Videos,Offbeat News,Video

BMW Showcases Fleet of Emergency Vehicles at RETTmobil 2011

Following in the footsteps of Mercedes that dressed up the SLS AMG as an emergency medical vehicle, BMW unveiled its very own proposals at the RETTmobil, the leading European trade for emergency services and mobility, held in Fulda, Germany (May 11-13).

BMW has a more down-to-earth approach to the show as its emergency models are based on mainstream vehicles that are more suitable for this line of work than the fast, but unpractical, SLS AMG. We're talking about the BMW 3-Series/5-Series Touring models and the X3/X6 SUVs, although the latter is not new, having premiered at the same show in 2008.

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 3 Series,BMW 5-Series,BMW X5,BMW X6,New Cars

New Video Footage of 2012 BMW M5 Testing in the South of France

The hype surrounding the upcoming M5 continues with a new video released by BMW showing the Bavarian firm’s high-performance sedan being tested at the company's Miramas proving grounds in the south of France. Given that the M5 is scheduled to be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September, these are probably the final rounds of testing before production begins. Read more »

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW M5,BMW Scoops,BMW Videos,Scoops,Video

BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine” Slogan Returns in Ferrari-Emulating Commercial

Back in 1997, Ferrari and Shell released a stunning commercial shot in the Mojave Desert in southeastern California, featuring a Formula 1 car being refueled by a Shell airplane. Fast forward to 2011 and BMW USA has remade the famous ad, albeit in a slightly different manner. Read more »

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Posted in: BMW,BMW 5-Series,BMW Videos,commercials,Ferrari,Offbeat News,Video