Big News: Official M5 E60 pics! Anymore coming with us to Geneva? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Gustav · 27th February 2004, 19:13

From Auto Motor und Sport:

BMW krönt in Genf die Modellpalette der 5er-Reihe mit dem neuen M5. Der noch als Concept Car gezeigte Sportler wird von einem rund 500 PS starken V10-Triebwerk angetrieben.
Das neue Aggregat mit fünf Liter Hubraum, das den Brückenschlag vom Formel 1-Boliden zum Straßenauto schlagen soll, ersetzt damit das bekannte 4,9-Liter-V8-Aggragat mit 400 PS. Geblieben ist aber des M-typische Hochdrehzahlkonzept - so soll der V10 bis zu 9.000 /min standfest sein. Die Valvetronic-Ventilsteuerung der Vierventilzylinderköpfe sorgt dabei für ausreichend Gaswechsel. Gekoppelt wird das Aggregat mit einem manuellen Sechsgang-Getriebe, auf Wunsch kann auch ein SMG-Getriebe mit sechs Fahrstufen geordert werden.

Für reichlich Kühl- und Frischluftzufuhr sorgen riesige Lufteinlässe in der Frontschürze. Mächtige Leichtmetallfelgen vermitteln eine bullige Optik. Und am Heck trägt der potente 5er mit vier Auspuffendrohren seine Motorleistung unter einer mächtigen Heckschürze zur Schau.

Weitere Karriere soll das V10-Triebwerk im 6er als M6 und im kommenden M3, verkürzt auf acht Zylinder, machen. Der Marktstart für den M5 ist im Herbst 2004 geplant.

Its got the wheels

Its got the sidewents

But No M5 mirrors

But it will be in Geneva. Hotels can be hard to find now though.

Thanks BMW!

And member sunshine-t said: you won't be dissappointed. BMW AG said that also. I guess they were right!

Philip · 27th February 2004, 19:35

My first impression is that the front end looks like my previous Halloween pumpkin carved face. Maybe I could be a BMW car designer? And the pumpkins are my canvas?

tranck · 27th February 2004, 19:38

I swear to God, I like the current version better - those headlights are so common on so many cars now that it just does not have the classic BMW look and if they keep those wheels, forget it.

Our version will be a classic.

No way I'm buying that car if it looks like that.

Just my .02

CSBM5 · 27th February 2004, 19:45

This is exactly the reason I just bought a very low mileage 2001 M5 to replace my 540i. I plan on keeping the car a long time, so I jumped on the E39 M5 now while I could get a low mileage car in great shape. There's little chance that I'll ever buy an E60

(BMW driver for 29 years now)

mzn50 · 27th February 2004, 19:48

I agree I prefer my E39.. but then again.. Im weak as soon as I take one out for a spin.. probably melt...

Forget changing the lights !!;
PLEASE BUILD A DECENT CUP HOLDER on this baby ! :p

Matt

Jss · 27th February 2004, 19:52

I think it looks great, but as Gustav rightly says, the M mirrors are missing.

But everything else is great.

Hamann7 · 27th February 2004, 19:55

Are we supposed to be impressed?

BMW styling sucks.

E46 M3 + 545i = M5

At least make it look more menacing and masculine like the E39 is.

Now I'm really waiting for Porsche to make their 4-door sedan. Even if I elect to buy an E60 M5 just for the hell of it, it will be a commuter car like a Honda Accord. The excitement is gone now. Anti-climactic. 500ps blah blah blah, even Mercedes already has that, and I doubt the E60 will handle better than my DFC equipped M5. What we need is 700ps+ to compensate for the bland looks.

Gustav · 27th February 2004, 20:00

I think it looks great and some details we're stil waiting for such as M Mirrors and foglights etc.

Alot nicer than when the 996 replaced the 993 if you ask me Hamann7.

I think it is logical it is a mix between the design of the M3 and 5-series, that has been the case for previous generations as well. I also think BMW will be able to do a better active suspension than AC Schnitzer did.

27th February 2004, 20:11

IMO, both the e39 and e60 are great platforms, and both M5 versions will go down in history as great cars. Acceptance of styling is very individual and very much affected by society and the time-period in which one lives. Look back to the cars of the 50s, 60s and 70s, and see how different they look from today's designs. I am sure that in those days, some preferred the styling more than others, just like with today's car designs.

BMW makes great cars in and out, and anyone who wants to make changes to styling and performance will always have plenty of aftermarket options. I personally was not too excited with photos depicting the e60 design, but in person, the e60 really looks great.

Just my $0.02.

Cheers.

schnelleM5 · 27th February 2004, 20:19

I could be mistaken, but I am guessing that those ARE the final version side mirrors. Based upon the current "flame surfacing" design philosophy the oval M mirrors as found on our M5s would probably be deemed incongrous by BMW Design. Ditto for the rearview mirror. I wonder if BMW M have their own design team, whose decisions on M car matters override those of BMW Design. Doubtful