BMW M Models News

The new M5 is out testing every week at the Nurburgring and, despite heavy camouflage, Carparazzi has caught it clearly. These pictures show a car which still has some plastic cladding but has also picked up BMW's signature ‘psychedelic’ body wrapping to disguise its final lines. Even so, the shape of the front bumper and fascia, and the size of the giant new air intakes, is clear. They point more than ever to the use of a hot new engine, confirming talk from Germany that BMW is switching the M5 to the 4.4-litre twin- turbo engine already used in the M-power versions of the X6 and X5 SUVs. It makes more than 410kW, a little short of the V10 power in the latest Audi RS6 but with more torque than the outgoing V10 in the current M5. There is also a hint of a power bulge on the bonnet of the new M5, which would be needed as the layout for BMW's engine has the twin turbochargers tucked into the vee at the top of the engine. It is fine for clearance in the X6 and X5 but would call for more space in a low-line 5 Series sedan. Apart from the engine, the pictures point to the M division's signature four exhaust pipes at the back, as well as large cross-drilled brakes at each corner of the car.

It won’t come until four months later in October, but it will bring a bonus diesel for the first time.   The BMW mid-sized wagon will be offered in a 520d turbodiesel alongside the 535i twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol model.The German car maker has detailed a number of features in the new car to reduce fuel use and emissions but the stop-start function - which the company has featured on its Mini Cooper D turbodiesel - is absent from the debutante diesel 520d Touring features list.  BMW spokesman Tim James says the stop-start system is currently available only with a manual transmission."We won't be bringing in the manual transmission on the 520d, we will test the market with the auto but if there's any demand we'll consider it,” James says.  "The system doesn't work with current automatics, the updated M3 DCT double-clutch gearbox will get the system, in due course it will make its way into automatics but the technology isn't there for it yet," he says.PricingThe price premium is likely to remain similar to the step between the current-model 530i sedan and wagon - a $6000 price premium is currently paid for the 530i Touring at $123,179.  James says they don't have any firm pricing on the new model but expect the diesel to make up the majority of sales."The 520d in the E60 sedan has been a success for us, so we're tipping on that being the volume model with the new wagon, the 535i because of its attributes of power and efficiency, which follows the path of the 530i but the next step up.   We can expand the line-up if demand requires it, depending on what moves through the new sedan range as well, other opportunities may open up," he says.The Touring is available in Europe as a 150kW/270Nm 523i petrol and the 180kW/540Nm 530d twin-turbo diesel model, the latter using a powerplant seen in several passenger and SUV models here.  The 520d decision was based on the volume based on the E60 as well as creating a lower entry point in terms of price for the prospective Touring customer," he says.Body and stylingThe new 5 Series wagon shares its wheelbase with the sedan - at 2968mm BMW says it's the longest in class - and the design staff have followed styling cues from the sedan to provide buyers with a rear end that is less like wagons of old.  "The design is quite sleek and sporty, it's lost some of the bulkier looks of the typical wagon, but in line with the new sedan - it shares the same dimensions with the 5 Series sedan and a slighter shorter version of the 7 Series backbone," Mr James says.Drivetrains The 520d Touring is powered by a two-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger and common-rail direct-injection similar to the current 320d sedan.  Peak power is 135kW at 4000 pm and torque of 380Nm is available from 1750 to 2750rpm.BMW says the average fuel consumption is 5.3 litres per 100km, emits 139g/km, hit 100km/h in 8.3 seconds on the way to a 220km/h top speed.  The 535i Touring has the now-familiar three-litre twin-turbo straight six petrol engine with 225kW and 400Nm between 1200 and 5000rpm, claiming 8.5 litres per 100km, 197g/km, 0 to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h.EquipmentThe equipment list is expected to be extensive, including Parking Assistant, Surround View, a collision warning system in conjunction with Active Cruise Control, Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, High-beam Assistant, Night Vision and a Head-up Display.The safety features will include dual front, side and curtain airbags, tyre pressure and defect monitoring, bi-xenon adaptive headlights and cornering lights.  BMW Australia says the ConnectDrive infotainment system will be in the 5 Series Touring but minus the internet access."That we won't have, we don't take it because when it was trialled on the E65 7 Series for a short time because the uptake was very low and the expense was quite high - the infrastructure isn't here to support it yet,” James says.As for the performance buyer, an M5 is not on the horizon yet.  "It's not in our planning in this stage, that's not to say it's been discounted - we haven't had an M5 Touring confirmed yet, there's plenty of speculation around the sedan but not the wagon," James says.

The next generation of BMW's mid-sized executive runner has been unveiled ahead of Australian sales in the middle of 2010.  The body design of the 5 Series follows the smoother elegance of the latest 7 Series, which led BMW back out of the land of brutality, and there are promises of more luxury, technology and efficiency."It's a complete re-positioning of the product. We're talking about a completely different car, top to bottom," says the managing director of BMW Australia, Stavros Yallouridis.  "We'll be launching it midyear. We tend to position it as elegant and sporty. It's always been a businessman's type of car and we're trying to make it more sport and elegant as well."The new Five is the sixth generation and will be built alongside the 7 Series flagship at BMW's factory at Dingolfing in Germany.  The car is claimed with the longest wheelbase in its class, while the cabin - like the new Seven - has a tighter focus on the driver.There will be a full range of petrol and diesel engines up to the twin- turbo V8, but the big news is the technology in the car. This runs from a new generation of parking radar to a roof-mounted camera that gives a 360-degree view and pedestrian protection.  The Five will be loaded with gear when it gets to Australia, although Yallouridis is not giving away much of the detail."It's a little bit early. We are trying to do something a little bit different, but at the moment we can announce that the 535i will be the launch model," he says.  That points to a starting price beyond $100,000, although the current price leader in the 5 Series range is the 520d at $76,400.  We're working on the price at the moment and it's really first steps. I cannot comment on the price, but I'm concentrating on pricing it at the same level as the previous car. That depends on timing, what competitors will do, and the value.  "With fluctuation of currency it's a little bit difficult. Catch me in 2010. But we have to stay within our competitive range."   Yallouridis says BMW Australia is already working on a smooth transition to the new model."The 5 Series for BMW around the world is a very core model. It's where BMW positioned itself initially with the Five and the 3 Series.  "I think that 5 Series around the world has been quite good. It's strategically important for the company and we need to protect that position,  The sales in Australia are quite satisfactory. We want to make sure we don't have a high stock level with the existing 5 Series as we move to the new one."And what about the master blaster in the Five lineup, the M5?  "I have no idea," Yallouridis says.  "BMW is definitely thinking about a new M5, but I cannot comment on if it's six months or a year or more away.  But they won't cancel the existing M5, so there will be some overlap between the two cars with the new 5 Series."

Two years ahead of its showroom appearance, the all-new 3 is caught for the first time outside BMW's development base at Munich in Germany.  The hand-built prototype carries heavy camouflage in the company's signature swirls, but it is still easy to pick the general shape and proportions of BMW's future best seller.The next 3 Series, coded E93, will be slightly bigger and much more elegant than the current E90. It picks up the styling direction of the latest 7 Series flagship, which has been smoothed and preened from the brutalism of the previous Seven.The upcoming E93 has typical 3 Series proportions, from its wheels-at-each-corner chassis layout to a short rear overhang and the C-pillar treatment with what BMW calls its 'Hofmeister kick'. Carparazzi pictures of the car show a widened grille and the same sort of headlamp treatment already seen on the Seven and expected on the upcoming 5 Series replacement, which will be on Australian roads in June 2010. At the back, the boot and light treatment is typically BMW with an L-shape to the lighting package.BMW insiders say the the plan for the next 3 Series will again see the coupe and cabrio models take a slightly different design direction from the sedan and wagon. The shift will include unique lamp packages with more body jewellery for the upmarket models.Like the 1 Series, the E93 has a flexible, modular mechanical platform which allows BMW to spin extra models with minimal time and cost penalties.The model lineup for the new 3 Series is still not clear, but is expected to include an active hybrid with a three-cylinder engine connected to an electric powerpack, with everything from special tyres to aero-tweaked wheels, brake-energy regeneration, engine stop-start system and a pre-heater for the engine, gearbox and differential to cut emissions through the critical first few minutes of any trip.

The new M5 is out testing every week at the Nurburgring and, despite heavy camouflage, Carparazzi has caught it clearly. These pictures show a car which still has some plastic cladding but has also picked up BMW's signature ‘psychedelic’ body wrapping to disguise its final lines.Even so, the shape of the front bumper and fascia, and the size of the giant new air intakes, is clear. They point more than ever to the use of a hot new engine, confirming talk from Germany that BMW is switching the M5 to the 4.4-litre twin- turbo engine already used in the M-power versions of the X6 and X5 SUVs.It makes more than 410kW, a little short of the V10 power in the latest Audi RS6 but with more torque than the outgoing V10 in the current M5. There is also a hint of a power bulge on the bonnet of the new M5, which would be needed as the layout for BMW's engine has the twin turbochargers tucked into the vee at the top of the engine. It is fine for clearance in the X6 and X5 but would call for more space in a low-line 5 Series sedan.Apart from the engine, the Carparazzi pictures point to the M division's signature four exhaust pipes at the back of the new M5, as well as large cross-drilled brakes at each corner of the car.

Well that's one of the rumours coming out of Europe as BMW's M division moves into top gear for the next-generation M5. Unlike typical regenerative braking systems, KERS uses the stored energy for extra power and the touch of a button. The next-generation 5 Series upon which the M5 is based is expected to be shown at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show with the M5 expected to follow late next year or early 2011. BMW Australia's Toni Andreevski says he's not aware of the next-generation's M5's specification, or powerplants. Some reports have suggested BMW will downsize from the massive V10 to a twin-turbo V8 while other sources are suggesting the V10 will grow in capacity to 5.5-litres developing around 410kW and introduce direct injection and turbocharging. "Whether or not the new M5 would have a smaller overall capacity or less cylinders, I guess the first priority is to make sure the performance meets what an M5 buyer expects," Andreevski says.

Rather than spelling the end of performance V8s in M-cars, BMW's new-found fascination with turbocharging will open even greater possibilities, according to the company's new Australian boss.Stavros Yallouridis, who took the reigns of the Australian operation last month, is adamant the throaty burble of a performance-tuned V8 will remain a BMW fixture."We see with the new generation of the V8 engines in the M3s what a great success those engines are," Yallouridis says. "While we may see an M car with a six cylinder engine again in the future, I think at the moment we will continue to concentrate on performance V8s."Yallouridis says the search for a balance between power and fuel efficiency is one of the reasons turbocharging has become an attractive option.BMW has set non-M performance standards by bolting twin turbochargers to its brilliant 3.0-litre six and it will not be long before the M division gets in on the force-fed action."In the very near future we may even see V8s with twin turbos on them ... the X6M and the X5M are heading in that direction," Yallouridis says."It is a lot more horsepower ...""We are already experiencing better than 500hp from a V8 engine on the test bench and there is still a lot of testing going on."What you shouldn't expect from the maestros at the M garages is a return to the company's two engine extremes."I really don't think we will see another 4-cylinder M engine but I also don't think there will be another 10-cylinder engine either. What we really want, though is a good balance — we want good fuel efficiencies with a good power result but without going overboard."Yallouridis is also quietly confident that the Australian new car market will be able to weather the global financial storm in as good, if not better, condition than overseas markets."If the total car market stabilises at a 20 per cent drop for the year I think all of us in the Australian car market will be satisfied," Yallouridis says. "We have seen erratic market movement across the world and thats varies from 10 or 15 per cent in some markets up to 60 per cent in others."In Europe it appears markets are travelling at an average of 30 per cent down while in Australia it is around 21 per cent."The premium market in Australia is around about 17-18 per cent down and we (BMW) are performing at around about 11-12 per cent down."Yallouridis believes the premium segment of the market has been better insulated from the full effects of the downturn than other more mainstream segments."We are speculating that we should see a stabilisation early next year."New product is obviously an insulation in times like this. Product is a big part of any success story at the moment."While BMW has just launched the new 7 Series and the Z4 and will have the much-anticipated X1 baby SUV late in the year Yallouridis acknowledges that the effect of these models — along with the 5 Series Grand Tourismo and all new 5 Series late in 2010 — will not be felt until next year."We knew going back five years that 2009 was going to be a dip as far as new product was concerned and in a strange way that has actually helped us with regard to circumstances from the economic crisis," he says."The availability of fresh and new product as the economic gloom begins to lift next year will give us a strong competitive boost."

The direct Audi competitor to the V8-powered BMW M3 is still some time away. Audi Australia marketing general manager Immo Buschmann says he doesn’t know when the RS4 would be coming.“We’re very happy with the RS6 and we generally have only one halo RS model at a time,” he says.Meanwhile, fans of the RS4 — which is credited with forcing BMW to move from a traditional in-line six to a V8 for its new M3 ($152,300) will have to satisfy themselves with the much more expensive RS6 ($263,500) released last year or the new supercharged V6 S4 at $118,900.The S4 features much the same engine as the supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI in the A6, but with reduced power and better fuel economy.Power is down from 253kW in the previous model S4 to 245kW, but Buschmann pointed out that the new model had more torque and, more importantly, better fuel economy.“Generally Audi wants every new model to have about a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy, but this one is 24 per cent,” he says.Audi claims fuel economy is 9.4 litres per 100km.“A lot of customers would like a V8, but the supercharged V6 is the best for this time,” Buschmann says.“There might be some loss of sales by not having the V8 but the V6 will gain sales because of its fuel efficiency.”Buschmann says the benefits of supercharging over turbo charging are that it is smaller, runs cooler, has no lag, better economy and maximum torque.The S4 features a roots blower Eaton supercharger with two intercoolers, one in each cylinder bank.It has a seven-speed S-tronic transmission with Quattro all-wheel drive and an optional sport differential which splits the torque between the rear wheels for improved cornering, like the BMW X6 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

Newspaper reports have this week suggested that Top Gear Australia has racked up a significant figure in car repair bills as a result of "eager driving" and "wild and silly stunts".

While the big two are in serious peril and likely to go through mind warping change, Australia’s legendary marques appear to be entering a renaissance. Elfin's future looks bright under the directorship of Tom Walkinshaw, Bolwell started taking orders again last week and recently Brabham announced it is going to launch a new range of highly tuned and modified BMW's.Three models are in development, the BT92, based on an M3 and the BT60 and BT70 using the M5 and X6 as their base. Initially the re-emergence of Brabham as a tuner company might seem a bit odd but the tie in with BMW makes sense. BMW was one of the major engine partners in Brabham's illustrious history. The other significant suppliers being Coventry Climax,  Alfa and Repco.The cars are not your run of the mill bolt-on tuner packaging, they comprise extensive body and mechanical changes including new panels manufactured to race car specs in an autoclave. There has been no word of future plans past the initial three models. Nor has there been an announcement from BMW, which already has a plethora of tuning companies enhancing or degrading its cars. However while there are a few high profile names such as Schnitzer and the internal M-sport division doing their bit to Bimmer's, they have started loosing ground recently to the surging Mercedes tuner market. Mercedes, with its AMG division and partnerships with Brabus and McLaren is grabbing all the limelight.It is unfortunate that the road car side of the McLaren Mercedes partnership is waning as a new MacMerc supercar up against a Brabham-BMW supercar would be just so much fun. Given that Gordon Murray was the principal designer for Brabham in the 70's and 80’s and used the BMW engine for the F1 supercar while at McLaren, the tie ins are just so tantalising. Imagine if a BMW Brabham partnership could entice Murray to come on board and develop a true successor to the F1.Whether Brabham ties itself with BMW completely, or operates as an independent tuning/manufacturing company, the possibilities are exciting. No matter what the future plans are for Brabham, having such a fantastic Australian name back in the mix of performance cars is fantastic.Rod Halligan