CONFIRMED: New 2008 535i to have 300HP twin-turbo I-6!!!

The front end may be the aero kit for the Sports package, but is a vast improvement over stock.

The engine swap was a no brainer...not big news at all. Its still a really ugly car.
T

Can anyone says "Hideous" looking, come on , why can the 5-series look as sexy as the 650-series?

Lexus

Have to disagree.

Although it was anticipated, for BMW enthiusiasts and the general market this is a big deal. This engine will most likely put the 535i ahead of the rest in comparative performance and effect sales in a very positive way.

Will concede the headlights/taillights could have been updated better, but in general its a vast improvement, in my opinion.

howwwz about putting this engine in a 2004 530i body? now that, would be an instant classic.

A test drive might win over some naysayers

I dont understand, the picture given doesnt look that much different than a current 5 series with Aero kit?? I hope they change it more..

BMW doesn't post press releases on their website with concept models...that 5er is the real deal. Very little exterior modification was made.

why is everyone making such a big deal over this engine? whats so special about the twin turbo 306 hp engine? the 335i does 0-60 in what 5.1! the new g35 sedan does it in 5.6 when the next g35 coupe is introduced im sure it will do a 0-60 in a mere 5.1-5.3 seconds with a naturally aspirated v6 with 300+ hp! and not to mention when the next clk 550 is introduced. my 05clk 500 is fast enough now! all this twin turbo hype for a couple tenths of a second???

yes it is only a couple tenths of a second, but edmunds got the 335i to make the sprint in (i believe) 4.7 or 4.8sec. Other publications have consistently gotten under 5 seconds.

the reason the engine has been hyped so much is because:

a) the two small turbos have been fitted to the engine producing little to no turbo lag, giving the powerplant the power and feel of a larger NA engine and the weight advantage of a 3.0L I-6.

b) it is rumored that the engine has been greatly underestimated power-wise by BMW. It is rated by the manufacturer at 300hp, but most (if not all) of the production copies have been rumored to push out much more than 300 crank hp. Some models have been dynoed at 273rwhp...to produce 300 at the crank, the drivetrain loss would have to be less than 10%, which is VERY low. So it has been estimated that the 3.0L engine is pushing more like 320hp at the crank.

The aforementioned has created a big buzz around this engine.

Actually BMW got caught sending review sites/magazines cars with extra boost that is not in the production models actually sold.

WRONG. They absolutely did not. Just to verify the much higher than anticipated figures both Edmunds and Automobile Magazine independently dynoed CUSTOMER'S cars, i.e. cars that were already bought and were being driven as everyday cars. These cars were putting out similar power figures.

If you're going to post libelous material, at least be correct about it.

jahrha, I'm sure the CLK550 and E550 and all the Benz's with the 5.5L V8 will be plenty quick. But they also cost a lot more than the 335i Coupe (or convertible), 535i, etc. That's why this is a big deal. Any car BMW puts that 3.0TT engine into becomes a performance bargain (for a German car at least). A CLK350, for example, doesn't offer nearly the performance of a 335i but costs thousands more. To get similar performance you need a CLK550, but now you're spending a LOT more. Same with an E-class vs. a 5-series.

...and everybody needs to keep in mind that the h.p. ratings are only half the story. All of the other 300 hp motors that are available have less torque than the 335i. Furthermore, the availability of that torque is also much lower and stays on for a very broad curve. That's the main ingredient for this motor and what makes it better than the other competitor's motors.

jahrha, let us put it this way: you're wrong.

The 335i (and any other BMW offered with the 3.0TT engine) is a fabulous performance car, and not only in speed. It combines power with the perfect BMW dynamics and steering- power used to be BMW's only disadvantage to Mercedes.

And I'm asking you now, why NOT use turbos? I mean, do you think they should've developed a totally new engine (spending millions), when the 3.0 liter inline six is already so good, and they could get over 300hp out of it anyway? By the way, both the IS and G use larger engines- so yes, there is a replacement for displacement: turbos.

Let's not forget the new Lexus GS350 has a 303hp V6. I'm usually impartial to the Germans, but I test drove that thing and, contrary to widely accepted opinion (specially here on this site) it wasn't half bad. The same engine from the IS350 (detuned 3hp for whatever reason) which C&D did clock at 4.9sec.

Performance has never been the current 5's problem, it's already class leading in that aspect. Pure ugliness as we all know is the real issue…years from now we will look back on the current gen 5 as one of the ugliest BMW’s ever made, along with the Z3-coupe & X3!

Current 3, 6, 7, X5 & M coupe (not roadster) all look great with beautiful lines & curves.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Say what you will but the 5-series is the best selling car in the class and the X3 is the second best selling BMW model.

The engineering team of the E60 were no pleased with the performance numbers of the E60 especially when compared to the A6 line that offered similar cars.
In terms of the chasis, it is beleived even internally that the A6 is a better balanced car than the 5 series. I am yet to drive the A6, so I can neither confirm or disagree with the claims.
In terms of power, the A6 3.2 Quattro offers a better engine proposition than the N52 engine in the 530, especially when you factor the price into the equation.
To address this issue, the N54 was a natural fit to the E60, because in my limited opinion, the 525 and 530 were underpowered.
The F10 chasis is going to address the perceived weakness in the chasis.
The F10 engine line-ups will also position the 5 series against the A6/S6 as the current E90 is positioned against the A4/S4 line up. Making the top non-m cars cheaper but a competitive performance alternatives to the S line.
335i has a similar performance to the S4 but cost a lot less.
F10 550i will have a similar performance if not better than the S6 but cost about $10k less.
These configurations are driven by the North-American markets which is the strongest market for BMW, and where the consumers like us are power hungry and want them at an affordable price.

Although still not a beauty, the looks are gradually improving. And it's a total non-issue if you get the M-sport exterior, which looks good.

Performance as always is class defining, and the new sport auto transmission makes things even better.

Yes 'Wilco' I'm not at all a fan of the outgoing M Coupe with the Z3 body, but love the Z4 M coupe.

I'm the opposite though, I loved the 5’s design when it came out, but after seeing it over time from certain angles & under certain light, I've totally changed my mind realizing this car's design is lacking some serious class.

If it weren’t for the BMW badge on the 5, I’d guess it was Japanese, as the car doesn’t look even remotely German.

Very nice power upgrade. Superb engine.

But, to the writer:

"The decision between an 5er, E-Class, GS, or G just got a little easier!"

What?

#1. The G, as in the Infiniti G35, is a 3 Series competitor, much smaller and less-expensive than the 5 Series.

#2. I'd say the most comparable competitors to the 5 are the Audi A6 and the Infiniti M (the real 5 Series competitor, in size and price). The GS, E-Class and S-Type tend to lean more to the luxury end of the spectrum, and though the A6 is kind of in the middle, it poses a good 5 Series alternative.

"335i has a similar performance to the S4 but cost a lot less.
F10 550i will have a similar performance if not better than the S6 but cost about $10k less."

AdmiralT20-

Well, neither of those are completely true. Comparable performance? Yes, I admit, the 335i coupe has comparable performance to the S4 sedan, with the 335xi sedan (closest to the S4) a bit slower than both. However, like most BMW fans have complained with the recent RS4 vs. M3 battle, you're comparing apples to oranges. The B7 S4's chassis is five years old, compared to a brand-new chassis with the E92. The next S4 promises to be a better-balanced, quicker, simlarly priced machine. About price- the 335i really isn't much less, in coupe form. It starts at about $41,000, as opposed to $47,000 for an S4 sedan. It's quite easy to "option up" a BMW, as you probably know; Audis are usually far better equipped in base form. I'd say that a $55,000 S4 has features that surpass a $50,000 335i coupe; you might be able to get a 335i coupe up to $60K with some of the S4's options.

However, I myself might end up with a 335xi coupe (if it comes out) for my next winter car. I'd see how dear the prices are then- there's no denying that the new coupe is brilliant. It's pretty much a tug-of-war between a secondhand, second-gen X5 or a new 335xi coupe, if that is brought to market. I may also check out the Audi S5 (or RS5) coupe, if that's out yet; an AWD Lexus (only if AWD comes out on the IS350), the new G35X, or some sort of E-Class (or new C-Class).

the 335xi coupe will be coming out 4th quarter of 2007. As for the 335xi being a little slower than the S4, I wouldn't bet on that. The 335i sedan has been clocked 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, which is a good deal faster thAn any S4 test I've seen. BMW just released (to dealers anyway) the preliminary test results on the 535i and 535xi, and what they found was the all-wheel drive xi was actually a tenth of a second FASTER 0-60 than the 535i was. I'd extrapolate then that the 335xi will be, at worst, basically identical in acceleration to the 335i. That's quicker than an S4, at least the current one.