PHOTOS: Spies give you the first look at the 2008 BMW 5-series refresh

Just as ugly as the current car.
T

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That gear lever is just a joke. Looks like they took some design cues from their BMW buddies. Excpet they stuck theirs on the steering column.

Is it me, or did the interior just get uglier? :(

The exterior looks slightly more rounded, a good sign. I still don't feel attracted to the 5-Series. Why Bangle, why!? :(

comeon guys, you are going to judge these ugly pics and make conclusions already?

Razzy,

Your right of course, but we're allowed "first impressions" right? ;)

thats the problem... its not a "first impression" its a FALSE impression. Why? Because a first impression would be a 1st official pic from BMW after all is said and done.

Again, you're correct, but it is natural to comment on shots like these. I usually wait until the final product, but I guess I am a little upset that the current 5-series looks the way it is. I am no fan of the design, even before the facelift.

comeon guys, you are going to judge these ugly pics and make conclusions already?

what r u talking about, everyone does it to every car pic.

that gear shifter is an SMG unit if I'm not mistaken.

1995e34
Germans drive with speeds above 100 mph on many occasions, they expect you to pay attention to the road when you do so. That is how they have less accidents even with higher speeds. I am not sure about the exterior, it looks about the same, but the interior just got worse. The shifter is funny. I guess those BMW commercials are correct, BMW lets its ideas live, stupid ideas.

I wonder if the shifter detaches and turns into a phone? ;)

001

Whats with the Cup-Holder Questions ?
Buy your bloody drinks when you reach your destination.
Or go buy a Chrysler 300c, Im sure there are lots of cupholders in there

I like and respect BMW, but this and all of their other recent designs are absolutely atrocious. The interior looks cheap and even worse than the one now, and the exterior is becoming too bulbous--moving away from the taut rendention the E39 was. BMW just doesn't seem luxury at all to me anymore--their design and execution is all wrong.

Yet another reason to look into Audi.

logical

Buddy, Audi has been making cars longer than BMW.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_11/b3924013.htm

http://www.bmwworld.com/bmw/history/index.htm

still looks like a pontaic!

HOLY SHIT! Lets not get to crazy and change the look too much. The car is weak, i'm sorry.

FWIW

I think the current 5 series (in M or sport guise) is one of the best looking BMW's ever made. I don't get the Pontiac comparison - fortunatley we don't get pontiacs overhere.

I wish everyone would stop bangle bashing... there are entire buildings of people that design these cars, and they are all signed off by Munich HQ anyway - so one person is not to blame.

As far as this face-lift goes I see very few exterior changes, which is fine with me. The E-class isn't bad looking, but a little lardy in it's proportions, and a little to delicate in it's details. The shape of the GS is pretty good - I just hate everything else about the way it looks!

001/CarTrash,

Either that or it's the head to a 3/4 Hybrid golf club. Hey, BMW is always trying to stand on the forefront of technology and options. :)

Among the current BMW offerings I like the design of the 5 series the best. It isn't bloated (like the 7 or 6), it doesn't have too many body creases going to no-where (Z4, 3 series sedan, X3) and it isn't aging fast like the X5.

What is BMW doing, they don't listen to people. Long live the old Beemers, god knows what they are going to look like in 5 years.