Seems only yesterday that the first-generation BMW 5 Series E12 came out and quietly started to revolutionize North America's outlook on the four-door sedan. But that was actually 37 years and 5.5 million worldwide sales ago. Now we're talking about the sixth-generation F10, the 2011 BMW 5 Series sedan model, and it looks about a half size larger than the old E12. Have we all gotten that big?
BMW just had us in to the FIZ projekt centre in Munich to gaze at every square inch of its new premium midsize executive sedan, up close and inside-out. We'll get to drive it in January 2010, but right now it's easy to say that this 5 Series is nowhere near as controversial to look at as the current E60 car with its Chris Bangle-era styling — those Dame Edna lights and flattened not-so-kidney grille we first beheld in 2003.
This all-new 2011 BMW 5 Series is back to being one stern and handsome German, meant to take on the other sternly handsome Germans like the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. Not forgetting, of course, the serious trio of Cadillac CTS, Jaguar XF and Lexus GS.
Turbos Are Go
When the F10 5 Series sedan comes to North America in June 2010, the first two setups will be the gas-slaking marquee cars, the 2011 BMW 535i with its 302-horsepower turbocharged direct-injected 3.0-liter inline-6 with intake-side Valvetronic, and the 2011 BMW 550i with its recently developed, 402-hp twin-turbo direct-injected 4.4-liter V8.
Meanwhile, North American BMW reps also tell us that "pricing still hasn't been finalized, but we may see little or no price hike at all on the 535i." Ahh, yes, there are some bright sides to a Great Recession and total market collapse, aren't there? So, that theoretically would still be $51,100 for the 2011 BMW 535i with its optional eight-speed automatic transmission. If all true, wow.
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