Stuka - I thought curb weight for the E39 M5 was closer 4000 lbs. Here is a good M5 article >> M5 Vs M5 Vs M5 Vs M5 - Bmw - Jalopnik

I wanted to reply to these all at once. This is purely my opinion as a BMW enthusiast.

Coming home from work today I saw 3 E39 5ers and thought to myself - yes, that is classic timeless BMW design with nice proportions that I never get sick of. I still get really excited when I see an E39 M5 humming down the motorway - just ask my wife. She's like oh gosh, not again.

About an hour later I see a black E60 M5 and think to myself - wow, the E60 had very innovative design and technological elements when it was launched. I'm probably the contrarian here because I never really thought there was anything wrong with the E60 rear design. For some reason the sweeping angled headlights never really grew one me. However they tie in nicely with the angled rear tail lamps connected by strong pronounced seam line. I just wish the Hofmeister kink was just a little thicker like the E90. The E60s with ZSP and M5s look much better because of the black window trim. Final quick thought - E60 pushed the envelope and influenced designers from other makers. Have you ever noticed the Banglesque butt on the Toyota Camry and new Lexus LS??

Now to the F10...I really like how BMW designers blended classic and modern design elements. I have yet to see a new 5er in person, so this is judging by videos and photos. I've heard from a friend of mine that's a journalist, that pictures don't do the F10 justice. I'm excited to see it for myself!

M5 kid and Stoppie mentioned how the F10 looks long and too big for a 5-Series Sedan. The F10 is 5cm longer than the E60, but appears a lot longer because of the coupe like roof line, and stretched seam line. I think this is where Alex made a good point. The F10's curb weight is up by about 100 lbs over it's predecessor and that's impressive considering all the new high-tech goods BMW packed in.

Each 5 Series has grew by approximately 3 inches in length from E12 to E60 generations. The E28 M5 was a little longer than the E34 probabably due to the long hood and front bumper. Models have gotten bigger no doubt. But, peoples needs have changed, and cars have more electronic and safety systems.

I'm going to take a couple lines from Satch Carlson with BMW CCA. April 10 Roundel issue - "The history of the 5 Series is pretty the history BMW's growth and expansion from the Neue Klasse cars introduced in the 1960's." Referring to the 5 Series: "Luxury starts to trump performance-but the paradigm of quality, coupled with ample performance, still stirs pride in the marque." "Admittedly, the style and elegance of the new Five will be its primary selling points." "Few buy a 5 Series in order to take it to the track-but you could, you could."

YouTube - The New BMW 5 Series. Exterior.



I think this looks beautiful in action!

 

Well, if things are like they have been in the past, i wont make my call until i see it/hear it/live with it.

Remember how much we all loved the E39 M5....then the E60 shots started popping up and were all like EWWWW gross...

Now the E60 M5 is DOPE (to me at least) and the new ones around the corner and everyone is acting like they forget how they were when it was introduced.

Give it time and BMW will not let us down. The M5 is THE CAR in their lineup in my opinion - they wont screw it up.

 

i got the weight from the brochure, which I had saved from 1999 when the car was launched.

 

Thanks for breaking the 5 down Misha. I am with you on the new 5, and I think it will need to be seen in Sport or M trim to be truly appreciated.

Agreed, I always am skeptical of new models until I see them out and about. I despised the E60 when it came out, but when I saw it in M guise, I did a 180. I love the look from every angle. The base cars always look soft.

Likewise when I saw the new E-Class in pics, I cringed. As I saw them rolling around, I liked the car 100% better.

 

I'm super excited about the new Beast. It's looking much more muscular now! I think those are BBS FIs on the car, and it would be seriously kickass if the car comes with them...

The KERS, 8-speed DCT, etc. may all yet be speculation, but I'm sure the M engineers wont let us down...

"2011 cannot come soon enough and everyone in the BMW community is excited about the new F10 BMW M5. After plenty of spy photos and teaser information, we certainly have an idea on what to expect from this new generation M5, but seeing the car on a race track, it once again confirms the impressive stance and road presence that we have been mentioning in the past.

To fight off the increased dimensions, BMW focused on lightweight construction and materials. The chassis is pressed in aluminum and several lightweight materials are used in doors, bonnet and even roof (carbon fiber). To reduce drag and boost downforce and lower fuel consumption, special Aerodynamic aids that will be incorporated in the front of the car, including the outer-edge of the wheel arches , front bumpers and within the grille intake. Mini turbines are incorporated in the grille to convert drag under braking into electricity.

With the next F10 M5, BMW will continue to emphasize their efforts in the EfficientDynamics program. Further technologies aimed at reducing fuel consumption without sacrificing driving pleasure and performance, are being part of the new M5.

While BMW has yet to confirm the full details on the KERS system, we learned in the past it will be utilizing super capacitors. The super capacitor is an electric double-layer capacitor which can have energy densities thousands of times greater than normal capacitors. Super capacitors can also be recharged quickly, transferring what otherwise would be heat energy in the braking process to stored electrical energy.

The KERS functionality will be implemented in the transmission most likely. BMW partnered with several other manufacturers to implement hybrid capabilities in a transmission over the past several years."

Full article here: 2012 BMW M5 going around the Nurburging track

 

This will be a sick car. Too bad there wasn't a video, would have been nice to hear the new V8 bi-turbo engine sound.

 

I am dying to hear it... I hope they engineer a nice note from the exhaust. I have been underwhelmed by turbo engine exhaust notes lately... and not much can quite compare to the S85 V10.

 

This new engine with DCT should be a huge improvement over the aging SMG setup.

 

I'm so sad.. no more V10 scream! sniff sniff

 

From 5post.com

YouTube - 2011 BMW M5 Spied on the Nurburgring













Okay BMW, enough with the tape on the headlights and taillights. We've seen them already. ha!