Nova Invicta

Got my second 530D SE in May this year it has the hard drive i-drive which is really fast and ten times better than the previous version although still not as good as thye Audi MMI version 3.
Whilst other here like the BMW suspension / ride it maybe great on US roads but on British roads its not as good as the new Jaguars or the new M-B E Class and you dont need to loose driver appeal either because the Jaguar XF my neibour has is the equal of the current 5 series in that respect and mayber even better.

The E60 is a great car but the competition has caught up and in some areas overtaken BMW so the F10 needs to be very good indeed.

bighersh

I've kinda kept an eye on BMW since 1991- and from what I've seen over the last 18 years, doesn't lead me to believe that they are going to break their conservative tendencies when it comes to engine offerings at new car launches.

If I were a betting man, I'd say the F10 will probably have the same engine choices currently available on the existing 5-series sedans. They may swap out the 550's current engine in favor of the 4.4L twin turbo V-8 making 400 HP as the range topper- rather than the current 360 HP variant, for the top of the line (Non-M) 5. It may also get the 7's 8-speed automatic transmission now offered on the 760Li (Lexus anyone?). The addition of the 8-speed tranny (if they do it) would/should improve what is already great fuel economy. However, since the 760 just got it, it may not be offered on the 5 for a few years, if ever.

Nevertheless, for the next generation of the M5, they may stuff the engine from the 760 into it. I forget if it's a turbo V8, or a V12 again- but the number I do remember is 535 HP, 550 lb./ft torque for the current 760Li. The M5 is going to need that kind of firepower, and then some- if it hopes to wrestle the crown back from the CTS-V as the quickest and best handling performance sedan on the market. Plus, stuffing a V-12 into the 5 series, would make the M5 truly "exotic"- whether it's faster than the CTS-v, or not. Then it could be mentioned in the same sentence as Ferrari and Lamborghini. With that kind of torque on hand, it would possibly be mentioned with them in terms of straight-line performance as well.

In terms of engines, I don't expect a lot of change from BMW. The suspension is widely touted as the one of the industry's benchmarks- so I'm not sure how much that can be improved upon, and still remain civil enough for family transportation. As successful as the E60 has been, in terms of sales, I don't think BMW will drastically change the appearance of the 5, but they did with Bangle at the helm last time, so- it's a coin toss there.

What I think we might see is improved electronics, more gadgets, better ergonomic integration of those electronics, better stereo, better sound isolation, and improved quietness (for those who want it).

The current 5 is a very nice car. While there is always room for improvement- when a car is this good already- it's hard to imagine what those improvements may be. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to be impressed.

That's all just guessing / wishful thinking though---

When is the next 5 due, and does anyone have any good spy shots?