Litster

After reading Marvel's post about Roundel's review of the new 5, I did some search and found the complete article on web. You can read all about it on:

http://www.bmwcca.org/Roundel/2003/07/Article_2.shtml

Enjoy!

Litster

In case the link doesn't work (now or in the future), here is the text of the article.


The Fifth Five
Story by Phil Marx

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AFTER FOUR GENERATIONS OF 5 SERIES BMWS, DOES THE CONTROVERSIAL STYLING OF THE LATEST ITERATION PROMISE SOMETHING NEW?

Do you remember the first time you saw a photo of a new BMW model? For some of us, these first glimpses make a lasting sometimes permanent impression, bad or good. Consider my reaction to the early U.S. press release for the 630CSi in 1976: I'd made friends with my local dealer, enough that he showed me that first black-and-white photo of the new coupe rounding a corner on a track. The dealer even let me take the photo to my college darkroom, shoot it on the camera stand, and make copies. I couldn't stop admiring the lines of the coupe never mind that we'd soon understand it to be more show than substance with its too-soft U.S. suspension and sadly under-powered EPA-regulation engine. It looked fast, it looked handsome, and unfulfilled promise or not everyone lusted after the car the coachwork promised. Few mourned the demise of its E9 coupe predecessor, the 3.0CS or at least we didn't condemn the new model for replacing the old. We'd been primed by the Turbo experiment and the mid-model facelift of the E12 5 Series, so nearly all the styling cues of the 6 Series came from a playbook we understood, accepted, and embraced. And we were excited in our anticipation.


The new E60 5 Series, on the other hand, comes to us on the heels of the most controversial new BMW model since the 320i replaced the 2002. The firestorm of worldwide criticism of the current 7 Series has only recently begun to subside. Sure, BMW can point to successful sales numbers for the new-style Seven, but those in the know insist that incentive-driven sales have proven quite costly to BMW, both here and abroad. The new styling language with which BMW chief designer Chris Bangle and his staff shocked us via the Z9 concept car has now filtered down to the Swiss Army knife of the model range, the midsize 5 Series. But whether you've made peace with the Z9 DNA enough to even accept the new Seven, or whether the new Five constitutes yet another assault on your aesthetic senses, the cover is not the book. After two days spent driving the newest BMW on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, I can only conclude that beauty lies closer to the bone.

Just as I had put myself in one camp with the 6 Series, I had prejudged the new 5 Series by its photos. I, too, laughed at the comparison of its headlights to Dame Edna's cats-eye spectacles, heard the derisive comparisons: the nose like a Pontiac, the tail like an Acura, the overall aesthetic achievement something like a Kia. The only faint praise "At least it's not as bad as the Seven!" may not have provided the best introduction to the newest BMW.


But if you were kidnapped, blindfolded, and spirited away to some of the world's greatest driving roads, tossed behind the wheel, and made to drive the daylights out of the new Five without having the chance to look at its exterior, you'd swear you'd fallen asleep and awakened at the dawn of a new era in vehicle dynamics and suspension magic. And behind this wheel you'd instantly become a far better driver than you'd earned the right to be. The capabilities of this car and its unfailing promise to make the driver better at that job are very, very impressive. Let's look at what we'll be living with for the next few years from three basic vantage points: aesthetics, ergonomics, and performance.


Aesthetics: BMW redesigns their models on a roughly-seven-year cycle; if all goes according to plan, we'll still be seeing this Five in new-car showrooms in 2010. So either make peace with it now, hang on to your E39 for a long while, or look for an alternative lead to "where you don't want to go." What you see now will have evolutionary changes, of course the rumors of a reworked 7 Series for next year are still unconfirmed, but recent E46 3 Series updates indicate a willingness to freshen older models with new styling cues. Despite what you may have heard, seen, or read, the new Five is far from ugly and not nearly as controversial as the Seven. Viewed from the side, the sedan has greenhouse proportions and a C-pillar treatment resembling a coupe more than the sedan it is. This deadon profile view is also where you'll see cues to the Seven; the trunk lid of the Five, with its integrated spoiler, seems nearly cantilevered, and it is accentuated especially in dark colors by the clear lens of the rear turn signal.

But as you round the corner toward the rear, the lines of the boot integrate nicely into the rest of the body, despite the curious slanteyed tail-light treatment. On the muchmaligned new Seven, the trunk opening defines the shape of the rear light assembly by overlapping it at the back; this creates the impression of an add-on deck lid, now commonly referred to as the "Bangle butt." The top line of the Seven's trunk is carried forward into the C-pillar where it disappears, becoming just one of many orphaned, disjointed feature lines of that design. The E60 Five handles the wide-opening trunk much better by carrying the lid's cut line into the leading edge of the rear light assembly, resulting in a far more harmonious appearance. The Five retains the Seven's apparently-vital golf-bag access by moving the opening line down into the fender. But unlike the Seven, the top edge of the Fiver's trunk lid flows into a crease at the C-pillar that continues in the top line of the doors and further into the feature line running down the hood into the front grille, terminating as the lower air intake opening support.


The raised belt line is also continuous on the Five, unlike the Seven's, starting in front at the high-mounted signal lamps and continuing into the tail-light segment line and around the trunk in the false-opening panel edge above the license plate. The overall appearance is much more integrated, relegating controversy to the slanted taillights and the even-less-successful front grille and lights treatment. The Five manages to appear solid and substantial from the rear despite the slanted lights and massive Hyundai-esque plastic bumper cover that begins at the taillights, extending downward to become the lower valance and forward to create nearly half of the rear wheel opening. This huge cover is broken only by a lower feature line created as an extension of the rocker panel cut, and two oddly-shaped red reflectors that continue a curve introduced in the valance while evoking the red lights from the goofy band across the Seven's deck lid panel. The tail lights add to the bulk, and the tiny backup lights go nearly unnoticed. BMW says the virtually seamless rear view gives the car "a touch of power and strength eluding both supremacy and generosity in one." Granted, they may have meant alluding, but either way it's another marvelous BMW non-explanation to go in the Book of Bangle along with the final definition of flame surfacing. At least the new 5 Series lets you see the tailpipes.


The Five's front view seems a bit less successful. The Pontiac Grand-Am grille shapes, along with the frowning lower air intake and high-mounted, upturned signal lamps, just don't do the car justice. Even with the advance shock treatment provided by the recent 7 Series, it's tough to accept this as the new look for the next generation of BMWs: We didn't like it in the Z9 concept and we don't like it now. The cut line of the hood across the top of the grilles accentuates the Pontiac impression, and the organic-yet-unnatural taper and curve of the lamps offers just too much of an obvious "eye" to the face of the car. Maybe AutoWeek's discovery that the new BMWand Dame Edna were "separated at birth" has forever colored my impression, or maybe the treatment is just not effective not BMW-like, and not sufficiently aggressive for a Five. I hesitate to say it, but it almost makes the nose of the new Seven appear successful.

Carrying the hood opening down to include the grille like the Z3 or even the Seven and using a less artsy treatment of the headlights, and keeping the turn signals in a more traditional orientation, might have produced a more pleasant, aggressive, and BMW-looking "face." If the new 1 Series is to get the face of the CS1 concept car, 5 Series buyers should demand an equally well-integrated, updated face for what is arguably BMW's most important model worldwide. If the intent is to blend in features of the new Seven with what Bangle calls "BMW DNA," then the trailing edge of the Five's front signal lamps echoing the shape of those from BMW's venerable 02 series is simply too forced, too unharmonious, and too far in the direction we just "don't want to go." The subtlety of this possible connection to the past what other reason is there for that shape? gets lost through poor integration into the new design.


At least BMW is off the "flame surface" jag and describes the mix of concave and convex surfaces on the sides of the new Five without the pretentious rhetoric that always seems to accompany unappreciated art. But really, automotive aesthetics are not that complicated: Is it good design if it requires an explanation? Can't it just look good?


Ergonomics: The interior of the new model is very successful in exuding a rich feel, offering more space, simplicity of operation, and conventional placement of controls. Of course, the new 5 Series incorporates the controversial iDrive controller, but along with a simpler four-menu iDrive display and menu-return button we'd been told to expect, the controller manages to integrate into the center console without displacing either the handbrake or the gearshift lever, which is a problem in the new Seven. The double-binnacle dash required by the iDrive and navigation screen is much better integrated in a BMW-style dashboard arrangement, albeit with a rather busy union of the two curves at their confluence. Climate-control adjustment requires no contact with the iDrive system, while the sound system set-up does. The presence of iDrive didn't detract from the driving experience nearly as much as it does in the new Seven. Even the press materials mention "iDrive" by name only once, preferring references to "the Controller" and "Control Display" instead.


All of our pre-production cars were fitted with sport seats, which were very comfortable as well as supportive, and included adjustable seat-bottom-length thigh supports, as always. Afew even incorporated the articulated backrest from the "comfort" seats into the sport seats, a configuration we have been unable to confirm for production or U.S. consumption. At least one driver complained that the prominent interior door pull constantly battled with his left leg for space in the automatic-transmission- equipped model, but we experienced no such ergonomic discomfort in a short stint with the automatic or a longer time spent rowing the six-speed manual box. The gear-shift lever, however, sits too far back, causing great difficulty in guiding the shifter into the lower gates via an unnatural motion slightly aggravated by the typical BMW high center console that now accommodates not only a Bluetoothenabled phone but also climate-controlled storage in a lower compartment. Thus, frequent gear changing demanded by our rugged and curvy route became something to be avoided rather than enjoyed, with the gates difficult to find due to the contortions required for my 35-inch arms to pull the lever back and down. My codriver, Bimmer's quite petite Jackie Jouret, experienced problems similar enough that we couldn't attribute the conflict to just my ape-like physique.


(It seems BMW has been on a campaign to move that lever rearward at a glacial pace since the advent of the E12, and gains an inch or so each year. Driving home from the airport in my 535is I encountered no such difficulty, though even E28s with sport seats offer a more elevated seating position than this new Five. A short-shift kit may become a requirement on this new model: Aftermarket suppliers, please take note!)

Every driver on this jaunt had a problem with the turn signals, and that included BMWemployees who we assume have some seat time in the new 7 Series. It's easier to switch from a '72 2002 with righthand stalk-mounted turn signals to any other car than it is to go from nearly any current car to a new BMW 5 or 7 Series. Granted, the operation is quite simple if you think about it but do you want to have to think about signaling a lane change, after fifty years of convention have trained us how to simply effect this operation? What's more, BMW has planted the cruise-control stalk at the nine-o'clock position. The turn signal is up closer to ten-thirty, which leads to an unconscious flick of the cruise lever and some consternation when the damn turn signal doesn't work. Yes, if you gave me one for a year (go ahead, try me: a 545i Sport, please!), I'd probably have it down pat, but it is exasperating, confusing, and an unnecessary annoyance.


Moving away from the driver's chair, rear seating appears to be improved with more head and leg room available. But no BMWis really anything more than a fourpassenger car, and this Five is no different. The center-rear position includes a very wide fold-down armrest with integrated storage and cup-holders, though the cupholder access requires flipping open the back of the "headrest" attached to the lowered armrest. No longer will drivers opting for better rear vision with four occupants have to toss that appendage in the trunk, as it now lowers with the armrest; but then, there's no cup holder available with the center seat occupied.

Available interior colors will include black as well as the beige offered in the Seven and a new, brighter gray intended to be more sporting than that in the larger car. European "color worlds" include dark basalt, amethyst, chestnut, and "truffle brown" accented trim colors with the standard cloth interior again, not to be offered on U.S. models. The 525i and 530i will come here standard with leatherette interior and high-gloss trim exclusive to the U.S. order deck. Dakota leather is standard for the V8 545i and optional on the six-cylinder models. Neither the Nasca micro-perforated leather nor the softer Nappa leather will be offered in U.S. cars. Titanium II is indicated as the standard trim material with the optional leather, while dark poplar wood trim constitutes the Premium Package with maple/anthracite as a no-charge option.


A new head-up display will become available for the U.S. order deck beginning with March 2004 production. Initial figures put this option at something under $2,000 but over $1,500. The display involves a "beamer" projecting information to a fixed position in front of the driver, where it appears to float above the leading edge of the engine hood. The driver is offered a choice of displaying navigation instructions, current road speed, or check-control warnings. (Active Cruise Control instructions are available for display in Europe? but Active Cruise is not available in the U.S.)

There were only two head-up-equipped cars in the U.S. press-drive fleet, and we did not have the opportunity to experience this option under actual conditions. Judging from the demo display and the reaction of other journalists, however, you'll miss nothing if you skip this option. Several journalists just wanted to know where the "off" switch was. But if you go for that sort of thing, this is something of a BMW first for it.

American customers will be happy to know we're beginning the second generation of 5 Series with standard cup holders. In addition to the rear-armrestmounted pair, U.S. cars will come with two individual pop-out holders on the front passenger-side dashboard just above the glove box. The driver's holder swings out and left to be as close as possible without interfering with gear changing, while the passenger's pops out right in front of the outboard air vent, providing either cooling for your drink or interference with your air supply, according to your outlook. As you'd suspect, they look funky, but they work? and they are not standard for Europe.


The navigation system we used was DVD-driven and provided both voice and visual cues for direction changes. It got confused once with one-way streets in a small town and often wasn't able to recognize names of some towns, especially those accessible only by gravel roads. The disc itself was an advance copy from an alliance listed as Harmon-Becker. The new system uses the in-dash CD player as the DVD drive, storing the programmed route in its memory and allowing the single-disc drive to be used for music CDs thereafter. European specs indicate this drive to be CD-ROM compatible allowing for playback of data files such as MP3 CDs. All models come pre-wired for a six-disc CD changer available as a BMW Center-installed option. It's fitted way in the back of the glove box in the fuse-box cover and will prove inaccessible to most Americans without unloading most of their overstuffed-glove-box junk.


The standard sound system is an AM/FM/ CD unit with ten speakers, including two subwoofers, and includes the Radio Data System (RDS) and FM diversity antenna. European specs indicate low-frequency speakers located in cavities below the front seats and linked acoustically to the side sill chambers, a subwoofer in each of the front doors, as well as two subs mounted on the rear shelf with two tweeters in between. The optional Logic 7 audio system (according to BMW NA) includes thirteen speakers, Digital Sound Processing (DSP), surround sound simulation, and six-disc glove-boxmounted changer. Sirius Satellite Radio is also an option for the U.S. In addition, a Rear Seat Entertainment package is offered and includes a rear-seat video monitor, headphones, remote control, a trunk-mounted six-disc multimedia changer that plays DVDs as well as CDs, and an input jack for an external source.


All U.S. models will arrive with an impressive array of standard equipment, including rain-sensing wipers; multi-function steering wheel; keyless entry; ten-way power front seats with memory system for driver's seat, steering wheel, and exterior mirrors; automatic climate control with separate right/left temperature control, humidity control, and bi-directional solar sensor; auxiliary power outlets in front passenger footwell, rear of center console, and trunk; dual front airbags with dual-threshold deployment and two-stage Smart Airbags; front and rear-seat side-impact airbags and Head Protection System; automatic-tensioning seat belts at both front and outboard-rear seating positions; and six-speed transmissions both manual and (optional) automatic.

All Fives come finished in "powder" clear-coat paint intended to provide improved protection and maximum surface gloss. The trick new bi-xenon adaptive headlights that turn with the steering are standard on the 545i and optional on the six-cylinder models. Adaptive brake lights that increase in intensity to indicate the force of brake application are standard on all models. And the optional Park Distance Control now graphically displays vehicle proximity, front and rear, using optical feedback in the form of color bar segments in the dash-mounted display.


Performance: This is where the big bucks got spent and quite well! BMW started with a unique solution to weight: All Fives now include aluminum front and rear sub-frames, but BMW has pioneered a composite aluminum/steel hybrid chassis using an aluminum front section bonded to the steel main section. Called the Lightweight Aluminum Front End (LAFE), the structure includes spring support sections pressure-cast of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon, connecting an all-aluminum component front body structure that is riveted and glued to the steel unit-body section ahead of the A-pillars. While some may claim this hybrid process is less expensive than an all-aluminum structure such as that used by Audi in the A8, the joining method is said to provide simpler repair by all workshops over an all-aluminum structure.


Altogether, the LAFE on the new Five uses 15.2 meters of bonded flanges, 48 aluminum bolts, 2.94 meters of aluminum MIG welding seams, 599 punch rivets, and 1.74 meters of aluminum laser-welded seams. Special attention has been paid to address potential for corrosion between dissimilar metals; BMW uses a special insulating bonding glue that completely fills the joint flanges and rivet contact surfaces.

Front fenders and the engine hood are also of aluminum. BMW claims a reduction in weight over the previous Five of up to 165 pounds, depending on model, and a shift in the center of gravity, pointing out that the farther away the light-weight components are from the vehicle's center of gravity, the more effective their use becomes. This allows for better axle load distribution, better handling, and improved traction.

The weight saved by forming fifteen percent of the body from aluminum can now be spent to offset the weight added by other new technologies such as Active Front Steering. Claimed by BMW to be the greatest innovation since anti-lock brakes, the Active Steering option included in all U.S. sport-package versions, but not as a stand-alone option provides quicker steering response during turning and parking by varying the steering ratio through an override gearbox and an electric motor. Steering ratio can be reduced from a standard three turns lock-tolock to less than two, or increased for additional control at high speed.

While Active Steering may seem the advent of steer-by-wire, at no time is the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels broken. As part of the Active Steering system, BMW's Servotronic power assist works to lower steering effort when the steering ratio is reduced, and to increase effort at higher speeds. Active Steering features yaw-rate control networked with Dynamic Stability Control to intervene in the steering angle of the front wheels and dampen movements at an early point to prevent unnecessary activation of DSC; the result is increased comfort during parking with less steering effort, increased agility up to 75 miles per hour, better control of the vehicle in dynamic driving situations, and optimum control at high speeds.


Quite simply, Active Steering works. Coupled with Adaptive Roll Stabilization (ARS) from the 7 Series (available together and only in sport-package configurations for the U.S.), it provides incredibly flat cornering that requires very little steering input to control. The result is a near-seamless integration of face-saving electronic controls that constantly correct for driver error before the driver even knows he's reached the limit. Turn-in is quicker and hand movement minimized, resulting in less need for shuffle steer or hand crossing on winding roads. Even without skill or practice, drivers will be able to drive more quickly, confidently, and safely in challenging situations this car is that good. What happens when they get back in "normal" cars may become an issue, however. Why Active Steering is available only with the sport package begs the question: Is parking now considered a sport?


I'd hate to be the salesperson who demoed the new Five with Active Steering but closed the sale on price alone, leaving off the sport-package option and the Active Steering that clinched the sale. There may be some confused customers over this feature. Pricing has yet to be determined.

There are some situations you just can't control, and a flat tire is a common one. All new Fives will come with a tirepressure monitoring system called Tire Defect Indictor (TDI) which uses ABS sensors to detect pressure loss beyond thirty percent of the target level and activate a dashboard warning lamp. Seven-inch-wide 16" "trapezoid" alloy wheels (style 134) with 225/50 all-season tires are standard on 525i models: 245/45-17" W-rated run-flat performance tires on 8" wide "star spokes" (style 122) come with the sport-package option for that model. The 530i and 545i automatic come standard with 225/50-17" V-rated all-season tires on 7.5" wheels ("star-spoke" style 138 for the six-cylinder and 116 for the V8). The 530i sport package upgrades the wheels and tires to 245/40- 18" W-rated run-flats on 18x8" style 123 alloys, while the 545ia gets star-spoke style 124 alloys with wider 245/40-18s on nine-inch wide rims at the rear the standard wheel and tire set-up for the 545i six-speed manual, which comes equipped as a sport package only.


Special run-flat rims used on Sport Package models will also accept conventional tires. We had a chance to evaluate the runflats in a controlled environment with one rear tire completely deflated, as well as fully inflated on the road under normal driving conditions. Run-flat technology allows for continued operation of ABS, ASC, and DCS systems even on a tire with no air pressure, providing an extra margin of safety. Even the eighteen-inchers provided very acceptable ride characteristics while improving steering response and turn-in as expected. All the wheels we saw appeared to be very easy to clean providing you have a long brush.

Though the engines are holdovers from 2003, all transmissions, both automatic and manual, are new six-speed boxes. The BMW Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) will be an option only in combination with sport packages for U.S. models. The automatic produced smooth, crisp shifts without any trace of hunting or busy behavior. The manual, with the exception of the location of the lever, shifted very smoothly with light and precise clutch take-up; if the clutch hydraulics incorporated a release delay valve, we didn't notice it in operation. If your body fits the ergonomics of the driving position, you'll enjoy shifting this transmission at least as much as any other BMW manual you've ever encountered. There were no SMG units available for testing, though availability of the option is planned for the 530i and 545i from the start of September production, and for the 525i beginning with March production next year.


Our pre-production fleet exhibited perfect body integrity, free of any squeaks, rattles, or other noises, and all doors close with the solid "thunk" expected of a 5 Series. Trunk storage and access appears improved over the previous model, but the drop-down tool kit we've come to expect contains only a vestige of the usual BMW equipment. In general, there was very little to complain about in the new Five. For those holding on to E39 Fivers in anticipation of the new arrival, U.S. production begins on the 2004 530i this month, with the 525i and the 545i following in September. Asport wagon will be offered next year.

If the engineers have scored another BMWhome run, have the designers missed the mark? Is it time to give up on this BMW design team? That's up to you to decide. But while some may be interpreting Bangle's offer to be taken "where they don't want to go" to mean the local DaimlerChrysler store, don't give up just yet. There's little in the design to offend anyone, though many BMW purists may remain disappointed and it remains to be seen how this new, soft style can evolve into the aggressive presence expected for the M version.

Even if photos of the E60 don't push your buttons, give it time; and definitely wait until you've had a chance to drive it with Active Steering before making up your mind. Where the original 6 Series body may have promised more than its mechanicals could deliver, this new Five will likely surprise you, exceed your initial expectations, and win you with its capability if not its looks.



THE NEWEST FIVE IS A KEEPER ---- Jeremy Walton


"There is no car in the upper medium sector that will give you more substantial driving pleasure," promised Dr. Helmut Panke, chairman of BMW AG's management board. Dr. Panke joined fellow board member Dr. Burkhard Goeschel and design chief Chris Bangle in the heavyweight launch of BMW's E60-coded fifth-generation 5 Series at a formal evening presentation, as well as informal breakfast briefings. Second only to the 3 Series in commercial importance to BMW, "it accounts for roughly one quarter of BMW's total sales," said the elegant, silver-haired Panke, who now steers the fortunes of the Munich mothership, heading a BMW Group that stretches from Mini to Rolls Royce but which depends financially on the 3 and 5 Series to do the business.

Panke provided approximate stats for the quartet of 5 Series editions sold since 1972, and my equally rough math asserts that the company has sold the world over 4,100,000 Fives, each generation more popular than its predecessor. My Roundel column page 19) goes further into the emotional aspects of 5 Series ownership and the evolution of M5 but that was written before had driven this fifth Five. Now have completed the BMW workshops workshops with two driving demos in the 530i run-flat Bridgestones and Active Front Steering (AFS) plus six workshop briefings and two road-driving sessions totaling five hours in petrol/diesel and manual/automatic-transmission examples of the 530i/d. BMW really introduced us properly to a new version of the package I have come to regard as the best-balanced BMW.

One of the technocrats introducing us to AFS commented that the new quick-reaction/high-sensitivity steering system in mechanical partnership with ZF BMW delivered the unique electronic and hydraulics programming was "as big an advance as ABS braking." He was absolutely right: AFS not only gives amazing agility to the 3,000-plus-pound automobile, but also provides significant safety and stability in those ragged moments when enthusiasm has overcome sense and sensibility.

Back-to-back runs with and without AFS proved that the conventional steering on the new 5 Series requires three full revolutions of the steering wheel to move from lock to lock, whereas optional AFS cuts this shuffle to just two turns. This is most valuable at lower speeds in tighter corners, so BMW loses this literal oversteering effect by the time you reach 75 mph in favor of Servotronic's less dramatic intervention of the steering and increasing expressway stability. In sudden-lanechange conditions at any speed, the steering serves a modest counter-steer effect that cuts the potentially lethal lurches that follow a jerky steering correction.

The meat of the matter is that this Five is not only safer than its already able predecessors, but is also more fun than its ancestors and today's market rivals.

The increased-aluminumcontent chassis is also effective, but I could not get along with either limited-function iDrive or the programming for DSC/DTC stability and traction control electronics. DSC interaction with DTC is meant to provide a low-speed (up to 44 mph) traction bonus, especially when the DSC button is depressed for longer than a mere stab. I found that I could not press my way to override both DSC and DTC, which meant I could not ultimately explore one of the finest chassis ever sent to the showroom by BMW. However, I think the principal point was to make the Five more manageable in Snow Belt conditions.

I was appreciative of the cross-country speeds delivered via a relaxed ride, which owes a lot to the active intervention characteristics of the unique antiroll- bar system branded Dynamic Drive. Such chassis technology shares principles but not components with the 7 Series. Most of the 5 Series chassis hardware will serve the new 6 Series, too, so that should also exhibit the Five's flair for outstanding handling and ride balance.

After recent Jaguar and Audi aluminum-body experiences, I was unimpressed by BMW's barebody aluminum mix. It looks like price dictated compromise with the race-car practice of grafting a lighter nose to a steel body. BMW's Landshut factory castings for the top strut mounts are neat and should strengthen front-end integrity, however. The cosmetically attractive bare silver bodies of Audi and Jaguar may be needlessly expensive. BMW's larger production need is to strategically provide local strength on a cost/benefit basis, but BMW's route smacks of compromise and could boost body-shop profits.

Driving memories? The gasoline-fueled 530i was driven straight into the rush hour, where I appreciated the clarity of the new round-dial instruments and wondered if buyers will want to pay for the optional head-up displays that are coming this autumn. In this curvaceous countryside I preferred manual gear control and the mid-range grunt of a diesel in this still- substantial body weight. Compared to the six-speed manualgearbox diesel, you had to work harder for speed in the 530i, and consumption was vastly heavier. I recorded gasoline mpg half that of the 21.4 U.S. mpg the computer flicked out for the diesel's rather quicker (lighter traffic) route march to a hint-oflower- rpm V8 soundtrack.

The plumbing and ancillaries for the intercooled diesel with Garrett variable-vane turbocharging is 81 pounds heavier, but that mid-range might 148 extra foot-pounds of twist with Dr. Diesel is deeply addictive. Although the 530i smoothly threaded through traffic with the great ZF 6HP19 automatic sixspeed and showed greater speed through the rural twisties than a manual diesel it would not be my choice for America. Instead, I would wait a few U.S. delivery months and opt for the V8 in a gasoline environment. The gasoline six is a great engine, but best in the smaller 3 Series, working too hard to deliver lower-rpm torque convincingly in the bigger body. Or I'd wait even longer for V10 thunder in an M5 to motor over the Atlantic.

However, that is an all-American fantasy to me, whereas the diesel Five is here in England and now Europe. That meaty and accessible pulling power, plus civilized manners and sublime handling, would always be welcome in my life. But back at my bank account, Helga, my faithful 635CSi, remains unthreatened by any newcomer. ---- Jeremy Walton