BMW 5 Series (F10)

BMW 5 Series (F10/F11/F07)
Manufacturer	BMW
Production	2010–present
Assembly	Dingolfing, Germany Cairo, Egypt Toluca, Mexico Rayong, Thailand Shenyang, China Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Predecessor	BMW E60
Body style(s)	4-door saloon 5-door station wagon 5-door wagon/Liftback
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive
Platform	BMW F10 BMW F11
Engine(s)	3.0L 204 hp/199 lb-ft I6 3.0L 258 hp/228 lb-ft I6 3.0L TwinPower Turbo 306 hp/295 lb-ft I6 4.4L Twin Turbo 407 hp/442 lb-ft V8 2.0L Diesel 184 hp/280 lb-ft I4 3.0L Diesel 204 hp/332 lb-ft I6 3.0L Diesel 245 hp/398 lb-ft I6 3.0L Diesel 300 hp/442 lb-ft I6
Transmission(s)	6-speed manual 8-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2,968 mm (116.9 in)
Length	4,899–4,907 mm (192.9–193.2 in) (2011- sedan)
Width	1,860 mm (73.2 in)
Height	1,464–1,464 mm (57.6–57.6 in) (2011-present saloon)
Curb weight	unladen, to DIN/EU: 1625-1830 kg/1700-1905 kg

The sixth generation of the 5-Series (BMW F10) made its debut on 23 November 2009 as a 2010 model. The Station Wagon/Touring version carries the platform code F11.

Engineering

2010 BMW 528i (F10) sedan (Australia)

F11 Touring

Improvements over the E60-generation 5-series include a front dual ball joint short-long arm suspension, and rear multilink suspension.

Powertrain

The F10 has, for the European market at least, a choice of 7 engines: the N63 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 topping the range in the 550i, followed by a trio of straight-6 petrols. Despite many rumours to the contrary, BMW's second best selling model after the 3 series does not use any 4 cylinder petrol engines this time round. Instead, BMW has retained, for the time being at least, a trio of straight 6 engines, completing the petrol engine range. Straight six engines offer superior refinement over their 4 cylinder counterparts, as well as being the trademark BMW engine which has featured in many of the company's most successful cars: the E28 and E34 M5, E36 and E46 M3, plus the iconic BMW E26 M1.

The 535i has the 306 hp (228 kW)/295 lb ft(400 N m) BMW N55 engine which made its debut in the F07 5-series GT, and will shortly find its way into the facelifted BMW E92 and E93. As before there are two naturally aspirated straight-6 engines; for North America the Valvetronic N52B30 3.0 litres, 240 bhp for the 528i; and in Europe the direct gasoline injection N53 3.0 litres, 258 bhp for the 528i, and 3.0 litres and 204 bhp for the 523i, same outputs as the BMW E89 Z4 sDrive23i.

The four petrol engines are complemented by three diesel engines. Despite rumours to the contrary, BMW only offers one 4 cylinder engine, the 520d. This means that the 525d continues to offer the superior mechanical refinement of a straight six as opposed to the rumoured 523d with 4 cylinders. The 525d is joined by a 530d; both models use the same BMW N57 3.0 litre engine, the 525d has 204 hp (152 kW) and 450 N m, the 530d with 245 hp (183 kW) and 540 N m of torque.

There will be a choice of a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual gearbox for all engines.

Unlike the E60, xDrive will only be available on turbocharged gasoline engine models, and for the first time this excludes the entry-level North American model (528i) but includes the range-topping V8 model (550i).

Styling

It is designed by Adrian van Hooydonk, with a more prominent upright split kidney grille and the absence of the "Bangle butt" rear-end styling of its E60 predecessor. Externally, the car is a more traditional BMWesque design; a far more sober effort after the highly controversial E60. Although it bears some resemblance to the E60 with the wide kidney grilles and a very pronounced Hofmeister kink, the creases in the bonnet and just underneath the door are clearly related to the E39 and other earlier 5 series models. Inside marks the return of the centre console being clearly angled towards the driver, another marked change from its immediate predecessor which was noted for its non traditional BMW design. However, opinion is divided, as a reviewer described the F10 as too bland and conservative, compared to the E60 predecessor, as well too much resemblance to the E90 3-Series.

5-Series Gran Turismo (F07)

Main article: BMW F07

BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo

In May 2009, BMW released the official pictures of its production model 5-Series Gran Turismo, which is considered a coupé-like crossover vehicle or station wagon - a blend of different typical body styles. BMW advertises the new 5-Series GT as "The First of its Kind". The 5-Series GT is powered by a single-turbo diesel I6 producing 245 PS, by a single-turbo I6 producing 306 PS and a twin-turbo V8 producing 408 PS; the latter will give the car a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds. The car receives ZF's new 8-speed serial automatic transmission, along with a new Brake Energy Regeneration system.

BMW has suggested that the new 5-Series GT would replace the 5-Series Touring (wagon) in their North American lineup, due to slow sales of the E61 Touring in the United States, with only 400 sold in 2009. In that country, more M5s and Z8s have been sold than the 535i and 540i wagons, respectively. BMW is targeting annual sales of 4000 to 8000 5 Series GTs.

The F07 Gran Turismo shares the same F01 7 Series-derived platform, powertrain, mechanical package, and dashboard with the F10. However the F07's fascia has different headlights and bumper, with a larger split-kidney grille similar to that of the F01 7 Series. The F07 also has a taller height resulting in a higher center of gravity, its longer length allows for more rear legroom, the rear passenger accommodation has optional "Executive" bucket seats for two instead of the three-seat bench, and it weights 400 pounds heavier compared to the F10. The F07 also features frame-less doors and a double-pane liftgate truck.

The F07 was released before the rest of the next-generation 5-Series lineup. In Canada and the United States, for first half of 2010, the Gran Turismo was sold alongside the outgoing E60 5-Series, until the rollout of the F10 in June 2010.