New BMW 5?
Author
Discussion

Agoogy

Original Poster:

7,274 posts

269 months

Thursday 2nd October 2003
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Have you people discussed this thing to death and I've missed it it?

Am I the only one that thinks its a worthwhile brave attempt at being fresh that fails? That for all its solid, taut, confident curves, its a mess of ill conceived proportion?

new, fresh and brave is one thing, new, fresh, brave and ugly is quite another.....

cacatous

3,172 posts

294 months

Thursday 2nd October 2003
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I saw a black one on the road yesterday and thought it looked quite nice actually.

I agree with the trying to be fresh aproach as well.

Hats off to Chris Bangle!

Stuart

11,638 posts

272 months

Friday 3rd October 2003
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First one I saw was a dark blue left hooker on German plates that we had in for a first drive. It looked under tyred for starters, and reminiscent (depending on which angle you looked at it) of Saab 95, Peugeot 406 and New Accord. Not good.

We've since had a silver 530d in running on 18" wheels and it looks a *lot* better. Still think the car is a bit of a munter though. The point about a BMW, IMHO, is that you shouldn't have to spend time thinking about wether it looks good. They've just always looked so instantly right in the past, and this doesn't.


>> Edited by stuart_forrest on Sunday 5th October 10:13

Mark Benson

8,262 posts

290 months

Friday 3rd October 2003
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Seeing one in my rear view with it's sidelights on yesterday, I couldn't help thinking it looked like a pumpkin lantern.
Have a look next time you see one - the whole light unit glows and makes it look like a halloween lantern.

The twin round headlights are a BMW feature, now they could belong to any manufacturer.

FourWheelDrift

91,635 posts

305 months

Friday 3rd October 2003
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I saw one in a carpark the other day and walking around it to have a good look I couldn't help think of the classic quote from the Italian designer Giorgio Giugiaro when he first saw the TR7 at the Geneva Show.

"Oh my God, It's the same on this side as well."

Fugly.

marki

15,763 posts

291 months

Friday 3rd October 2003
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I have only had fleeting glimp`s of the new 5 so far , at first i could not make out what it was which is not good for brand recognition , im not a fan so far from what i have seen .

But then i really did not like the new 7 to begin with
but i have come to quite like the 7
ok its not as sleek as the old one but its, well i kind of like it ,,,sorry

jumjum

347 posts

279 months

Monday 6th October 2003
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Seen a few now, two silver and one blue.

Not impressed, pretty ugly.

Panel gaps look odd as well.

Big fan of BM but they really should have doen a btter job.

hachiroku

209 posts

276 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
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It reminds me alot of a Pontiac Grand Am, which really isn't something a luxury car should remind anyone of. I just hope they don't ugly up the next 3 series...

forrestgump

62 posts

272 months

Wednesday 8th October 2003
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I think the new 5 is the best looking BMW designed by Bangle's .
The side profile looks good but the front lights does not look very tidy. The rear is just ok. At least it looks better than the Vel Satis or the new Vectra.

bermuda

45 posts

291 months

Wednesday 8th October 2003
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Get the Cadillac CTS V, save yourself some coin and show your friends that there are alternatives to M5's!

rob.e

2,862 posts

299 months

Thursday 9th October 2003
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ok, but M5 will be a v10, which is nice

dino ferrana

791 posts

273 months

Thursday 9th October 2003
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It's an abortion of a car! Hideous to look at. The M5 sounds impressive especially as it revs to 9000 rpm (very impressive for such a big engine) apparently they had it revving to 10,000 rpm in testing putting out 540bhp.

V12Bob

652 posts

269 months

Thursday 9th October 2003
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Saw one today, I was shocked, the indicators didn't seem to function!!

dans

1,143 posts

305 months

Tuesday 14th October 2003
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bermuda said:
Get the Cadillac CTS V, save yourself some coin and show your friends that there are alternatives to M5's!


This has to be a wind up. There really is no comparison...

IMHO Mr Bangle has constantly surprised me, the 7, Z4 and now the 5 are all great looking cars, they are different, but that is both good and refreshing. Hats off to him, that complex a surfacing takes some serious skill and manufacture no british maker currently could hope to match.

The "it's not normal I don't like it" stuff about it is rather sad. I say he did a great Job.

rico

7,917 posts

276 months

Tuesday 14th October 2003
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There's a guy near me with one. I kinda like it. He's got a 530d with 18s in a darkish blue colour. It is a style that does grow on me and i think this is BMWs plans. Make a car that gets lots of press for its different looks, but is popular in the long run as people come more attracted to it. Certainly works with the 7 series which i really really like now. Will depreciate too so ill pick one up in a few years for 20k for the 745.

g4ry13

20,509 posts

276 months

Tuesday 14th October 2003
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I saw one i think it was in Silver didn't look very nice at all. I think it may be one of those cars that would look better in dark colours such as black that would hide the lines.

kamal_raza

4,258 posts

265 months

Friday 12th December 2003
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Bangle's cars take a while to sink in...but when they do they look wonderful....problem is that UK are so conservative (witness 60% of cars are silver)-CLONES and SHEEP thats all we are.

The new 5 looks fabulous with large wheels and dark colours. The 7 looks wonderfully menacing and the Z4 looks like its in motion even when stood still.

At last BMW has realised that making default (read easily understandable and obviously pretty) cars will damage their reputation. The thought of people buying a BMW because THEY like it (and not their neighbour) is great and may rid BMW of its "cut and thrust but sheep like" image. I can no longer imagine the bloke from the "Office" chosing a BMW as an obvious choice to show off his importance in some boring office

LuS1fer

43,113 posts

266 months

Saturday 13th December 2003
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I didn't like the Z4 in photos and I despised it in the metal. However, even though I despised the 5 series in photos, I saw one the other night and thought it looked better on the road. Wouldn't rush out and buy one, wouldn't put it in a museum of modern art but then I didn't like the old one either.

getcarter

30,628 posts

300 months

Saturday 13th December 2003
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I didn't like the look of the old one either, and I have one (tourer)... in std spec, it's a SERIOUSLY decent ride. Honest, if you haven't driven one, it's as relaxed a cruise as you'll ever need (forget the sports suspension, that's for sports cars). Great chassis, lots of toys and plenty of torque in all models. It's a motorway eater.

It is however - a barge. But as barges go, not too ugly.

New one looks even more ugly to me, but as has been mentioned, a lot better in dark colours (IMHO).

I have an order in for the new tourer (2005) - if it's as good as this one to drive (and still does 45 mpg), beemer will get my cash...

... and I'll not be let in at junctions for another 5 years

RiverGirrl

857 posts

302 months

Wednesday 17th December 2003
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I hope the TVR lot don't shoot me for this, but I like BMW's ((runsandhides)). I like the old 5 series with the cool circular headlights. Menacing. Especially the M5. Subzero cool it is. However, the new one looks like it's suffering from a nasty hangover and is trying to open its' eyes. What on earth is an American doing trying to design/style a German car? I mean, we all know what the American cars look like Let's just hope they don't start handling like them All IMHO of course