With the new BMW 5-series saloon and the new BMW 5-series Touring, in 2011 two new 5-series models have been awarded the prestigious iF Award for outstanding product design. Equally prizeworthy is the AC Schnitzer ACS5 Sport S Saloon based on the BMW 5-series saloon, which celebrates its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show from 3rd to 13th March.
With this concept vehicle, the Aachen-based tuning specialist AC Schnitzer is demonstrating new and unusual aspects of driving pleasure. With a performance upgrade from 407 to 540 HP, the AC Schnitzer engineers are pushing the boundaries of the possible - for greater dynamics and efficiency. The driving performance is at thoroughbred sportscar level: the sprint from 0 - 100 kph takes just 4.5 seconds, and the top speed … CONTINUED
AC Schnitzer has released its aero package for the M-sport F10 and F11, add-ons to supplement BMW’s factory M-sport package.
F10/F11 M-Sport Parts Include:
Chrome front grille
Carbon fiber front spoiler lip
Carbon fiber rear wing or painted rear spoiler (F10 only)
Rear roof spoiler
Carbon fiber rear skirt diffuser
Twin sports silencer with 2 chrome “Sports Trim” tailpipes
Type V forged wheels
AC Schnitzer will be debuting its F10 550i ACS5 Sport S tuning program at Geneva next week. Improving on the already potent turbo powered standard 550i, Schnitzer turns up the power to achieve 397 kW / 540 hp + 750Nm torque. The ACS5 Sport 5’s 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds would give the upcoming M5 a run for its money. Top speed runs out at 320kmh.
AC Schnitzer will also be debuting its Z4 320d at Geneva.
More specs, details, and pics to come from Geneva.
The touring variant (F11) of Alpina’s B5 Bi-Turbo is set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show next week. The Alpina F11 B5 is expected to boast the same performance specs as the potent F10 B5 sedan - powered by a 500hp/516lb-ft 4.4L V8 twin-turbo, mated to a ZF 8 peed sport automatic transmission (”Switch-tronic”).
0-100kmh (62 mph) is accomplished in 4.8 seconds, just 0.1 sec slower than the F10 B5 sedan. Top speed is 186mph.
Pricing starts at €98,800.
The F11 B5 configurator can be found at http://www.alpina-configurator.de/ More details and photos to come from Geneva.
Here is a live look into the F10 5-series production process, featuring:
Body shop: spot welding by robots. Mounting of side sills on body structure.
Hot-stamping: Heating, compression molding, quenching.
Wedding: Drive unit engine, transmission, axle, exhaust system is bolted to the body.
Final assembly: BMW 5 Series Sedan rolls out of factory.
During its first year, the new BMW 5 Series got off to a perfect start and is continuing unabatedly with its success story in 2011. Commanding victories in comparison tests carried out by well-known specialised media, best marks in the analyses performed by independent experts with regard to design, safety and value stability as well as an unparalleled flood of accolades in the latest reader surveys at home and abroad characterise the impressive start-up phase, which began with the market launch of the BMW 5 Series Sedan in March 2010.
The outstanding desirability and popularity of the BMW 5 Series is also reflected in the sales figures. Demand was additionally boosted with the launch of the new BMW 5 Series Touring. Since October 2010, the BMW 5 … CONTINUED
The folks at Autogespot have spotted the F10 Alpina B5 biturbo sedan on local streets. Alpina has tuned the F10 to produce an impressive 507bhp and 516lb/ft torque, which takes the car from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds, up to a top speed of 191mph. The B5 is fitted with an 8-speed automatic jointly developed by Alpina and ZF. Its exhaust is specially developed for ALPINA in partnership with Honeywell-Garret
Full official specs/details of the F10 B5 - http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406378
The F10 has been named the highest scoring car (safest) in the executive category of EURO NCAP’s crash test results. It exceeded the minimal thresholds for a 5 star overall rating by the largest margin of all cars in its category. See results inside.
Here is the first F10 coilover review (of the KW V3), and it sounds like going with a more aggressive aftermarket setup definitely transforms the supple ride quality of the F10 into something much sportier entirely. Read Lacster’s gushing impressions inside.
