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BMW 5-Series sedans revamped with traits of sport and luxury
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Zipping around sharp corners of a narrow canyon in the Vallecito Mountains of California's Anza Borrego desert, the new mid-size sedan behaved like a rakish sports car.
Beefy 17-inch rubber and a sophisticated independent suspension constructed from light-weight aluminum components enabled the low-slung machine to carve a precise path along the winding roadbed as if rooted in asphalt.
Meaty torque from a 4.4-liter V8 delivered instant response from the accelerator, while the transmission, articulated through five forward gears of a compliant automatic transmission, allowed the aggressive driver to add selective controls from a notched shifter gate.
And the small sport steering wheel, padded and stitched in tactile leather like you'd find in a 2-seat racer, permitted a firm grip.
Counterpoint to all of this high-tech handling hardware and the resultant sporty demeanor of a new car capable of incredible tricks in motion, the leather-lined and rosewood-trimmed passenger cabin stocked the kind of comfort elements which appear only in a refined luxury sedan.
Clearly, this one is a car of split personality.
It's a sports car, no doubt about it, as a gutsy test drive will reveal.
It's also a genteel luxury sedan, as even the quickest spin in that pampered comfort will prove.
Call this one the new 540i from Germany's Bayerische Motoren Werke, which in the United States we recognize by the initials of BMW.
The sedans and coupes of BMW are already known among the automotive cognoscenti as some of the world's best performers, but a new fourth-generational design for BMW's mid-size 5-Series sedans elevates this driver's-car concept to a new plateau in terms of performance and action.
Its V8 predecessor was the only sports sedan in the world with optional Getrag 6-speed manual shifter.
This new iteration will also offer such an exotic selection, but in mainline mode comes with auto shifter for either an efficient dual-cam 2.8-liter in-line-6 engine or muscular option of a quad-cam 4.4-liter V8.
With that six aboard, BMW's 528i feels sure-footed, active at any speed, yet still luxuriously comfy inside.
With that eight installed, 540i gets downright awesome.
To create this latest 5-Series sedan, the Munich-based BMW designers virtually started anew, in the process paring model variations from four to two by deleting the smaller V8 530i and Touring wagon.
The new design, trimmed in a sleek shell which makes the package appear lower and smaller, actually carves out more interior room for up to five passengers.
Its lines seem more akin to the full-size 7-Series sedan now, with steeply sloped front hood accented by tapered notches converging toward the familiar kidney grille.
Headlamps look like eyelids squint in an aggressive posture, while back at the C pillar the form has a reverse kink like that of the 750i.
Beneath the handsome sheetmetal, a new body structure measures stronger and stiffer. New rigid joints, single-stamping door frames and specific cross-point reinforcements produce a sturdy framework developed not only to function as a safety cage encasing riders but form a firmer platform to support sport-tuned handling components.
In terms of stiffness, this new platform registers an improvement of 82 percent for checking torsional movement and up to 40 percent for reduced bending flex.
The difference becomes apparent in the way the BMW handles a tight set of curves, like that California canyon.
In 528i, new independent suspension components of light-weight aluminum make this the first such application for mass-production. The aluminum pares 46 lbs., mostly from elements which move vertically with the wheels, ideal place to spare the weight.
Also, the front track was broadened by 1.6 inches, which adds stability in motion.
For the 540i, which packs a heavier engine load, the tubular steel subframe from 7-Series sedans was installed.
In addition, while 528i employs a lively variable-ratio rack and pinion steering mechanism lifted from BMW's sporty M3, the 540i retains a recirculating ball device because BMW's engineers determined it translates less road shock to steering wheel, thus resulting in a more luxurious feel for the driver.
In a high-performing car like this, brakes become a key element for control, and the new 5-Series stocks big discs linked to aluminum calipers.
Anti-lock brakes appear on all models in a system which employs four sensors and three channels, except if optional traction control attaches to boost channels to four.
Power choices relate to fuel and price economics.
The 528i with in-line six produces a healthy 190 hp, with torque spread nicely throughout lower gear ranges. Either 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual shifter applies.
That latter combination forms the base application, which lists for $37,900.
The 540i with big V8 pumps as much as 282 hp to the rear wheels -- so much so that this car can scoot from zero to 60 mph in the mere space of 6.1 seconds.
A new 5-speed automatic or the Getrag manual 6-speed show up as choices here, with ultimate sport edition totaling to $52,000.
Interiors for all 5-Series models seem warmer and more friendly than past issues, reflecting the new German goal of catering to America's taste for fine luxury fittings.
Seats wear leatherette upholstery for 528i or premium leather on 540i.
Both include three choices for front buckets, including standard 10-way power adjustments. Optional 4-way lumber movement is available, along with BMW's Comfort Seat that adds 16 movements with articulated backrests which mold to spinal contours.
Touches of rosewood or walnut cap interiors, with trip computer and dual-control climate system installed.
1997 BMW 5-SERIES SEDANS
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 BMW 5 SERIES Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sport/luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sport/luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
111.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
188.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
528i: DOHC 2.8-L I6
540i: QOHC 4.4-L V8
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| Transmission: |
528i: Manual/5, Auto/4
540i: Manual/6, Auto/5 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
528i A/4: 19/26 mpg
540i A/5: 18/24 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 38,000 to $ 52,000 |
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