The new BMW 5-series has just been unveiled, and autocar.co.uk has talked with BMW's chief designer, Adrian Van Hooydonk, about its styling.
To read about the new BMW 5-series's technical details, read: New BMW 5-series - full details
New BMW 5-series picture gallery
What were your goals with the new BMW 5-series design?We tried to give the car a sense of lightness. When we looked at our heritage the cars that have gone before this, such as the 1500 and 1800, looked light and nimble. Obviously there's a lot more safety and technology in today's cars, but this sense of lightness is important, because you have to look at the car and experience what you see when you drive it.
Can you give some examples of this?The forward-leaning kidneys show it. The low horizontal grille also enhances this sportiness. The wheel arches fit with the lines at the rear of the car. Normally they look as though they are stuck on. The light falling onto the wheelarch broadens the car's stance and makes it look more muscular. The integration of the design is an expression of modernity as well.
Will the M5 look even sportier?When we do an M5 we want to make sure that the car looks even more purposeful and more dynamic. And, of course, we will be able to achieve this on this base very easily. The 5-series should be smooth and elegant, a formal, business kind of car. On the autobahn it should mean business in a different way, in the rear view mirror, but it doesn't need to be overly aggressive.An M5 should trump this in a visual way and I know that it will.
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Re: BMW 5-series's design explained
Orangewheels you are completely wrong! It's plainly obvious that what they really did was put the 7 series in the photocopier and set it to 85%!!
Lol
Re: BMW 5-series's design explained
BMW 5-series's design explained:
Take 3 series, put in photocopier, set to 110%, press copy.
Re: BMW 5-series's design explained
To me it looks a step back towards the design/shape of the well loved E39 model, a move I welcome. However , another increase in size possible making the car too big for another set of garages and parking spaces, I await a figures for the total width and length.