It is not new today that a lot of carmakers are already following the footsteps of BMW in developing the hybdrogen fuel cell technology which will make their future models more performance and less fuel-consumption.

But until then, BMW is still the leading company that is trying to implement the hydrogen fuel cell technology on future models, such as the BMW i8 or the BMW 5-Series GT. The entire process would be carried out in partnership with Toyota, resulting a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle or simply FCEV, by 2020.

And the real proof of BMW`s upcoming hydrogen fuel cell project are the two prototypes already unveiled which will embrace this new technology. We are talking here about the upcoming BMW i8 and BMW 5-Series GT. While we know almost nothing about the BMW i8 prototype, the future i8 already being previewed as a Fuel-Efficient 588 MPG, we head on the 5-Series GT, which has been already detailed.

The BMW 5-Series GT prototype will be powered by an electric motor with 245 horsepower, which will take its energy from a hydrogen fuel cell stack, hooked to a high-voltage battery. But how does it realy work?

The ”hydrogen is stored in a tunnel tank between the front and rear axle which features industry standard 700 bar CGH2 vessel technology and cryogenic pressure vessel technology (CCH2) patented by the BMW Group for storing gaseous hydrogen at low temperature and 350 bar pressure”, to quote Carscoops online publication.

Another interesting feature about the use of the hydrogen fuel cell, especially on the 5-Series GT is that the prototype will come with more than a staggering 500 km mile range, BMW stating that the fuel cell technology “makes an ideal addition to both the BMW i models and, in the future, the series-produced models from the BMW brand fitted with tried-and-tested eDrive technology.”

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Future BMW i8 and BMW 5-Series GT Will Get Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

BMW just released a video showcasing the facelifted version of the 5 Series vehicle range.

From what we can gather from the video, it seems the German car maker didn’t go wild with restyling the 5 Series, and maybe it’s for the best.

It is understandable that a car should go through some changes during its lifetime, but each should be backed by some sort of reasoning. Right now some facelifts seem to be uncalled for.

The 5 Series never was an ugly car, and BMW are quite aware of this. To this end, the facelift was nothing major, leaving the vehicle pretty much the same. The video starts with the 5 Series sedan, presenting it in its home environment, the city, then moves on to the Touring version, finishing off with the more recent Gran Turismo.

BMW also makes sure to present in their video some of the new features available on their 5 Series, namely the HUD, Driving Experience Control system and the iDrive touch system.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post 2014 BMW 5 Series lineup showcased in video appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

BMW plans to refresh the 5 Series GT, a model which, as we all know, did not succeeded to impress.

Sales figures were not very good in the United States, a clear sign that the upcoming version, namely the facelift model, has to come with several improvements.

The main problem of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is the rear end and, as these spy shots reveal, this is the zone where the German carmaker did most of the changes. The upcoming BMW 5 Series GT facelift will benefit from revised front and rear bumpers, a new rear spoiler, improved optical blocks and few other minor tweaks.

Inside, BMW will maintain the high quality materials with no other major improvements needed. In terms of engines, the current lineup will carry over with minor tweaks for certain units.

We should see the new model in its production form at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show while customers should be able to place their order starting next year.

Spy Photos: Worldcarfans

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post New BMW 5 Series GT spied again, shows more metal appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

We have a fresh batch of spy photos with the new BMW 5 Series GT, a model which will receive a subtle facelift very soon.

Despite the poor sales of this model, the Germans at BMW really hope that a facelift treatment for the F07 5 Series GranTurismo will do the job.

As these new spy shots reveal, there will be some major styling tweaks, the concerned parts being the camouflaged bits of the prototype below. To be more specific, we expect revised front and rear bumpers, air intakes, a reworked rear end and also slightly improved optical blocks.

Under the bonnet we should expect the same engine range found on the current model. However, BMW could add other engine choices in order to make this model even more attractive.

The 2014 BMW 5 Series GT is expected to make its first appearance at the upcoming NAIAS which opens its gates early next year, in January.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post F07 BMW 5 Series GT spied yet again, slated to premiere at NAIAS appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It is clearly that the Germans from BMW are preparing some serious improvements for all the major models in the range considering the big amount of information released by the Bavarians in the last few days. If few days ago we talked about the improvements following to be available for the current 3 Series and 6 Series range, today we got the opportunity to discuss about the 5 Series range which is also on the list to receive new features from this fall, exactly as the models mentioned above.

To begin with, BMW announced the introduction of two new gasoline units which will be available, as recently told, from the fall of this year. We talk about a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine being offered in two power versions, both for the Sedan and Touring models.

The BMW 520i Sedan features the first 2.0-liter unit offering 184 horsepower and 270 Nm of torque, making the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h possible in 7,9 seconds and a top speed of 227 km/h. The Touring model will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h slightly slower, in 8,3 seconds while the top speed is 220 km/h. The second engine choice is the BMW 528i offering 245 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque from the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit. This will make the Sedan version accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6,2 seconds while the top speed is 250 km/h.

Opt for the Touring version and the sprint time increases by 0,2 seconds while the top speed is 244 km/h. BMW also announced some fuel consumption figures for the new 528i Sedan (6.8 – 7.1 liters/100 km) but also CO2 emissions (159 – 165 g/km).

The Germans decided to introduce the xDrive system on few models in the range, exactly as they did with the current 6 Series generation. More exactly, you will be able to order the 528i, 535i, 550i, 525d, 530d and 535d with the all-wheel drive system, the diesel units above receiving some minor power boosts for the new model year, somewhere around 13 horsepower for each of them.

The new BMW 520d EfficientDynamics Edition comes with an improved fuel consumption of 4,5 liters/100 km and CO2 emissions of 119 g/km while power comes from the 2.0-liter diesel unit developing 184 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque. Lastly, the Germans are trying to recover some lost ground with the current 5 Series GT by introducing the M Sport package which brings a new set of 19-inh alloy wheels (20-inch M alloys are optional), an aerodynamic kit with new front and rear bumpers, a revised M suspension and interior tweaks such as sport seats and leather steering wheel.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW 5 Series range extended with EfficientDynamics Edition, new Turbo Engines and M Sport Package for GT variant appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

As you probably know, especially if you are an American customer, BMW quitted offering a wagon version of 5 Series in the States and came with the Gran Turismo variant, a model which should have been successfully replace the more familiar wagon version. Unfortunately for the Bavarians, the 5 Series GT registered extremely poor sales, BMW North America CEO, Jim O’Donnell, sharing the same opinion with us.

According to O’Donnell, they thought that the new GT will attract the U.S. customers waiting for the wagon variant and determine them to get the hatchback model. Instead, this not happened and the customers turned their attention to the similar models in the range of German rivals.

Therefore, BMW managed to sell only 2,848 units in 2010 while the initial plans were to manufacture at least 4,000 units a year for the American market. Moreover, the poor sales continued this year too, only 720 units being sold since the start of 2011, making the initial annual target just a bold assumption. When BMW announced that the 5 Series wagon will not be available in the U.S., a lot of fans showed their disappointment and asked BMW to think again on this.

Of course, after O’Donnell claimed that he is truly disappointed of the 5 Series GT’s sales, the first question being if this situation will determine BMW to bring back the much loved wagon version to the United States. He claimed that BMW has no plans to introduce a wagon version of the current 5 Series generation but there are big chances to prepare a comeback when the new generation arrives.

With no hope to see the current BMW 5 Series wagon coming to the States, let’s review the main features of the Gran Turismo variant. As you already know, the main setback of the current BMW 5 Series GT is the rear end which transforms the model into a tall hatchback that did not managed to impress the customers.

Under the bonnet, BMW 535i GT features a 300-horsepower engine, all the power being sent to the rear wheels. This version is priced at $56,875 while for extra $10,000 you get the 550i xDrive GT with 400 horses under the hood and the all-wheel drive system. The official debut of the 5 Series GT took place at the Frankfurt Auto Show in December 2009, and mainly in the U.S., the former 7 Series owners were attracted by the 5 Series GT, not exactly as the Bavarians hoped, indeed.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW completely unsatisfied about the U.S. sales of the 5 Series Gran Turismo appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The Italian fashion house Trussardi teamed up with the Germans from BMW in order to create a tuning package able to improve the appearance of the current 5 Series GT F07. Talking about a partnership with a fashion house, you have to expect major aesthetics tweaks and less performance upgrades.

The Italians from Trussardi are celebrating 100 years of activity through a special package developed for the Bavarian GT model. The new styling package can be fitted either on the 530d xDrive model in the photos or on 535d, 535i, 550i.

Inside the German model, the Italian designers prepared a leather upholstery with embroidered logos on the seats and brown stitches. At the exterior you’ll enjoy dark grey 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with 245/40 front and 275/35 rear tires, a revised front bumper and the Heraldic Brown paint job.

Trussardi’s special edition for BMW 5 Series GT F07 will be available soon and in the same time we will find the price tag as for now the Italians divulged nothing in this regard. The aesthetic package developed by Trussardi is mainly inspired from their leather products.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW teams up with Trussardi to create a styling package for 5 Series GT F07 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The recent recalls from various car manufacturers seem to have been a bad omen for BMW, as the company also encountered problems and needed to recall units of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo from both the US and China.

More than six thousand units will be recalled in the US because of what seems to be a fuel sensor that could have a fabrication defect because of a lever. The said lever is positioned at the fuel tank which could result in incorrect fuel readings, the driver wrongly thinking that there is more fuel than in reality. No solution was provided by BMW as of yet.

The units from the People’s Republic of China also have a problem with the fuel tank, but this time the issue isn’t the fuel sensor, but the stalling which can result. The problem affected over five thousand BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo models.

Fortunately there have been no reports of accidents or complaints in either case and we’re sure that BMW will do everything in it’s power to successfully solve the said issues in a quick and effective manner.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Recall Spree appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Hamann Motorsports is a German tuning company that specializes in BMW, Land Rover and Ferrari. That first one is the one we’re interested in, obviously.

What Hamann have been involved into recently is the improvement of the GT variant of the BMW 5 Series.

In particular they’ve focused on one version that is most likely to sell due to it’s engine, the 530d and what they’ve come up with something quite un-Hamann-ish as the car is better but surprisingly discrete.

Hamann’s 5 series GT gets the following modifications: a new suspension setup across the range, functional front and rear spoilers, side skirts and then there’s a special rear apron destined to house Hamann’s new mufflers. The 530d version of Hamann’s BMW GT is also getting some reprogramming for its Motronic system in order to obtain an extra 30 horsepower and you know get 275 horsepower and an alarmingly large amount of torque numbered in at 457 lb-ft.

The discrete looks don’t really fit with the wheels as they seem to be a bit of a show off fest. It’s still a Hamann after all and there is no problem with getting something like a 550i GT.

Another interestingly discrete thing about the 5 series GT from Hamann is the press release as the German tuning company clearly states that what you get with your 5 series GT exactly what you would get with your BMW 5 series GT just that it’s a bit tuned up.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Hamann BMW 5 series GT appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Seeing how the BMW X6 has had a tremendous success, the Bavarians are seriously considering the creation of a smaller brother for it.

Since it’s launch back in 2008 the BMW X6 has sold over 80.000 units so it would only make sense to make a smaller, more affordable version of it.

The BMW X6 has been even more controversial then all of the styling decisions made by Chris Bangle a few years ago as almost nobody seemed to understand the concept  behind the car. Nevertheless the sales figure speak for themselves and they make up the best proof behind the demand for sporty off-roaders.

While the X4 hasn’t gotten the green light yet, actually, it doesn’t even have this name yet. What it could be is a car based on the X3 platform, that would draw stylistic inspiration from the X6, obviously, and from the X Coupe Concept presented in 2001.

Since BMW has been responsible for creating niche products such as the 5 Series GranTurismo or the BMW X1 the X4 could well be soon coming to a dealership near you. How soon? Well possibly around the same time the BMW Gran Coupe hits the market in 2012.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW considering a new model: The X4 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.