It has Taken a Generation Change but BMW has put Money Where its Mouth is
No, I am not making any reference to our government’s ‘demonitisation’ programme but what this does is make people stand up and take notice. Six years ago, BMW did that when it made the 5-series go softer in a bid to be ‘more mainstream’ in the vast expanse of luxury sedans that now extended beyond core Europe. Asia to be specific. The subtle mid-life update only made matters worse as the 5-series now stood as a distant relative of the machines that play with phrases like “ultimate driving machine” and “sheer driving pleasure”.
The 5-series is an important cog in the BMW juggernaut. One of the longest-selling cars to come out of Munich, it is also one of the most popular. Second only to the smaller and more affordable 3-series in terms of sheer numbers sold globally, the 5 even climbs to the top spot in certain countries, like India.
For us, this is the third-generation change. While the story began in 1972 with the E12 5-series (and the likes of the 528 pictured on these pages), India did not see the official sale of the 5-series until the fifth-generation E60 model – infamous for its designers’ departure from the BMW way - arrived on the scene.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2017-Ausgabe von BBC TopGear India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2017-Ausgabe von BBC TopGear India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR KARI FT. EUROGRIP
What happens when you do track days in the name of pushing the limits of a tyre
ROOKIE BLUES
Acosta Urged for Patience as KTM Chases Ducati
THE VALUE OF TIME
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
DJI Osmo Action 4
Being an automotive journalist, our job entails us to ride motorcycles of all kinds and not to forget, the life behind driving some exotic set of wheels as well.
WAR WORDS WORLDS
Indians might not have played a deciding role in the previous world wars but now, our participation is much more evident
XTREME MACHINE
Maserati's racing history is a patchwork of epic highs and long absences, so can the MCXtrema - a track only version of its latest supercar-bring back the glory days?
WET AND WILD
No doors, no roof, no boot, but at least there's a windscreen... Paul Horrell pulls on his waterproof trousers and takes the Nomad 2 for a spin
STREAM W0RKS
This is an MG. Yes, really. Turns out it's got form in streamliners too...just ask Stirling Moss
A map and a compass.
Dacia got a foothold in the UK with cheapness, now it wants toughness on its CV. Can the new Duster handle Morocco's heat and locate a Dakar team in the desert - no GPS allowed?
A RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT?
Farewell, V10, this is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a 907bhp V8 hybrid. A worthy Huracán successor, or a misstep from the Italian firm?