German Car Zone

Please!!!! Enhusiasts must be having a hard time at Mercedes then, cause the only normal cars they make are the: C-class, E-Class and S-class, the rest can be called niche (and that is around 10 more model lines at MB!!!)
Silly. I think the F5 will be a very welcome addition to the line-up, just like the X6. This car will be very far from a van, in terms of driving characteristics and appearance. The biggest problem of the R-class would be those two points.

Nice move BMW.

Next episode: the Sprinter by BMW.
Not a van or a truck, but a "SARTUHFBNILN", don't have the meaning of this yet, but of course it is noway a simple Sprinter thanks to its complex name.

Of course it will be much better than the Mercedes Sprinter, wonderful "complicated and torturated" design (no, no, flame surfacing like a fire on the car that sculpts the design... I know), very fun to drive because it will be 2mm less high and it makes all the difference... And BMW magical skill also.

And it will be fully in accordance with the BMW's philosophy. Of course. Cause BMW is perfect and can do nothing wrong.

(I exaggerate of course)

No offense

So, spy pics are finally here. Just like promised : after X6 prototypes appearence (now I know that meant "after Concept X6 premiere" ).




Like I said many times: F5 will be kind a "giant hatch/coupe", "raised sedan with a backpack", "coupe version of 5er Touring" , "5dr shooting brake on steroids".



So, I hope this spy pics will shut up the guys who were convinced F5 would be R-class kind a vehicle = kind-a-van.


Btw, regarding F5 & BMW most things were already said in this thread: http://www.germancarzone.com/new-bmw...-f5-v3-f3.html (BMW V-series / F-series (V5/F5 & V3/F3))

So I'm not going to repeat myself too much. Go there & see my & Scott's posts.

Btw, here & again - dr Draegers (BMW development chief) on F5:

Not quite funny. We are trying to discuss a brand new BMW model here, from which we have seen the first spy shots just now.

Can a mod please delete these two posts. they don't help the thread one bit.

Still I don't get this car. Sure the whole coupe-trend is hot like we have seen with the CLS and the X6. But creating a hatch/coupe-ish van is a bit pointless. Especially when the number one reason to buy a van is for boot space.

IMO the shape of the rear makes the car a little useless. This car feels equally as pointless like MB keeping both the A and B-class.

What about functionality. Is BMW in the future going to only be about sport, performance and sloping roof line and non-conventional rears?

Hey don't take it that serious!

Don't like it, don't like it that's all.

Can't see what it does in the BMW line-up. A van is not a BMW, for me, I think it is a bad idea.
Vans are about cruising, without being aggressive like a suv, a a bit more vast than a station-wagon.

For me van is the contrary of sport.

Such an expensive van does not evoke driving pleasure or cornering speed, but gentle cruising in all-comfort like a R-Class.

The R-Class had sense in the Benz line-up, but lacks the charism of a suv.
This car, for me, has no place in the BMW line-up.

Some said, a diesel has no place in a BMW. Now in Europe BMW sells much more diesels than petro cars. But it had an obvious economy advantage. So it was logical.

Some said, a SUV can't be a BMW. But it was logical to go into the American market where SUV are the common vehicule. So it made sense.

The X6, well, it is a beautiful product, evokes sport...

This F5, really don't see the point.

Oh c'mon, klier! I found it funny. I'm not totally sure about this ambitious model range expansion either.

Another pic by Huckfeldt

1. Have you driven the car already? I assume the answer is no. So, please restrain by making comments F5 can't evoke driving pleasure & be able of sporty driving dynamics.

2. "Such an expensive van does not evoke driving pleasure or cornering speed, but gentle cruising in all-comfort" By this analogy anything larger then eg. 3er is not able to evoke driving pleasure or cornering speed. Incl. 5er (+Touring), 6er, 7er & X5, and even X6. So, following this argument large (and more luxury oriented) BMWs are redundant (since they can not deliver "true" BMW experience - like eg. 3er, or now 1er do).

3. I really do not understand people who dare to link BMW to a certain technology & certain type / shape of a vehicle. BMW are not about particular tech & shape. They are about same values as ever before - and such values can be achieved by different tech & in different segments - with different shapes. Otherwise BMW culd be reduced to a ultra-sporty coupe - and any other model would be "not having enough BMW spirit".

4. Market trends are changing. Because some particular model does not make sense to you that does not mean that's the case for the targeted population. Mind that many market & trend researches are done before a specific model gets green line: including image perception of such car within BMW model line. X6 & F5 (and all the other upcoming models) have some strong rational reasoning behind. Trust me, BMW know what they are doing. Even MB got the market needs right - but they blew it a bit by offering a bit too much utilitarian van-like vehicle (R-class) in stead of something more exclusive in shape.

5. F5 just like X6 is a niche vehicle - addressing needs of a specific customer base. But such base is growing with every day. Eg. X6 is targeting people who want high sitting position, sporty performance, but do not care about space much - and also want sporty & dynamic styling. So, F5 targets a specific group who want all the advantages of a luxury sedan but more passenger space & versatility - and do not like too high sitting position & gigantic appearance of an SUV, and also find wagons not spacious enough for the passengers.

F 07