German Car Zone

Without the fat suit, the camo shots looked tons better! The kidney grill looked more proportional to overall front bumper design with a bit of E89 Z4 blending in it. The rear door edge is fairly straight to the rear quarter panel. No more center hump on the dash. It's looking better and better...

Grill seems much shorter than 7-series.

I'm gonna throw something out there for the engineers and maybe also scott and eni. I would like to know why BMW didn't do any furhter development on the SMG box.

I know DCT is faster and smoother but my understanding it has so much more moving parts over SMG or am I msitaken. I just feel that maybe SMG could have been as fast and smooth as SMG given a bit more time and development.

Also would like to know if SMG is as bad in normal driving as the journos make it out to be. Sorry didn't know which thread to post in.

No doubt SMG has a novelty for it's rapid F1-like gear changing. But you only have to look at the technical description of SMG to understand that it could possibly never be as smooth as DSG. I've only had a go at SMG in the E46 M3 at two occasions. For dynamic and aggressive driving it's brilliant but for normal cruising in inner cities it is a bit jerky. SMG III in the E60 M5 should have been vastly improved. Maybe Bartek can limp in with a few comments on how he's liking the gearbox in his M5.

I'm sure Bartek would but his M5 is manual.

The car looks seriously well proportioned, surprised to see the touring before the sedan though.

I have to admit the proportions are gorgeous and this will be one good looking car

^^The touring does look pretty good.