Unveiled at the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, named after Mahlangu’s eldest son, showcases an animated exterior. This animation is made possible by two strips adorned with millions of microcapsules of E Ink spread across the car’s hood, roof, sides, and rear. These strips can be electronically controlled to shift the color particles’ structure, allowing for dynamic visual effects.

The i5’s unique exterior is made up of 1,349 sections of individually controllable E Ink film, meticulously cut by laser to fit the sedan’s contoured surfaces. This advancement signifies a leap from the Dee concept, with the technology now capable of displaying an even broader array of colors. Furthermore, improvements have made the E Ink film more durable, hinting at its potential for mainstream production, though it remains exclusive to concept models at present. Adding to the car’s uniqueness, BMW commissioned Renzo Vitale, an acoustic engineer and sound designer, to create a distinctive sound for the i5 Flow NOSTOKANA.

Reflecting on its roots, the #12 BMW Art Car made a historic return to South Africa this month, over three decades since its debut. Meanwhile, BMW is finalizing its #20 Art Car, the M Hybrid V8 endurance racer, designed by Julie Mehretu, set to be revealed on May 21.

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It’s worth noting that the zero-emission Gran Coupe boasts a pair of electric motors generating a combined 396 horsepower and an instant torque of 443 pound-feet. It’s important to mention that both the i4 and i5 in the eDrive40 trim offer 335 hp, but the i4 eDrive40 delivers 317 lb-ft of torque, while the i5 eDrive40 offers only 295 lb-ft. It remains unclear whether there will be any differences in the case of the xDrive models.

In related news, the 550e xDrive also appears in the document as a plug-in hybrid model, a confirmation that was awaited for the US market until now. It carries a price tag of $73,800. Additionally, in the coming year, likely as a 2025 model year offering, the M5 Sedan is expected to make its debut as the flagship model, boasting over 700 horsepower from a plug-in hybrid setup based on the new twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 “S68” engine. While the M division has confirmed the return of the M5 Touring, it remains uncertain whether this high-performance wagon will be available in the United States.

Source: BMW USA

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In the teaser videos, we are treated to a glimpse of the new BMW 5 Series, showcasing its illuminated kidney grille with slimmer headlights featuring arrow-shaped daytime running lights similar to those found on the 2024 X5 and X6. The grille is wide, but not overly tall, and the headlights are a single cluster rather than two separate modules like those on the larger 7 Series, X7, and XM. Inside, the center touchscreen is quite large and runs on the recently debuted Operating System 8.5, which was first featured on the i7 M70 and will be introduced in more affordable models over time.

On the day of the reveal, we will also get to see the M Performance version, the i5 M60, which boasts a dual-motor setup with 590 horsepower. Additionally, a more affordable rear-wheel-drive variant known as the i5 eDrive40 will be available, offering a respectable 335 horsepower. This base electric model is estimated to have a range of up to 362 miles (582 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle or 295 miles (475 kilometers) for the US version rated by the EPA.

BMW will also offer the G60-generation 5 Series with several four- and six-cylinder engines for those who prefer traditional internal combustion engines. However, the M550i may not be returning, leaving the M5 as the only option for those seeking a V8 engine with its plug-in hybrid setup based on the “S68” engine. The flagship M5 sedan is expected to debut next year, with an M5 Touring likely following soon after. Additionally, the i5 will receive a wagon variant in 2024.

Following its global debut later this month, the new 5 Series is anticipated to hit the market in the second half of the year.

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According to BMW sources, the first M-engineered fully electric car will not arrive until the Neue Klasse family of cars is on the road. This means that the first-ever BMW i5M will likely not arrive until then. The G60 BMW 5 Series, set to be unveiled this Spring, will use the flexible CLAR architecture, with a focus on combustion engines. However, the integration of electrified drives is expected to become more prevalent, and by 2025 the focus will shift towards electric drivetrains.

If you are looking for an M-lite electric sedan, the BMW i5 M60 could be your only choice for a while. Rumors suggest that the 2024 BMW i5 M60 xDrive will send nearly 600 horsepower to all four wheels, with a torque level similar to, if not better than, the iX M60 at 811 pound-feet of torque. The i5 will weigh significantly less than the massive iX crossover, providing a lower center of gravity, similar to the already high-selling i4 M50, and delivering excellent driving dynamics.

Although the i5M may not be arriving anytime soon, an electrified BMW M5 will be part of the G60 5 Series generation, featuring an “S68” 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with a hybrid electric motor. The range of the hybrid electric motor is expected to be around 30 miles, but the power output should be sufficient at 715 horsepower.

While the rumors of the BMW i5M are exciting, BMW has yet to confirm any plans of bringing an i5M to the next generation G60 5 Series. However, the shift towards electric drivetrains means that we can expect to see more electrified models from BMW, including the potential arrival of the i5 M60 in the future, along with the electrified M5. Only time will tell what the future holds for BMW and its electrification strategy.

[Render www.instagram.com/germanysfinest43]

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In the meantime, there’s a lot of testing that needs to be done to iron out the kinks. To the surprise of no one, BMW is evaluating prototypes of the first-ever i5 at the Nürburgring. The i5 is still in the early testing phase considering it lacks the final headlights and taillights. Those old-fashioned bulbs for the turn signals are certainly a provisional setup we won’t see on the final production vehicle. The lighting design is quite basic and certainly not worthy for a 2024 BMW. All prototypes are draped in camouflage, but even so, it’s easy to notice the flush door handle design inherited from recent models.

While all i5 prototypes spotted thus far have been sedans based on the G60 5 Series, our sources close to BMW have told us a more practical wagon could follow as early as the 2024 calendar year. It would take after the G61 5 Series Touring and compete in a rarified electric wagon segment.

BMW is expected to start production of the 5 Series Sedan in July 2023.

Source: Carspotter Jeroen / YouTube | [Render: @BMW43__]

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“We are fully committed to electric cars wherever the use of battery-electric drive trains makes sense, and it is possible because the conditions are right,” Zipse said during a recent earnings call.

According to Automotive News Europe, the four cars will be an all-electric 7 Series, 5 Series, X1, and MINI Countryman. The first ones to come will be the 7 Series and the X1, which are said to go fully electric as early as next year.

“By 2023 we will offer our customers at least one BEV option in nearly all our vehicle segments and over the next 10 years we aim to release a total of about 10 million fully electric vehicles onto the market,” he said.

These new vehicles will be built on BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture, harking back to the Neue Klasse chassis vehicles of the’60s and ’70s. Those iconic vehicles launched BMW into new territory, so the idea is that this new Neue Klasse can do it again. There’s a bit of confusion about the nature of the Neue Klasse and what sort of powertrains it will use but the idea is that it will be designed for EVs first but can also accommodate internal combustion, for hybrids, and even hydrogen.

“Our new vehicle architecture is uncompromisingly electric, whether with battery power or hydrogen,” said Zipse.

According to this same report, the Neue Klasse will be a highly flexible architecture that will underpin the widest range of vehicles of any BMW chassis yet. It will even underpin some Rolls-Royce models, which is interesting considering the latter brand’s relatively recent investment in its own bespoke luxury architecture.

“The Neue Klasse comes with a new IT and software architecture, as well as newly developed high-performance electric drive train and battery generation,” he said.

BMW has high hopes for its new EVs; the i4, iX, and whatever comes next. In fact, BMW hopes to sell two million EVs to customers by 2025, an ambitious goal to say the least. Let’s hope BMW’s right, though, as the more EVs on the road, the better.

[Source: Automotive News Europe]

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The render only shows off the back of the car, which is similar in size and shape to the current 5 Series. However, it gets wider, slimmer taillights, with an LED light bar that connects the two. The taillights themselves look a bit similar to those of the current 5 Series, though. Down below them, you can see two little cutouts where exhaust pipes used to be, replaced by black plastic panels and blue accents. It’s very similar to the rear end design of the BMW i4.

This render looks very much like someone smashed a current 5 Series together with an i4. While the current 5 Series doesn’t have the light bar, the taillights do look similar and the exhaust replacement panels are plucked straight from the i4.

We don’t know when BMW is planning on releasing this new electric 5 Series — will it debut when the current 5er is replaced, or will BMW wait a bit longer and add it as an additional model? We also don’t know if it will be called the BMW 5 Series Electric or the BMW i5. We do know, however, that it’s currently being worked on and it will most likely be built on BMW’s Neue Klasse of chassis. Hopefully, it has a more interesting design than the BMW i4, which just looks like a 4 Series Gran Coupe with some blue bits.

[Source: @BMW43__]

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In a statement issued to the press today, BMW announced that the company will have 25 electrified models on the roads by 2023, a target we all knew already quite well. Apart from those models though, which include the 7 Series BEV, more cars will be offered along the same lines, such as an X1 and 5 Series, part of the ‘Power of Choice’ strategy deployed by BMW.

In case you forgot, this means future models will be built atop modular platforms that allow BMW to use whatever kind of powertrain they like.

This includes fully-electric, plug-in hybrid, diesel and petrol engines with 48-volt technology. Furthermore, also to this end, BMW started implementing certain features on its Plug-in hybrid models this year, automatically turning on the EV mode on them whenever you enter the city center.

Up until now, about 80 European cities have been geofenced to allow the cars to use this feature and BMW says this project will continue, expanding to more locations.

The objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles by 40 percent per kilometer driven. The main lever here is a far-reaching product strategy with massive expansion of e-mobility: In ten years, the goal is to have a total of more than seven million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the roads – around two thirds of them with a fully-electric drive train.

Furthermore, since some of the cars will still be using internal combustion engines, BMW will enhance its Efficient Dynamics strategy. The BMW Group will also continue its work on reducing the fuel consumption of conventional drive trains and making them more efficient. The ongoing rollout of 48-volt technology is another element of CO2 reduction.

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