BMW 5 Series (E60): iDrive and the V10 M5

The fifth-generation 5 Series of 2003 brought the iDrive controller to the model along with a head-up display, active steering, adaptive headlights and night vision. Its aluminium front end and steel rear were new, and the range later gained the first turbocharged petrol engine in a 5 Series. The M5 of 2005 used a V10, the only M5 ever to do so.

BMW 5 Series (E60) at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the E60; the German article was not available.

History of the BMW 5 Series (E60)

Development and launch

The programme ran from 1997 to 2002 with Boyke Boyer as lead designer. The final design by Davide Arcangeli, working under design director Chris Bangle, was approved in 2000 and the German design patents were filed on 16 April 2002. The saloon went on sale on 5 July 2003 in Europe and in October 2003 in North America; the Touring arrived late in 2004. The body used aluminium ahead of the cabin and steel behind it, with kerb weights from 1,445 kg for the saloon, which kept a 50:50 weight distribution.

Equipment

iDrive, first seen on the E65 7 Series, was fitted to every E60. The standard system had a 6.5-inch screen, a single-disc CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth for phone calls on later 2004 cars and standard from 2005, basic voice control and vehicle settings. Options included an 8-inch screen, navigation, satellite radio in North America, DVD playback, iPod and USB integration, a multi-disc changer and the thirteen-speaker Harman Kardon Logic 7 system. BMW Assist could call for help and remind the owner about servicing. Active cruise control, bi-xenon headlights, run-flat tyres, active anti-roll bars, head-up display and active steering were on the list from the start, alongside stability control, adaptive headlights and night vision. In 2009 the iDrive interface changed from CCC to CIC, with programmable preset buttons and shortcut keys on the controller. The E60 was the first 5 Series in 22 years whose centre console was not angled towards the driver.

Engines

At launch the 520i, 525i and 530i used the M54 straight-six from the E39, while the 545i introduced the N62 V8. The M54 was phased out after the 2005 model year in favour of the four-cylinder N43 in the 520i and the N52 six in the 525i and 530i, and the range grew to include the 523i, 540i and 550i. In 2007 the 535i with the twin-turbo N54 became the first turbocharged petrol 5 Series, sold only in North America. Diesels began with the 530d using an updated M57; the 535d and 525d joined in 2004, and the four-cylinder 520d arrived in 2005 with the M47, replaced by the N47 in 2007. Almost all diesels stayed in Europe, and none were sold in North America. The M5 of 2005, with the S85 V10 and mostly the seven-speed SMG III, was offered as a saloon and an estate.

Design and features

• iDrive: a controller and screen for navigation, audio and vehicle settings on every car.
• Driver aids: head-up display, active steering, adaptive headlights, night vision and lane departure warning.
• Mixed-material body: aluminium at the front, steel for the cabin and rear, with a 50:50 balance in the saloon.
• V10 M5: the S85 engine, the only V10 ever used in an M5, also sold as a Touring.
• Six-speed automatic: the first automatic of that size in a 5 Series, replacing five-speed units.

BMW 5 Series (E60) versions

• Saloon (2003–2010): the original E60, from 520i to 550i and the M5.
• Touring (2004–2010): E61 estate, also available as an M5.
• 545i and 550i: V8 models, the 550i joining the range in 2005.
• 535i: twin-turbo N54 six, North America only, from 2007.
• 520d: the only four-cylinder diesel E60, M47 then N47.
• M5 (2005–2010): S85 V10 with the seven-speed SMG III gearbox.

The E60 replaced the 5 Series (E39) and shared its platform with the 6 Series (E63). Its V10 engine also powered the M5 covered in the BMW M5 article, and more cars are in the BMW collection.

Sources

• BMW 5 Series (E60), English Wikipedia: development, equipment, engines, transmissions