derBayerische July/August 2024 - 22

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Were Benjamin Franklin alive
today, he most likely would say that
three things are certain: death, taxes,
and airline flight delays. Bitten again
by the dreaded " weather delay " with
the resulting " timed-out " flight crew,
what was to be a pleasant, calm start
to our i5 evaluation was tainted by
the stress from an unplanned
overnight layover.
But the moment we saw our i5,
that travel stress began to fade. The
handsome, bold, and timeless
upscale exterior design immediately
lifted our spirits. The rear design
shares the same design features as
the 7 Series, giving the vehicle a distinct
upscale air.
That familiar BMW new car
smell greeted us as we opened the
doors. The inviting and airy interior
design was both fresh and familiar.
Quickly loading our luggage,
getting situated in the driver's seat,
and pushing the start button, that
travel stress faded away.
Spanning half the dashboard, a
very large, curved one-piece glass
panel lit up to reveal a 12-inch
instrument panel and a 15-inch infotainment
display.
B M W i 5 M 6 0
with the i4 and the i7, the i5 is not
intended as a Tesla competitor.
Rather, it's the EV alternative for the
BMW enthusiast.
Our i5 evaluation vehicle was
the M60 version. This top-of-theline
xDrive model features two
electric motors that, when combined,
produces 593 horsepower and 586
foot-pounds of torque. Flicking the
clever " boost " paddle located on the
left side of the steering wheel boosts
the torque to 605 foot-pounds.
In terms of exterior design,
■ No grill openings tells you that this is the EV version for the new 5-series.
Then we saw the state-ofcharge
meter. While at 96% with a
projected 235-mile range, range
anxiety set in. We started searching
for the closest working fast charging
station.
Our first stop was the public
EVGo fast charging station located
on Battery Street in San Francisco.
One of our first BMW evaluations
was an E34 5 Series. Since
then, we've become huge fans of
what has been proven to be the best
executive sedan on the market.
Whether in base, M, sedan, or
■ The rear design captures the spirit of the E39 5 Series.
station wagon, the 5 Series set the
global standard for performance
luxury cars by having a chassis that
was designed and engineered to
excel for every purse or purpose.
Since the E39, the 5 Series has
been used as the product benchmark
in all OEM design studios and
engineering centers. The E60, F10,
and G30 quietly continued that
benchmark status, though overshadowed
by the SAV.
With the eighth generation
G60, BMW added something new to
the 5 Series line - an EV. And as
we've noticed that the odd number
BMW exterior designs tend toward
the conservative and the even
number products tend toward the
daring. Perhaps this is Adrian van
Hooydonk's way to keeping all his
designers happy and busy!
And the G60 exterior design is
one of quiet and timeless elegance.
Elements from the E34, E39, E60,
F10, and G30 have been incorporated,
giving the vehicle a refined
and evolved look. The bold design
elements from the XM add a
businesslike demeanor to the overall
design.
When it is dark, the i5's exterior
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