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Interior Design

The cockpit is inclined towards the driver at an angle of approximately 7o and the asymmetrically designed center console likewise emphasizes this clear orientation to the driver. The horizontal lines of the instrument panel accentuate the feeling of space.

The seating position has been improved over the former model both front and rear, with knee-room on the rear seats of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan up by 13 millimeters or 0.5". Luggage compartment capacity is 520 liters or 18.2 cubic feet, and the folding rear-seat backrest available as an option provides greater flexibility in enlarging the car's transport capacities. In addition to its 40:60 split, the rear-seat backrest also comes with through-loading and, as yet a further option, a ski-bag for additional convenience.

Like so many aspects of the new 550i Sedan, its instrument cluster combines BMW tradition with advanced, beautiful new executions. Here the entire cluster is in a high-resolution Black Panel display, in which four classic circular instruments are most prominent; other driving-relevant displays and readouts - including Navigation if present, vehicle-monitoring functions, upcoming service requirements and other information - also appear here in their various (and function-related) graphic forms. Climate-control settings and controls are located in a second Black Panel display in the center console stack.

With the new 550i Sedan, BMW's 4th generation iDrive control screen appears in two versions: with 7.0-in. dimensions and 800 x 480-pixel resolution in standard form, or with the optional Navigation system, in a dazzling 10.2-in., 1280 x 480-pixel version with a wider range of features and functions as in the new BMW 7 Series. Displays are transreflective so that light from the sun actually enhances the images on the screen.

The instrument cluster interacts in new ways with the iDrive control display and the available Head-up Display. According to selected function, users can call up phone numbers or radio stations via the steering-wheel controls. The cluster display also augments iDrive's optional Navigation display with road-realistic directional instructions, helping the driver to change lanes or negotiate a complicated intersection. If the optional Head-up Display is activated, the relevant directions appear there.

Powertrain: The Essence of BMW EfficientDynamics

Highly advanced drivetrain and suspension technologies combine agile handling for the driver and a high standard of riding comfort for passengers. When equipped with the Sport Package, the new BMW 550i Sedan includes Adaptive Drive, which encompasses Driving Dynamics Control, Electronic Damper Control, and Active Roll Stabilization. Optional Integral Active Steering will virtually extend or shorten the vehicle's wheelbase for improved stability at high speeds and enhanced agility at lower speeds.

The new 5 Series will be offered in the United States with a choice of three gasoline engines. At its introduction, the new 5 Series will be available as a 535i and 550i. The 528i and xDrive all-wheel drive variants of all three models will arrive later in the year.

The 550i is powered by BMW's stunning 4.4-liter, 400-hp twin turbocharged V-8 engine. Compared to BMW's earlier, normally aspirated V-8, displacement is reduced from 4.8 to 4.4 liters, and incorporates twin turbochargers with High Precision direct injection. In quantitative terms, the new engine delivers its 400 hp over a range from 5500 to 6400 rpm. Maximum torque is 450 lb-ft, available over the extremely broad range of 1800 to 4500 rpm. Aside from the dramatic thrust that drivers will notice subjectively, the objective data are dramatic too: 0-60 mph is estimated to be in just 5.0 seconds (preliminary) and a top speed when equipped with the Sport Package of 150 mph. For models without Sport Package the maximum speed is limited to 130 mph.

Through its unique reverse-flow layout, the 550i's V-8 engine is able to achieve higher output without correspondingly higher fuel consumption. In technical terms, the approach involves some very new design details. For the first time, twin turbochargers and the exhaust-cleansing catalytic converters are placed between the V-8's two cylinder banks. In turn, this required the exhaust camshafts and valves to be inboard so that the path from cylinders to turbochargers (which are driven by exhaust gas) would be kept short. A key benefit of this layout becomes a more compact engine package. This is the reverse of a traditional V-8 layout, and opens a new era of V-8 engine development potential.

The 550i will be available with a choice of 6-speed manual transmission, BMW's new 8-speed automatic transmission, or new "Sport Automatic" 8-speed.

The Most Sporting 5 Series Chassis to Date

The new BMW 550i can be equipped with a Sport Package that adds Adaptive Drive, which contains several key features.

• Driving Dynamics Control, introduced on the 2009 BMW 7 Series and Z4 Roadster, allows the driver to set the ride/handling/drivetrain behavior of the car through a single rocker switch on the center console. Adjacent to the E-shift lever or manual shift lever is the Driving Dynamics Control selector (logically, on the driver's side). Driving Dynamics Control provides four standard settings that tailor vehicle behavior to different moods. The settings are Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+. Affected vehicle parameters include engine throttle response, transmission shift characteristics, power-steering assistance level, and Dynamic Traction Control mode (in the Sport+ setting).
• Dynamic Damping Control is an evolution of the Electronic Damping Control (EDC) that has been available on several BMW models. On the new 5 Series, Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) is combined with a slightly lowered (10mm) suspension. Dynamic Damping Control adjusts the shock absorbers to any level of firmness, quickly adapting to road conditions and the driver's demands. Suspension control is always optimum for current road conditions, vehicle speed, and load. The shocks default to the softest appropriate setting for the vehicle's speed, and when the vehicle encounters an irregular road surface, they adjust instantaneously to control ride motions, preserve ride comfort, and maintain adhesion to the road. The system is so fast that even at highway speeds the system can sense a pothole at a front wheel and adjust rear-wheel damping before it reaches the same pothole. Dynamic Damping Control is the first BMW system to vary the shock absorbers' jounce and rebound strokes (wheel moving upward and downward) both steplessly and independently; this capability results in a unique combination of desirable firmness (for handling) and excellent comfort on uneven road surfaces.
• Active Roll Stabilization. This high-tech system reduces body roll, popularly known as "lean," in cornering. It improves handling by virtue of better suspension geometry (wheel angles relative to vertical), but there is a psychological component as well: Drivers and passengers alike marvel at the "flat cornering" that results from ARS. When the vehicle enters a corner or curve, or begins an avoidance maneuver, "lateral acceleration" is generated. This is read by a sensor, which transmits a signal to the ECU. The ECU processes this signal and transmits it to the valve/sensor block. In turn, the valve/sensor block determines the hydraulic pressure applied to the anti-roll bars to control body roll.

Electronic Limited-Slip Differential

When DSC is fully de-activated, an electronic limited-slip differential comes into play in vigorous driving. By judicious application of the individual rear-wheel brakes, DSC simulates the effect of a traditional mechanical limited-slip differential. This has the effect of better apportioning power between the two rear wheels and thus improving traction in this driving situation.

Innovative Driver Assistance Systems

The driver assistance systems offered with the new 5 Series include an all-new Parking Assistant, Top View cameras, and Frontal Collision Warning with application of the brakes when ordered with Active Cruise Control plus Stop & Go. Other driver assistance features available include Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, a Head-Up Display, BMW Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection.

The BMW Parking Assistant

The range of comfort- and safety-relevant driver assistance systems offered is now being supplemented by yet another innovation. The new BMW 5 Series Sedan is the only BMW available with the BMW Parking Assistant, a new system supporting the driver in safely and comfortably maneuvering into parking spaces running parallel to the road.

The BMW Parking Assistant supports the driver from the start in choosing appropriate parking space. Ultrasound sensors integrated in the side indicators measure the length and width of possible parking spaces when travelling at a speed of up to 22 mph. The system thus looks for parking spaces exceeding the length of the car by at least 1.20 meters or 47 inches.

When the BMW Parking Assistant is not activated, this measuring process continues in the background without emitting any particular signals to the driver. But as soon as the driver comes to a stop and shifts into Reverse, the iDrive Control Display informs the driver of a suitable parking space by presenting an appropriate symbol. Once the driver has activated the system, all parking spaces sufficient for the car are presented while driving past. In both cases the driver simply has to press the Controller to use the Parking Assistant.

From this point, all the driver has to do is operate the gas and brake pedals and supervise the actual driving maneuver, while the Parking Assistant moves the steering wheel appropriately in order to back up precisely into the parking space available. The driver also receives functions to guide him/her though the parking process.

BMW 5 Series Sedan Earns "2010 Top Safety Pick" Award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) declared the 2011 BMW 5 Series Sedan a 2010 Top Safety Pick. The new 5 Series earned the top rating of "Good" based on its performance in each of the Institute's crash tests.

Receiving the 2010 Top Safety Pick for the 2011 BMW 5 Series Sedan is one of numerous awards BMW has earned from the IIHS over the years. In fact, as a result of tests conducted in 2008, the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan as well as the X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick.

BMW 550i Sedan: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications