Mid-life mods make BMW 535i more refined and M5 a tad more brutalFacelifts can be divided roughly into two categories - extensive head-to-toe makeovers; and light, almost unnoticeable touch-ups.儲存倉The BMW 5-series undoubtedly belongs to the latter group. Which is a bold decision by the Bavarian manufacturer, especially since its arch rival, Mercedes-Benz, has chosen the more extensive route for its E-class mid-life upgrade.Tweaks to the 5-series sedan are so minor, you will miss them if you blink.They include subtle contour lines around the car's radiator grille and a new styling for its lower air intakes. An extra crease in the apron and slimmer rear lights give the illusion of a wider car (so BMW insists).Adaptive LED headlights are now standard, along with LED fog lamps.The car has grown in length by mere millimetres but the wheelbase remains unchanged.The fine-tuning is not confined to visuals, though. The gearbox has been reprogrammed for better response, resulting in an improvement in 0-100kmh timing (5.7 seconds versus 6.1 originally) as well as better fuel economy.In the chassis, both the double- wishbone front axle and the integral rear axle are now made largely from aluminium. This allows the spring and damper systems to respond with great precision to road ruts.You would not expect these modifications to amount to much. But they actually do, surprisingly.The 5er looks quite elegant after its nip and tuck. More modern and classy, without the "shout from the mountain top" effect that others try to achieve by reworking, almost forcibly, an existing identity.Yet, the revisions do not diminish the value of pre-facelift 5-series cars, simply because the cars still look essentially the same.The drive, however, is noticeably better. Whatever BMW has done to the drivetrain and chassis works. The ride is half a notch smoother, with more controlled movements over humps and other surface undulations.Noise and vibration levels from the road have also come down.With its modified ratios, the car's eight-speed transmission seems more attuned to the demands of urban motoring. Which means more effortless stop-starts and less noticeable cog swopping.Digital graphic meters onboard show that most tasks are accomplished with half the 3-litre turbo's peak torque of 400Nm (available from just 1,200rpm) and less than one-third of its maximum power output of 306bhp.Even on an open highway, the 5er sails languidly along, p迷你倉最平ssing other road users without much movement in the tachometer.If the intent was to make the car more refined and relaxed, BMW certainly has succeeded.The tack is somewhat different for the M5. The steroid-fed sibling of the 5-series sedan has also undergone a mid-life revision, but instead of enhanced sophistication, you get enhanced sportiness.The official literature makes no mention of it but the M5 has taken on a meaner demeanour. On the go, even with no more than 2,000rpm on the counter, the car sounds more menacing than previously.A distinct V8 rumble permeates the cabin, making any grocery run or school drop less of a chore and more of an occasion. After a while, you wonder if you should adopt a get-up to go with the American muscle-car persona.The Competition version of the M5 is more of a greased lightning than before. With more turbo boost towards the high end of the rev range, its 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 gets 15bhp more than before.Of course, you hardly get to experience this in everyday motoring. In fact, you do not need even a quarter of its maximum output of 575bhp on the road.With 680Nm attainable from 1,500rpm, there is often more shove than you know what to do with.Wearing new and lighter wheels shod with very low-profile tyres, the M5 serves up a decidedly firm ride. This suits the car just fine on the track, as does the additional juice it gets from around 5,000rpm.On public roads, you will have to be content with the more apparent aural feedback, and the knowledge that the car has more power.Of course, the M5's value proposition of delivering high precision motoring and high-octane performance on a fairly accessible platform is still very much intact.Tweaks elsewhere are cosmetic and largely similar to what you see on the 5er sedan.The M5's leather steering wheel gets a new design though, with the third vertical spoke that mimics the twin-spoke rim design of its alloy wheels.The wheel design, by the way, shows off the car's enormous brake discs. You can make yours more distinctive by picking ceramic brakes, now available as an option.On the whole, the M5 is clearly overkill for most folks. Especially when the far less expensive 535i already offers such a high level of driveability and enjoyment. But in a perverse way, the M5 may actually offer more "value" - its price has increased by 17 per cent, while the 535i's has gone up by 23 per cent since the initial launch.christan@sph.com.sg迷你倉
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