Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Recalls/TSBs, Safety, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW

The NHTSA has announced a recall of nearly 30,000 2006 and 2007 X5, 5-Series, and 6-Series models equipped with the 4.8L V8 engine due to a stalling issue. The reason for the recall is that low temperatures coupled with dry conditions can create a static discharge in the fuel line, which interrupts fuel delivery. The fix for the problem is both free and easy, as a BMW dealer will install grounding cables to your engine at no charge. BMW may create the ultimate driving machines, but if you’ve got a vehicle that meets the description above, we’d suggest hitting the dealer for a fix before the cold weather puts a shock in your fun.

[Source: Bloomberg]

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, BMW, Hyundai, Lexus

What do you get when you cross a Lexus LS460 and and a BMW 5-Series (plus a health dollop of Toyota Crown -Ed.)? You get what appears to be the production Hyundai Genesis Sedan. The front end looks as though it was ripped right off of the most expensive Lexus, with a strikingly similar set of headlights, a spot-on grille, and similar bright work. Only the lower fascia wanders from the LS460. Out back it appears that Hyundai took a pass on the classic Lexus C-pillar, but the Korean automaker’s designers were obviously fond of the BMW 5-Series.

The big difference between the Genesis Sedan and the vehicles it borrows from is that Hyundai likely has no intention of charging $60,000 for their RWD sedan. While we’re generally not a big fan of derivative styling, the Genesis Sedan looks pretty good for a RWD V8 sedan priced in the $30,000 range.

Thanks for the tip, Jose!

[Source: bobaedream]

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, BMW

Chris Bangle is now chief of design for the BMW Group. Without his hand directly penning the coming crop of new BMWs, new man on campus Adrian van Hooydonk — who answers to Bangle — is slowly erasing some of Bangle’s more controversial contributions.

Though you can’t really tell from Car magazine’s spy shots of the next 5-Series, they’ve been told that “the new 5-series won’t be anywhere near as radical as today’s E60.” With the redesign of the current 7-Series being talked up as a return to traditional elegance, we can probably expect the same from the 5-Series. The car will get a smidge longer, and up front you’ll get traces of Concept CS styling, as well as LED eyebrows over the headlights.

What you might not expect is a much greener 5. It will get the roundel’s Efficient Dynamics at no extra cost, which shuts off the engine when the car is stopped and unhooks the alternator when the battery is fully charged. It might also get a high-efficiency gearbox with eight — that’s right, a Lexus-like eight — forward gears. Beyond that, there will be likely be many high-tech aids and five engine choices ranging from a 245-HP 3-liter diesel to the 5-liter 500-HP V10 in the M5. Thanks for the tip, Dave!

[Source: Car magazine]

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