Column: New 5 or Old 5? 5 Things You Should Consider (Besides Looks)

Looks aren’t everything.
Lost in all the chatter regarding the looks of this new 2011 5 Series are some significant differences from the previous generation of 5 that you probably haven’t heard or read much about. Some affect your safety, some affect your driving feel, and others affect your driving efficiency.
But you need to know about all of them, because they could be a deciding factor in whether or not you choose to upgrade from the 2009 5 Series to this current 2011 version.
So, here are 5 things that you should compare before making your choice.  (Note: The models compared are the 2011 535i and the 2009 535i. The 2011 model is referred to as the new 5, the 2009 is referred to as the old 5.)

The 2011 535i

Your Safety Changes Things

The brakes on the new 5 do their job better than do those on its’ older brother from 2009. The ventilated anti-locks on the 2011 need two less feet to completely stop from 70mph than its’ predecessor did. And if you don’t think two feet is anything to talk about, take out your measuring tape and imagine the difference it could make when driving your city’s favorite overly-crowded highway…at rush hour.

The F10's extra protection at work.

Along with improved brakes, BMW has made other changes that make the new 5 Series safer than the previous generation. The most notable of which are the additional airbags that are now standard to better protect driver and passengers alike, especially in side-impact collisions. Recall that the previous generation of 5 Series was flawed in this area.
Is the additional airbag protection a “Pro” for this new 5 Series over the old? Of course it is, as is the improved performance of the brakes. So, check one in the Pro column for safety changes in the F10 over the E60.
The brake performance on the new 5 is more surprising given that the F10 weighs about 200 pounds more than the previous generation of 5 does. As with any weight gain that isn’t accompanied by a proportional increase in power, you’d be right to assume that the new 5 has less impressive performance numbers than the old 5.
Here’s the thing, though: it doesn’t feel that way.

Can Electric Cars Be Hurt By Bitter Electric-Car Advocates?

Every political or social movement has its cross to bear. Every trend has a stereotype from which to break free.
So it seems time to ask, is the public image of electric cars and other plug-in vehicles being damaged by those who maintain that a huge and evil global conspiracy exists against the EV?
We’re happy to see more and more interest in electric cars among the general public. But we also hear certain groups of existing EV owners getting shriller.
They seem awfully keen to keep alive a healthy mistrust of any mainstream automaker developing an electric vehicle. 

LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal 1,000-pound car concepts

The LA Auto Show is once again knocking at the door, and with it comes the annual Design Challenge competition. This year the competition has extended invitations to Japanese and German design studios, in addition to all of the manufacturer-supported studios in Southern California, making it a much more global contest.

The theme for this year's Design Challenge forces designers to envision vehicles that are at once both kind to the environment yet stylish and exciting to drive at the same time. The catch? Each vehicle concept must weigh no more than 1,000 pounds, seat four adults, be efficient and safe and provide a rewarding driving experience. Sustainable materials, highly exotic designs and a vision of the future are expected from the entrants, and they all certainly delivered.

Nine automakers in total have answered the competition's call. General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Smart, Toyota and Volvo have all stepped up to the plate, and the results are visually stunning. At the same time, each is though provoking because the designers have each given insight into what technology they believe will possible in the future.

Take a look at the Design Challenge entries, which we have lined up for you after the jump and in the gallery below.

Engineering Innovation – within limits

The Jaguar C-X75, a ‘Jet powered’ concept sports car, has powered the imagination and possibly emotions of petrol headed car journalists in recent days. The ‘jet’ is in fact a micro gas turbine designed by a small UK company, Bladon, which extends the Jaguar’s range as is the case with a standard hybrid design.
Attempts have been made before to use gas turbine based hybrid technology, most notably by Volvo in the 1990s. It would appear that Bladon, driven on by the current demand for clean or green technologies, have made a significant improvement to the manufacturing process which makes the efficient design and production of micro gas turbines possible. This idea is, on many levels, a genuine innovation allowing the internal layout of the car to be redesigned to allow the option for a smaller motor to be fitted to power each wheel, and potentially further options, such as improving handling and styling.