E28 BMW 5 Series Ad: "The Car that blurs the distinction between racing machines and luxury sedans"

Classic car ads are always nice, because they were made in times when people weren't so wound up and actually had the time to read something. So, there's plenty of information in them, some of which is quite entertaining today, almost thirty years later.

This here ad depicts the E28 BMW 5-Series, built between 1981 and 1988, claiming that it's both a sports car and luxury sedan.

BMW is showing off the 535i here and it throws in the big guns right from the start: "It eats up the road – any road – at ungodly speed without a hiccup - Car and Driver wrote". And wait, not about this one, but its predecessor, the E12. You can only imagine, then, that the E28 535i must / should have been a better car.

And it was, because this is the generation that spawned the first M5 (or M535i), which you can admire in the gallery below, and started a new dynasty of sports saloons.

Nevertheless, the 535i was no slouch either. The ad doesn't say it, but the 3.4-liter engine had 182 hp (136 kW). However, it does brag about the "0-60mph time" – just 7.4 seconds –, the "communicative power assisted steering" and the "fully independent suspension".

And that's not all: BMW also claimed that the engine management was computer-controlled to "ensure peak engine performance".

The standard equipment list wasn't exactly long, as the E28 owner only got leather seats, air con, a sunroof and on-board computer. Even the description in the ad was short.

And I'll tell you why: because up until the current generation (F10/11), the BMW 5 Series was always a driver's car first and a luxury vehicle after. Not the other way around.

By Csaba Daradics

[Ad photo source: Tumblr]

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Here we go again: Bulgarian Vilner luxifies the Camaro with impressive results

Vilner, who recently took it upon themselves to redo the interior of a Hennessey SRT600 Grand Cherokee, has now unleashed their interior-modifying skills on the new Camaro. Thank God, because it most definitely needs some fancy-pants stuff like this on the inside in order to take on the Mustang.

For this project, Vilner took a Silver Ice V6 Camaro and then added its own special magic to the seats, dash, ceiling, and all the rest. Instead of the common black plastic and leather found in most Camaros, Vilner's pony car wears "nubuck, aged nappa, and chrome" in its passenger compartment.

There's a redesigned steering wheel with better grips, too. Yeah, that's nice, but I'm still staring at all the leather. Why? Because it looks like a million bucks.

Also, in order to make the most of the car's Boston Acoustics sound system, new sound insulation has been added. Usually I'm no fan of post-production leather interiors, but this one just pops. In fact, I think the only detail I'd ace on the entire car would be the aluminum pedals (they just aren't cuttin' it).

As you can clearly see in the pics below, using these materials adds a touch a luxury and flair (or creates a "festival of style", if you will) that stock Camaros are sorely missing. Hey, Chevy: an interior option along these lines would be a welcome addition to the checklist when ordering a Camaro, so do it.

By Phil Alex

Image credits: Vilner

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Speculative Rumors: Audi Readying Mid-Engine R5 Sports Car?

If we are to believe a report from Britain's Car magazine, Audi is planning to introduce a mid-engined sports car called the R5. Said to be positioned between the more mainstream TT and the flagship R8, the R5 is believed to be based on the VW Group's forthcoming MiMo (as in "MittelMotor") mid-engine sports car platform, which will also be used on future Porsche and VW models.

The same inside sources imply that the R5 will be available in both coupe and convertible forms, with styling cues borrowed from Audi's E-tron and E-tron Spyder concepts.

The R5 is said to measure only 3.9 meters (153.5 inches) in length, or roughly the same as a Lotus Exige. Being super-compact in dimensions means that weight should be kept low, and that is a definite advantage. The entire history of Lotus is based on this concept, with considerable success.

The 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged mill, sourced from the TT-RS, would most likely be the range-topper. With somewhere around 350 hp (261 kW) on tap, it would surely deliver "the goods" in a lightweight sports car. Smaller displacement inline-fours such as the 2.0-liter TSI, should also be in the mix.

I wouldn't exclude a hybrid variant either, as "green" sports cars are becoming increasingly popular these days.

We still have a long way to go until we hear something official about the R5, but we'll keep an eye open for any developments.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Car

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