BMW i5 — Specifications & VIN Lookup

About the BMW i5

The BMW 5 Series (G60) is an executive car manufactured and marketed by German luxury automaker BMW since 2023. The lineup consists of the G60 saloon, G61 estate, and the G68 long-wheelbase sedan. It represents the eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series, succeeding the G30 model and the G32 6 Series liftback.

The BMW 5 Series (G60) is an executive car manufactured and marketed by German luxury automaker BMW since 2023. The lineup consists of the G60 saloon, G61 estate (marketed as Touring), and the G68 long-wheelbase sedan. It represents the eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series, succeeding the G30 model and the G32 6 Series liftback. The G60 was officially revealed on 24 May 2023, began production on 21 July 2023, with sales commencing in October. Built upon an updated version of the rear-wheel drive Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform, shared with the larger G70 7 Series, it is significantly larger than any of its predecessors. The eighth generation BMW 5 Series is also offered with a battery electric powertrain, called the "i5". Three models are offered; the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive eDrive40 model, the mid-range, all-wheel-drive xDrive40, and the range topping M60 xDrive model. A long-wheelbase saloon model (G68) exclusive to China debuted in August 2023 and it is assembled at the Dadong plant. The G61 5 Series Touring was unveiled in February 2024. The fastback derivative, the 6 Series Gran Turismo, has been discontinued.

Development

Testing In February 2022, testing of the i5 commenced when engineers drove it from Munich to the test centre in Arjeplog. It had to cover about 1,850 miles (2,980 km) to northern Sweden before undergoing additional testing throughout the year. Prototypes were assessed in and around Munich and in the vicinity of the Dingolfing factory. The testing was implemented to evaluate the efficiency of its electric motors, power electronics, high-voltage battery and integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and battery pack. The development and test engineers chose Arjeplog as the final destination for their testing programme. The snow-covered roads and frozen lakes in northern Sweden, featuring expansive ice surfaces, offered an optimal environment to assess the interactions among chassis components, steering and braking systems, and driving dynamic and stability systems in extreme outdoor conditions. Following the testing in Arjeplog, the BMW i5 underwent further testing throughout 2022. This included assessments at various BMW Group test facilities and real-world driving scenarios in and around Munich, as well as in the vicinity of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. The focus during this phase was on continual refinement of the car's chassis technology and acoustic properties across multiple conditions. Additionally, efforts were directed toward fine-tuning the power delivery of the drive unit to ensure a well-rounded driving experience. A deliberate part of the development involved testing during colder months on icy and snowy roads in the Alpine foothills. In the winter of 2022, BMW i5 prototypes, featuring reduced camouflage and near-production headlights, were regularly deployed for testing to verify the functionality and reliability of the powertrain and chassis control systems under extremely challenging road and weather conditions. BMW engineers overseeing the project were able to directly assess the current state of development through testing in Bavaria before returning to endurance testing near the Arctic Circle in February 2023.