As you may very well be aware, BMW is currently working on its future 5 Series range. That range will include, among internal combustion engine versions and plug-in hybrids, a purely electric car, most likely to be named BMW i5. This particular model was just spotted out doing some serious testing and spy photographers caught up with it (check the photos here). Despite its heavy camo, we can still make out a few details about it.
The dead giveaway that this is not an internal combustion engine car came from the stickers on the doors. As per the law in Germany, all electric test cars have to wear a sticker on them, in case something goes wrong and the emergency services have to step in. Other clues giving the identity of the tech under the sheet metal away include the flush door handles and the blocked out kidney grilles.
Even though the car is wearing significant amounts of camo, those details stand out. The front grilles will grow in size, apparently, but they will still be decent to look at. And yes, they will be closed off, in order to improve the aerodynamics of the car. On the bottom of the front bumper you’ll also notice a rather large opening that will most likely be used to cool off the battery pack in the floor. The flush door handles will also be useful in keeping drag down, but, unlike the blocked out grilles, they might make an appearance on ‘regular’ models as well.
That remains to be see, as the 5 Series will undergo some serious changes in the future. It will have a wider selection of drivetrain options you can go for and it will bring forward a completely new electric model, most likely dubbed i5. This electric version will have all the tech the iX brought along, will use the same electric motors and batteries and interior design.
[Source: Motor1] [Top image by www.instagram.com/joelre98]
