OK, kids, you definitely don’t want to try this stunt at home. Imagine tooling down a desert highway with a tanker aircraft just a few feet over your head; one gust of wind, one wrong control input and it’s over, Johnny. Think “smoking crater in the desert floor” and you get the picture. Sure, I know this was done via CGI, but the very thought of attempting this stunt still makes me pucker. It does make for a cool video, though, so enjoy BMW’s efforts to tell you that the new 5 Series gets up to 32 miles per gallon below.
It’s worth mentioning that only the 528i is rated at 32 MPG on the highway, and that the car’s 3.0 liter inline-six only cranks out 240 horsepower. That’s not a lot for a sedan that tips the scales at over 3,800 pounds, which would have me leaning towards the 535i. It still gets 28 MPG on the highway, but packs a much more reasonable 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque. Of course a turbo diesel would be the ideal compromise for a car like the 5 Series, so let’s hope that BMW begins thinking along those lines for future U.S. models.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
