sa horseracing convention road to the future glory - PARADE ...

Now BMW has developed the head-up display, which is due to
debut in South Africa in the new 5 series next year. It will make
a significant contribution to active safety by supplying the driver
information he or she needs - but in direct line of sight, that is
on the windscreen. A further advantage is that the driver can
determine, at any time, what information is to be presented on
the windscreen, for example speed or navigation instructions.
Engineers in Europe have already developed a pukka drive-bywire,
much like the fly-by-wire that modern aircraft use. This
is just one lever, a joystick if you like, that controls all aspects
of propelling, steering and braking a car. There are no pedals,
no steering wheel, just a stubby lever. Push it forward and the
car follows suit; pull it back, and the car brakes; move it in the
direction you want to turn and it obliges; behave stupidly and
it overrides your stupidity.
But back with the 5 series BMW, arguably the most
technologically advanced of the modern marvels, if only because
it's been recently unveiled. I say that, because such is
the see-saw of the hi-tech race fought out mainly between
the German troika, although the French and Japanese
are not far behind, if at all.
The 5 series has taken the radical Chris Bangle-designed
7 series and made the mid-ranger in the BeeEmm line-up more
eye-friendly. It appears to have worked, combining sportiness
with elegance, the new Five making a powerful statement before
you even get in to gobble in the ultra-hi-tech bits and pieces
that are hiding under the all-new combination aluminium and
steel body.
It's bigger than its now common predecessor with more space
but less weight; it offers better performance, but uses less fuel.
It's all part of feeding us bits of technology that allows progress.
The only way BMW could improve on safety and enhance the
comfort on its current car was to let the lightweight body sit
on a "perfectly tuned all-aluminium suspension", to quote the
book.
We're getting a sweetener of the 5 series with just a pair of
models in this country for now - both traditionally straight sixcylinder
engines, one petrol, one diesel. Both are proven engines
that have been available for some time.
While the 530i - the petrol-fed version - delivers a healthy
170kW and 300Nm of torque, the 530d puts out a not-farbehind
150kW, but with 480Nm of grunt being powered by
BeeEmm's second generation common rail diesel. Both models
are standard with a new six-speed manual gearbox, a similarly
cogged automatic being available as an option.
Powerful and refined, agile and economical are
the attributes BMW uses to describe the
new powertrains.
Peculiar to the 5 Series' hi-tech bits are the world's first Active
Front Steering as well as active Dynamic Drive stabilisation,
both options on the two local models. Active Steering
electronically varies the steering transmission ratio at low and
medium road speeds, making the steering more direct, reducing
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