A Breath of Fresh Air, Only Faster!

Turbo at Large:

I’m on the far side of 160km per hour and the Head-Up display in the windscreen keeps counting upward at colossal speed. I ease off the acceleration and manage to contain the rush of adrenalin surging through me. And yes, you read that correctly, my warning signs and current speed is displayed as a digital projection in the windscreen. Real fighter pilot type stuff. What's more, if I now back off the throttle or brake, a small flow diagram tells me that I'm saving the planet by recharging the battery. Who needs to hug trees?

The BMW 535i is a car that in my personal opinion has one of the most desirable shapes in sedan history. Case in point, while I had the car, old men and children alike hobbled/ran away or stared in awe as I shot past like a bursting firecracker. Some cars make a statement with striking shapes and dazzling paint jobs, but perhaps the truest expression is the perfection of both. This is something the latest edition of the BMW535i has achieved by pushing the boundaries of vehicle evolution. The 535i has a lot of front (new headlights and a more sculpted bonnet and bumpers). A lot of side and back, too. You can’t help noticing it for the same reason you can’t help noticing a BMW X6. ‘Presence’

But while the 535i is best defined by the way it accelerates, it isn’t a one-trick dolphin– it’s adaptive to everyday usage. The sat-nav is the best I’ve seen for starters. Then there was the Bluetooth, which was a easy to set up, and the DVD quality on the (standard) digital 9 inch LCD’s in each of the head rests are as clear as what I get at home.

The engine starts up beautifully and is hushed unless properly probed to perform but when you do, it responds with almost no turbo lag, doing the 0 – 100 sprint, just short of 4.3 seconds. And what a feeling when the acceleration presses you back into a seat, bigger and thicker than some couches. Start pushing the car in bursts around corners and across vast expanses of highway and you’ll hear the twin scroll turbo murmur and sigh with anticipation. Body control is also remarkable, allowing the 535i to change direction with amazing agility.

Flip a switch and another screen on the iDrive shows how the chassis set-up is changed between three different modes to suit the journey you are undertaking at the time. Sport was a dream, with a broader linear powerband and even greater smoothness. Instant on-demand thrust is truly breathtaking. To avoid shaming too many sporty drivers, I kept the mode mostly in Normal, although Comfort was the preferred option if I had passengers on board. The leather seats deserve a special mention here too, for being both extremely supportive and extremely comfortable, making long journeys a pleasure.

BMW claims the interior dynamics and elegance are represented in one flowing movement from instrument panel to the door and this can instantly be felt when you climb in. The load area in the boot was gigantic as well. We found it could swallow a bike, two hiking bags and a tent, plus occupants, making it a solid match for any car above its class in boot bragging rights.


Overall, the 535i is a fantastic family orientated machine, one I would happily have run until the wheels dropped off and It’s going to take some car to fill its place.