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Make-Believe G61 BMW i5 Touring Gets Compared to E60 Wagon, Resemblance Is Uncanny

In a bid to divert customer attention from the Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model S (non-Plaid), BMW has focused its initial presentation of the eighth generation G60 executive 5 Series sedan on the first-ever battery-powered i5. But was that a wise choice?
G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1 12 photos
Photo: sugardesign_1 / Instagram
G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1G61 BMW i5 Touring rendering by sugardesign_1
As per tradition during the past few years, this new Bavarian model introduction has sparked ample debates related to its design ethos. Some say that BMW has become relatively consistent in botching up all fresh releases; others think that the 5 Series and i5 needed just a little bit of logic to work better than in OEM condition – like doing something with the closed grille of the i5 M60 xDrive and getting rid of the black plastic elements on the rear bumper of the eDrive40 model. Alas, that doesn't mean it has not attracted the attention of everyone – both in the real world and across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.

Over there, pixel masters thrive on controversy, so while logical folks are preoccupied with stuff like comparing the i5s to the predecessor 5 Series, the usual premium German suspects (A6 and E-Class), or the new representatives of the novel EV lifestyle (EQE and non-Plaid Model S), they were off into distant CGI parallel universes. Out there, they imagined things like tuned i5s – as well as the upcoming G61 station wagon derivative. That is all fine and dandy, but some of us want to take this approach to the next digital level.

No worries, someone is always covering that new angle or POV, too. Such is the case here with Sugar Chow, the virtual artist better known as "sugardesign_1" on social media, who has again abandoned the abundance of China-related CGI designs for a moment. Between them, he relished the ideas of Ford Mustang and Toyota GR Supra Shooting Brakes. So, it was only natural to try his prowess on the G61 BMW 5 Series Touring, as well, right? And sure enough, here is the artist's vision about the grocery-getter variant of the eighth iteration 5 Series – dressed poshly in zero-emission i5 attire, of course. Both M60 xDrive and eDrive40, of course.

Even better, the CGI expert is well aware of the controversies surrounding all recent BMWs and the fact that their latest executive sedan is no exception. So, he decided to see if the G60/61 iteration inherited the styling of the fifth-generation E60/61 models offered between 2003 and 2010, with styling penned during the (famously outrageous) Chris Bangle era. As such, here is a quick comparison reel between the real G60 executive sedan and the imagined G61 Touring, as well as the older and new station wagons! So, which is your favorite?


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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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