I've seen this ad for Bilstein shocks in the last few issues of Roundel (most recently on page 30 of the April '09 issue), and it pictures a BMW sedan that I just can not identify. It's a mid-sized sedan with German plates, but the hood creases, the grill, the headlights, none of them match any 1-, 3-, or 5-series that I can recall. Is it some sort of E60 variant? Am I being real dumb here and missing an obvious answer, or is the answer more obscure? Hope this brain-freeze doesn't get my "BMW Enthusiast" credentials revoked! -sm See attached scan, for those of you who don't have the magazine at hand.
Not it isn't. Those headlights aren't real (they do not exist on current models) and the headrests of the seats don't appear to match any of current models (they're way too large). Looking at it closely, it has parts that resemble a 3 series and others that resemble a 5 series. It's a 100% purely photoshopped image.
The headlights (or at least ones with a similar motif) do exist on a current BMW model: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BMW_X3_black_vl.jpg Even has a similar hood and grill! But this ad is clearly not an X3 I'm not quite convinced about the thing just being a photoshop composite. First of all, it's rather well done in that case. Second, why would Bilstein go through all that trouble? Their prior ads seem to have ordinary modded cars, no?
It can't be the E93 (newest 3 series) because: the turn signals are not led, the headlights are not straight and the hood does NOT have the lines in the right place. http://noorjordan.com/2009_bmw_3_series_image021.jpg
And because it's not a convertible. An E93 is a cabrio 3er. Take two photos, one of an E90 3-series and one of an E60 5-series. Compare them side-by-side and you'll find that there are certain features from both on the front of that car. First, the headlights are very, VERY slightly like the X3's lights, only it is completely clear in a ricer sort of way, and that the accents of the headlights at the top and bottom aren't as precise as the X3's. Actually, the more I look at it, the more of an E60 ripoff it looks. The kidneys are nearly the same and so is the hood line that goes "through' them, the front foglight area looks the same, and the door mirrors are the same.
