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BMW M5 spied as camouflage striptease continues

The facelifted BMW M5's striptease continues. The latest spy images of the super sedan show even more headlight and taillight details, on top of more overt signs of this car's character. Our first spy photos of the M5 showed a car with production 5 Series wheels and tiny quad exhaust pipes. The next set got sportier black wheels. But the latest shots depict a machine that gets the current M5 Competition Package's black wheels along with BMW M's trademark blue calipers, just like the current car. It also ditches the camouflage on the pillars, roof rails, and rear windows. Beyond those changes, stripping away some of the camouflage has shown modest tweaks. We're finally getting a good look at the updated, squared-off LED running lamps and the tweaked front fascia. Updates are even more minor in back. But there may be something more drastic at play with the taillights. Studying these shots, we can't really see any detailing in the rear lamps. There's a similar thing going on between the normal LEDs on the BMW M4 and the OLED units in the new M4 GTS. Backing up this speculation is a single shot of one of the rear turn signals illuminated. It doesn't look quite like the current car's signal, but we can't be certain. It's possible that the shots and the camouflage might be playing tricks on our eyes. And since this is the first time we've seen the updated M5 with production taillights, there's no real basis for comparison. Still, BMW's tantalizing new OLED tech is sure to proliferate beyond the M4 GTS. We just can't yet be certain if it's coming to the next M5. Related Video:

BMW 8 Series coming in 2020

As good as the BMW 7 Series may be – and trust us when we say it is very good indeed – it just can't compete with the marketplace juggernaut that is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, at least not where global sales are concerned. And with sales come profits, especially at the six-digit price point many of these high-end luxury cars sell for. Put simply, Mercedes is cashing in on the S-Class, and BMW wants a bigger piece of that pie. It comes as little surprise, then, that Autocar reports BMW is currently considering two proposals for a new 8 Series that would slot just above its current 7 Series. One option is the currently-en-vogue four-door coupe. The other option is a more traditional two-door coupe, likely with a cabriolet option. The last time we heard such rumors, BMW was dismissing them back in 2013. Whichever way BMW decides to take its 8 Series plans, Autocar suggests that a concept vehicle ought to hit the show circuit in sometime in 2018, with a production model following in 2020. The car would be based on the underpinnings of the latest 7 Series, with a price considerably less than the Rolls-Royce Ghost (which also falls under the BMW umbrella). Considering BMW's penchant for multiple model variants, we won't be surprised if all three options get the green light, with a Gran Coupe version standing as the flagship. With the 6 Series Gran Coupe currently priced just below the 7 Series (and at a hefty premium to a comparable 5 Series four-door), an 8 Series would likely brush up against $100,000 for a base price. That might not take much out of S-Class sales, but it would make some tidy profits for BMW. Related Video:

Autoblog Podcast #389

Episode #389 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Mark Pereira from Autoblog Canada talk about Johan deNysschen's move to Cadillac, rumors of more BMW nomenclature changes, a second generation for the Subaru BRZ, and cars from 2004 that we miss. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #389: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Johan de Nysschen moves to Cadillac BMW model designations changing even more Subaru BRZ getting second generation Cars We Miss In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2015 Volkswagen GTI 2015 Chevrolet Silverato 2500 Diesel Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Mark Pereira Runtime: 01:59:10 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Johan deNysschen - 36:12 BMW Nomenclature - 53:58 BRZ - 56:27 Cars We Miss - 01:05:07 Q&A - 01:30:09 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Auto News Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Hyundai Subaru Volkswagen