BMW seems to enjoy having the last word. Considering the fierce rivalry between the Blue Roundel and its Teutonic opponent Mercedes-Benz, it would seem that there's some unspoken arrangement that dictates that Munich will wait for Stuttgart to introduce their product first and then wait a year or two to introduce bring its own to market.

Spy-shots appeared online today over @ World Car Fans of the recently remolded M5 and 5-Series sedans. Keep in mind it's been a year since Mercedes-Benz reintroduced the face-lifted E-Class range with a stouter grille (that reintroduced the traditional blue star at top center), slightly sharper fenders, and rearranged aerodynamic work for the front spoiler.

The latest spy shots indicate that BMW continues to back pedal from the extremist strokes of Chief Designer Chris Bangle's pen by smoothing the original model's jarring lines - most evident in the new, kinder-to-the-eyes construction of the front skirt. BMW traditionalists should take some comfort in this revisionist trend.

See for yourself > World Car Fans