BMW has announced that it will be releasing a stretched version of the 5-series. The long-wheelbase 5 will be produced and sold only in China.

We're still waiting for full specifications, but it appears that the new 523Li, 525Li, and 530Li will have a wheelbase 5.5 inches longer than that of the regular 5-series. That would seem to make it longer than a  short-wheelbase 7-series.

This seems strange to our American in-love-with-driving sensibilities. But perhaps if we had chauffeurs, stretched cars would make more sense. Then again, if I had to pick a car to be chauffeured in, it wouldn't be a 5-series. After all, it's a BMW, and therefore the Ultimate Driving Machine. I'd just kick the poor guy out and drive myself.