NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Mention the name Chris Bangle in a roomful of BMW purists. Then brace for an earful from the "Ultimate Whining Machine."

To Bangle's numerous detractors, the hot-button work of the BMW design chief -- whose remade 7-Series sedan admittedly is saddled with a clumsy rear end -- is an apocalyptic affront to all that is good in car design.

Now the new 5-Series sedan is here. It looks great. Get over it.

Like each successive art movement, greeted with unseemly hair pulling from the guardians of status quo, the new 5-Series signals that change -- needed change -- is afoot in car design. The 5- Series is initially challenging but also fresh, intriguing and, finally, quite lovely. As with the hot Z4 roadster when it parks alongside the Z3, the new 5-Series' bold modernity makes the outgoing model seem instantly dated.

Even those indifferent to the styling will go ga-ga over the performance and the technology behind it. While the BMW has long been recognized as the world's best luxury sports sedan, the latest 5-Series dramatically improves on BMW's wizardly blend of a supple ride and racy handling. Message to Mercedes and anyone else closing in: The new 5-Series sprints to a comfortable lead.

Generous use of aluminum for its body and chassis has kept the 5-Series slim, despite a host of new performance, luxury and safety features. One example: adaptive headlights that pivot to peer around curves.

Three engines -- BMW's renowned 2.5- and 3.0-liter inline sixes, and a top-shelf 5.4-liter V-8 -- produce 184, 225 and 325 horsepower, respectively. Three transmission choices include a new six-speed automatic, six-speed manual and BMW's sequential manual gearbox. The optional sport packages include computer-controlled anti-roll bars combined with a ground-breaking system called Active Steering, which together let the 5-Series carve turns with impossible ease and stability for a car of this size.

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Inside, a beautiful, functional interior is marred by the inclusion of the 7-Series' iDrive. The not-so-magic knob that controls hundreds of vehicle functions has been simplified but continues to distract your attention from road and fun alike.

The 5-Series' many-layered lineup of models gets the icing in 2005, when a new M5 model arrives with a shocking 500 horsepower from a V-10 engine. Now that's apocalyptic.