BMW BLOG

The German tuning company Hartge is well known for their BMW tuning jobs and today, they reveal a new customization program for the 2010 BMW 5 Series GT. The Hartge 5 Series GT comes with a variety of exterior and interior modifications and the end result, is quite pleasing.

On the outside, the BMW 5 Series GT by Hartge receives some minor body kit upgrades, along with new suspensions, wheels and interior modifications. The 5 GT Hartge also gets a new sport spring set that lowers the ride by 30 mm. Hartge set of emblems can be spotted on the bonnet and boot lid.

The 22″ inch custom wheels, in four different designs and finishes, enhance the already sporty looking exterior look. Hartge also offer a tire repairing kit for the 5 Series GT.

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The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo will make its North American debut at the South Florida International Auto Show October 23-November 1. For the first time, attributes of an elegant sedan, a contemporary Sports Activity Vehicle and a classic Gran Turismo are masterfully melded into a single, harmonious vehicle shape. The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo adds new facets to BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machine tradition and refines the concept of first-class travel.

The traditional European term Gran Turismo (Grand Touring) was first applied by Italian carmakers in the 1950s when they combined the performance, handling, and style of a 2-seat sport car with luxurious amenities and luggage room for each occupant.

BMW’s new Gran Turismo nurtures this tradition in its own contemporary way, providing exceptional space, style, luxury, and comfort for four passengers, plus the performance and driving pleasure of a BMW.
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Mario-Roman is famous for his extraordinary photoshoot sessions, especially when it comes to cars. In the past, we’ve seen some of his work on the new Z4 and now, he has returned with a series of 5 Series GT photographs.

The new niche model from BMW, 5 Series GT, has launched recently during an international press event that took place in Lisbon, Portugal. In a couple of weeks, the 5 GT will officially launch in the U.S. as well, with the high-end 550i GT model being the only one available to order at the moment.

Before we dive into the photo  gallery, here is a recap on the 5 Series GT. Based on the platform of the new BMW 7 Series, the 5 Series GT was built on the same principle that made the original Gran Turismo vehicles so popular: a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The 5 Series Gran Turismo tones down the front-end of the 7 by offering a more attractive and easier accepted design.

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AC Schnitzer has just launched a new range of wheels for the BMW X1 and 5 Series GT. Known for their custom wheel design and tuning work, as see on many other BMW models before, AC Schnitzer offers a wide range of wheels for these two vehicles.

The BMW 5 Series GT owners get a choice between 19, 20 and 22 inch models that are available in a silver or black finish. For the X1, AC Schnitzer wheels start at 18 inches and go up to 20 inches, in a silver finish.

This is just the first episode in their 5GT and X1 customization process since AC Schnitzer announced further mods: sports rear silencers, exhaust tailpipes, aerodynamic components and …..chassis optimizations.

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BMW 5 Series GT is arriving at U.S. dealerships as we speak and BMW North America is preparing for the launch of this new model, a somewhat controversial vehicle that brings out an unique design language from BMW.

We’ve heard all about the car from the exterior designer itself, Christopher Weil, we have also seen the GT in person and last but not least, we’ve seen plenty of positive reviews given to the 5er GT, most of them coming from automobile publications that have been very critical towards this new design soon after it was unveiled.

The UK fellows at TopGear are giving us their report on the 5 Series GT, this time the European model equipped with the 3.0 liter diesel engine.

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A new wave of talented designers rise at the Munich-based automaker, BMW. One of them is the automobile exterior designer, Christopher Weil, the man behind the latest and somewhat controversial BMW 5 Series GT. A young man passionate about art and architecture, Christopher Weil is part of  Adrian Von Hooydonk’s team and his new design language at BMW.

I met Weil two weeks ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show where he was present to introduce to the world his recent work, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, a new addition to the future 5 Series family and one of these vehicles that shies away from the typical BMW design language.

The design of the 5 Series GT started in late 2005 with the first sketches, but the actual design process began in 2006. It takes three to four years to complete a model. When the competition began, Weil joined twenty other designers in the internal contest. Out of the twenty designers, six sketches and ideas are selected. After two rounds of evaluation and elimination, the models are narrowed down and at the end, three teams and their clay models are presented to the board. The winning design gets a tremendous vote of confidence and clearly, Weil was thrilled to be awarded such design task.

But the difficulties have yet to be revealed.

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It has come to our attention that BMW dealerships across the country have already received their allocation numbers for the upcoming BMW 550i GT. Along with these, the ordering guide for the first BMW Gran Turismo to launch in the U.S. are available as well.

BMW 550i GT comes standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission, 18″ wheels with all-season tires, panoramic moonrof, park distance control, Xenon headlights, navigation system and some other gadgets that are now included standard in the high-end model.

A variety of exterior and interior colors are offered as well, starting with the “default” Alpine, White Jet Black, Titanium Silver, Space Gray or Black Saphire and continuing with more exclusive colors, some seen only on the newest models: Neptune Blue, Deep Sea Blue, Imperial Blue, Dark Graphite and Orion Silver.

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The new BMW 5 Series GT continues to receives a well deserved attention from the automotive journalists. As expected with any new model, the 5 GT technology and design are being “dissected” and all the fine details are being exposed.

While our recent coverage on the 5 Series GT focused mostly on the design language, both interior and exterior, the fellows at MotorTrend decided to take a deeper look at the technology powering the 5 Gran Turismo.

“BMW’s 5 Series Gran Turismo is the second vehicle off the new architecture that underpins the 7 Series and will form the basis for next year’s 5 Series sedan and wagon and the next-generation 6 Series. Here are some of the highlight technologies:

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Despite the initial criticism it received after the official photos hit the web, the new, somewhat controversial, BMW 5 Series GT is starting to collect more and more praises from automobile journalists around the world.

Many of the recent reviews have been quite positive, especially after the initial test drives that put several journalists behind the wheel of this Gran Turismo 5 Series. With an exterior design that takes time to get used to it and looks better in reality than in photos, the 5 GT has all the right “ingredients” to follow the successful steps of another past controversial BMW model, X6, a vehicle that has exceeded the expectations in sale numbers.

This week, the UK fellows at The Sun gives us their take on the 5 GT, a car they like to call “Gran Deft Auto”, and yes, in a positive way.

Quirky This BMW is the ultimate car for the urban and suburban needs of the 21st century. In the age of Grand Theft Auto, this is the Gran Deft Auto. It’s clever and it can deal with anything the streets can throw at it. The Germans believe the GT gives occupants first-class comfort compared to economy class of rivals.

There are two trim levels – SE five-seater and Exec four-seater – the latter gets a business-like console that sits between the two seats in the back. The cockpit is classic BMW, with a slightly sporty twist. The dash and console is very crisp and minimal with a classy combination of leather, wood and piano black materials. The seats are brilliant, with soft initial cushioning and firm support beneath them – you can even electronically adjust the seats in the back.

It sits on the same wheelbase as the 7 Series, so there’s plenty of space. But it’s been cleverly worked out. The design of the dash and front doors flows beautifully into the rear.

Full Review

More reviews of the new BMW 5 Series GT are starting to show up. This week, the friends over at Autoblog took the time to drive the new 535i GT with the 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo inline-six engine.

Here are an excerpt from their detailed article:

“First things first. There’s no point in dodging the obvious: Aesthetics will be the primary topic of discussion whenever the 5 Series Gran Turismo comes in for scrutiny. And with good reason – we haven’t seen anything quite like it before. Up front, the 5GT’s enlarged kidney grilles cant forward ever so slightly, creating an aggressive look reinforced by twin corona headlamps and muscular front fenders. The grille’s rake isn’t as deliberate or convincing as, say, an E28 5 Series, but it does lend the face a degree of menace without running afoul of European pedestrian safety standards. Follow the headlamps along their main character line, and you’ll run across a traditional high-waisted beltline. But it isn’t really until the rear end that the shock sets in – the 5GT’s jarring, fastback-like greenhouse that terminates in a novel (if controversial) dual-hinged liftback arrangement.”

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