BMW BLOG

We have been sitting on these third-party test drives for quite some time now, but today is a good day to share some of those with you.

We already started with Top Gear and their 535i test drive, and now we are moving onto the other luxurious, yet controversial, member of the 5 Series family: the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. UK-based publication, Daily Mail, and its own James May took the time to review the BMW 550i GT.

“So I’d just got back to the house in the Mini when I saw this latest novelty from Bavaria in the driveway: a 5 Series Gran Turismo. What’s that, then?

Well, it’s definitely not a 5 Series, for a start. It’s too big. It’s not a grand tourer either – not sporty enough. Is it a 7 Series on stilts? Well, yes, in a way, as looking through the window I could see similar luxury and legroom. Is it a stretched X5? Read the rest of this entry »

The UK journalists are i-Motor spent some time behind the wheel of the somewhat controversial BMW 5 Series GT. One of those cars that don’t photograph well, but tend to stand out when seen in person, the 5 GT is being said to have already exceeded BMW’s sales expectations.

Launched last year, the BMW 5 Series GT, short for Gran Turismo, is based on the platform of the new BMW 7 Series and 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 and why not, having some fun while at it.

“Is it an SUV? A Wagon?” Same very questions many of us have asked, but truth is that the 5 GT opens a new niche market that is slowly starting to welcome new players from BMW’s competition.

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Comfort meets Power: Grand Tour with the 5-series GT by AC Schnitzer
“Gran Turismo“ means “Grand Tour”, and this is the principle behind the 5-series GT by AC Schnitzer.

Driving comfort and performance at the highest level – that’s the promise from the 5-series GT by AC Schnitzer – a promise which is guaranteed to be kept on the next “Grand Tour”.

Engine – Exhaust

The performance upgrade from 245 to 286 HP for the six-cylinder 530d already gives the standard car more pulling power and racing flair, which is demonstrated externally by the AC Schnitzer engine styling with capacity logo.

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There seem to be multiple definitions of the term, Gran Tourismo Turismo . How else could such disparate vehicles like a Mustang GT, Bentley Continental GT, Nissan GT-R, Ferrari 599 GTB, Pontiac GTO and the new BMW 550i GT all be considered Grand Touring cars.

The definition of a Grand Touring car revolves around the following characteristics, room for two (or 2+2) and their luggage, capable of comfortable high speed cruising, oriented to the driver (not chauffeur driven), and capable of handling any road thrown at it. The classic GT car would be something like the BMW 3.0 CS, lithe, agile, perfectly proportioned and eminently capable on mountain passes or autobahn.

Few previously would have included the 550i GT in the Gran Tourismo Turismo category, however. Its tall, Reubenesque, four door body makes this the BBW BMW. But what that rather large shape does do is coddle three plus passengers in the lap of luxury. Its versatile two mode rear opening allows it to swallow the contents of an antiquing run using the hatch, or a smaller items without exposing the cabin to the weather using the smaller bootlid. And yet it still provides the driver the tools to enjoy the joy of long distance, high speed, motoring.

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Playboy is one of the last publications to come to the table with a top cars list in 2010 and as expected, they call it “10 Hottest Cars in 2010″. Emphasize on “hot”….

There are plenty of cars on that list that could qualify as head-turners(Ferrari California) and we wouldn’t mind owning some of them, but there is one especially that sneaks in and takes the crown of a Best Crossover: the BMW 5 Series GT. While we have never really seen the 5 GT as a crossover type of car, we do see where they’re coming from, mostly due to its unconventional design lines and somewhat confusing niche market.

Despite being skeptical prior to its official unveiling and even after seeing the first photos, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has grown on us and as we said before, it doesn’t photograph as good as it looks in person.

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Another unusual comparison was just published by the UK-based Autoexpress magazine. The British fellows compared the BMW 530d GT against the Infiniti EX 37 GT, a comparison that we find it to be ….just a tad odd.

The EX 37 GT could be classified as a crossover vehicle rather than a Gran Tourismo that appeals to a particular niche, but let’s hear their thoughts on this:

“Producing bold cars like the X6 and 5-Series GT is a brave move for BMW – but it takes even more courage to launch an entire brand. Nissan debuted its Infiniti premium division in the US 10 years ago, and has finally brought it to Europe.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the company has proven popular, cultivating the image of a ‘Japanese BMW’. Will that message get lost in translation?

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One of the most unusual comparisons and one that we would see moving forward, is between the newly launched BMW 5 Series GT and Mercedes-Benz highly controversial R Class, R350 Blue Tec.

While some us believe that the two cars are not really competing for the same customers, the german journalists at Autozeitung decided to put the cars head-to-head.

BMW 530d GT is powered by a 3.0 liter straight-six diesel engine outputting 245 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 540 Nm/398 lb-ft from 1,750–3,000 rpm. Still a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the 530d GT uses an 8-speed automatic transmission. As tested by Autozeitung, the 530d GT runs from o-62 mph in 6.8 seconds and it’s limited to 240 km/h (149 mph). Average fuel consumption to the EU standard is measured at 6.5 liters/100 kilometers – 36.8 MPG.

The price of the 530d GT as tested by the german magazine is 55,200 euros.

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Following up on our BMW 550i GT test drive, today we have some video reviews of the 530d GT available in Europe.

BMW 530d GT has the latest generation of 3.0-liter diesel which is expected to comfortably outsell the 535i GT in Europe. The engine outputs 241 horsepower 4000 rpm and 398lb ft of torque from 1750 to 3000 rpm.

Despite being the most affordable GT in the range, the 535d might become BMW’s highest seller in the lineup. For us in the United States, the 550i GT and 535i GT next year, will be the only available models for now.

Without any further ado, let’s see the reviews posted by Fifth Gear and as always, Autoblog.nl:

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