I only wish the original had mentioned Gromit(!)
Here is auto motor + sport's test from 10 September 2009:
Might as well have a bit of a do for the launch. So the Bavarian Motor Werkers state proudly that this new model 5-series by the name of Gran Turismo is the first car of its kind.
Which is a bold claim, since all that the lads from BMW have really done here is to pour some well-known features of different types of car into a shaker, shake well, and decant a new kind of cocktail. Five-door executive limousines with a big tailgate have not enjoyed great success in the premium segment, so the concept gets a coupe-style roofline. However, unlike a coupe, headroom is not restricted, without the result looking too much like an SUV.
And thus, a car came into the world whose appearance may be a little unusual. Nevertheless, it by no means provokes such extreme reactions as the monstrous X6, even though the 5-series GT is one of the larger cars on our roads.
It is 5 metres (197”) long and 1.9m (75”) wide and the whole stands on a wheelbase similar to that of the 7 series. So, clearly, what the buyer gets here is not merely a new variation on the 5-series theme, rather a coupe-saloon-estate positioned between the 5 and the 7.
The price list - from €55,300 (around £50k) for the diesel 530d - is also proof of the fact that the target market is those who could actually afford a 7-series, but are not so keen on making a public display of the contents of their wallets.
(NB my comment: the price list in this article says €55,200 but, then again, what's €100 between friends? It won't buy you twelve beers at the Oktoberfest).
Such people tend to be a little less agile and will appreciate the GT’s extra height (1.56m, 62”) enabling an easier entry. The height of the front seats is right between that in the 5-series saloon and that in the X5 sporty off-roader, in other words, is a decent compromise. There again, the promise of a better view of the traffic due to this higher driving position is honoured only to a certain degree given the body’s design. The driver‘s view directly backwards through the small, flat rear window is not marvellous, and that over the driver’s shoulder is non-existent. Hence, the optional reversing camera is a must-have item on the extras list.
Those passengers with the right to sit in the back need not concern themselves with all this. Rather, they find space to sit and stretch their legs that is unusually generous. Despite the fastback roofline there is sufficient headroom, and, as for legroom, there’s as much as you’d expect from a chauffeur-driven limousine in the long wheelbase version.
On top of this, the back seats are adjustable as a standard feature so that the interior is impressively luxurious. All this fine-tuning of the seating position, coupled with the high quality of materials and finish, means the car will meet quite stringent demands - and that’s before the additional items on the options list! One feature of the car is its two individually-moulded rear seats, separated by a sizeable centre console. This is effectively an upgrade from Business to First Class. We highly recommend them if the GT’s driver is expecting rich maiden aunts as back seat passengers rather than complaining mothers-in-law.
In addition to its role as a luxurious goods transporter, the GT is also a most practical car each individual can set up to his or her own tastes. For instance, there is a two-part tailgate like the one Škoda unveiled on the Superb. If a button is pressed to open only the lower part of the tailgate, it reveals a conventional boot.
Not even BMW can work miracles, however; since the rear-seat passengers are allowed a lot of leeway in their choice of seating configuration, the luggage compartment has turned out a bit on the dainty side for such a large car. Only about 440 litres (15.5 cubic feet) can be squashed into it -so it’s very much an also-ran in the “how much luggage can I get into my sixteen-foot-long car?” stakes.
There is an additional bulkhead between the boot space and the passenger compartment, which means the rear-seat passengers are not disturbed by unwanted draughts when the luggage is being loaded into the back. The disadvantage of this, however, is that when the rear seats are slid forward, no extra boot space is created.
There is a second button to open the entire tailgate. It is easy to get the two buttons mixed up, so the designers from Munich have thought up a simple way to remember which one is which: the button under the M on the BMW badge works the Mini-bootlid while the one under the W opens the entire tailgate up Wide.
Press that button and you get storage space heading towards “large estate” territory - then, you get a boot up to 1,700 litres (60 cubic feet).
(Diepresse.com)
But what’s it like to drive?
To cut a long story short: like a BMW.
To cut a long story not so short, there are none of the typical SUV issues arising from height and bulk; the GT has very direct steering and will wag its tail through the slalom like a sportscar. This ability comes with a very relaxing ride (or at least it does if you choose the self-levelling rear air suspension as an extra-cost option). The only weak spot is that driving over small potholes at low speed is a little bumpy, although it does have to be said that BMW’s preferred runflat tyres have made significant gains in ride comfort.
Our first acquaintance with the GT is made in the shape of a 535i, whose in-line six-cylinder engine is the first to combine turbocharger, direct petrol injection and the Valvetronic variable valve mechanism in a single package. The result is a particularly sporting and smooth power unit in the best BMW tradition. The 530d, of course, uses less fuel, while the 550i’s biturbo V8 is there for those select few who believe you can never have enough power.
All of these engines drive the new ZF-developed eight-speed autobox, found up to now only in the 760i. This has everything you would expect from a modern automatic and selects its gears at lightning speed in a most unobtrusive manner.
Anyone who fails to be convinced by the first BMW of this rather special kind still has a treat to look forward to. After all, many details of the GT give us a preview of what we can expect from the next generation 5-series. It’s looking good.
Technical details:
535i GT: 2979cc, 306 DIN hp, 0-62 6.3s, 31.7mpg Super, €55,700
550i GT: 4395cc, 407 DIN hp, 0-62 5.5s, 25.2mpg Super, €75,300
530d GT: 2993cc, 245 DIN hp, 0-62 6.9s, 43.4mpg Diesel, €55,200
Here is auto motor + sport's test from 10 September 2009:
A CAR FOR GRAND TOURS: BMW 5-series GT.
(autobild.de)
(autobild.de)
Might as well have a bit of a do for the launch. So the Bavarian Motor Werkers state proudly that this new model 5-series by the name of Gran Turismo is the first car of its kind.
Which is a bold claim, since all that the lads from BMW have really done here is to pour some well-known features of different types of car into a shaker, shake well, and decant a new kind of cocktail. Five-door executive limousines with a big tailgate have not enjoyed great success in the premium segment, so the concept gets a coupe-style roofline. However, unlike a coupe, headroom is not restricted, without the result looking too much like an SUV.
And thus, a car came into the world whose appearance may be a little unusual. Nevertheless, it by no means provokes such extreme reactions as the monstrous X6, even though the 5-series GT is one of the larger cars on our roads.
It is 5 metres (197”) long and 1.9m (75”) wide and the whole stands on a wheelbase similar to that of the 7 series. So, clearly, what the buyer gets here is not merely a new variation on the 5-series theme, rather a coupe-saloon-estate positioned between the 5 and the 7.
The price list - from €55,300 (around £50k) for the diesel 530d - is also proof of the fact that the target market is those who could actually afford a 7-series, but are not so keen on making a public display of the contents of their wallets.
(NB my comment: the price list in this article says €55,200 but, then again, what's €100 between friends? It won't buy you twelve beers at the Oktoberfest).
Such people tend to be a little less agile and will appreciate the GT’s extra height (1.56m, 62”) enabling an easier entry. The height of the front seats is right between that in the 5-series saloon and that in the X5 sporty off-roader, in other words, is a decent compromise. There again, the promise of a better view of the traffic due to this higher driving position is honoured only to a certain degree given the body’s design. The driver‘s view directly backwards through the small, flat rear window is not marvellous, and that over the driver’s shoulder is non-existent. Hence, the optional reversing camera is a must-have item on the extras list.
Those passengers with the right to sit in the back need not concern themselves with all this. Rather, they find space to sit and stretch their legs that is unusually generous. Despite the fastback roofline there is sufficient headroom, and, as for legroom, there’s as much as you’d expect from a chauffeur-driven limousine in the long wheelbase version.
On top of this, the back seats are adjustable as a standard feature so that the interior is impressively luxurious. All this fine-tuning of the seating position, coupled with the high quality of materials and finish, means the car will meet quite stringent demands - and that’s before the additional items on the options list! One feature of the car is its two individually-moulded rear seats, separated by a sizeable centre console. This is effectively an upgrade from Business to First Class. We highly recommend them if the GT’s driver is expecting rich maiden aunts as back seat passengers rather than complaining mothers-in-law.
In addition to its role as a luxurious goods transporter, the GT is also a most practical car each individual can set up to his or her own tastes. For instance, there is a two-part tailgate like the one Škoda unveiled on the Superb. If a button is pressed to open only the lower part of the tailgate, it reveals a conventional boot.
Not even BMW can work miracles, however; since the rear-seat passengers are allowed a lot of leeway in their choice of seating configuration, the luggage compartment has turned out a bit on the dainty side for such a large car. Only about 440 litres (15.5 cubic feet) can be squashed into it -so it’s very much an also-ran in the “how much luggage can I get into my sixteen-foot-long car?” stakes.
There is an additional bulkhead between the boot space and the passenger compartment, which means the rear-seat passengers are not disturbed by unwanted draughts when the luggage is being loaded into the back. The disadvantage of this, however, is that when the rear seats are slid forward, no extra boot space is created.
There is a second button to open the entire tailgate. It is easy to get the two buttons mixed up, so the designers from Munich have thought up a simple way to remember which one is which: the button under the M on the BMW badge works the Mini-bootlid while the one under the W opens the entire tailgate up Wide.
Press that button and you get storage space heading towards “large estate” territory - then, you get a boot up to 1,700 litres (60 cubic feet).
(Diepresse.com)
But what’s it like to drive?
To cut a long story short: like a BMW.
To cut a long story not so short, there are none of the typical SUV issues arising from height and bulk; the GT has very direct steering and will wag its tail through the slalom like a sportscar. This ability comes with a very relaxing ride (or at least it does if you choose the self-levelling rear air suspension as an extra-cost option). The only weak spot is that driving over small potholes at low speed is a little bumpy, although it does have to be said that BMW’s preferred runflat tyres have made significant gains in ride comfort.
Our first acquaintance with the GT is made in the shape of a 535i, whose in-line six-cylinder engine is the first to combine turbocharger, direct petrol injection and the Valvetronic variable valve mechanism in a single package. The result is a particularly sporting and smooth power unit in the best BMW tradition. The 530d, of course, uses less fuel, while the 550i’s biturbo V8 is there for those select few who believe you can never have enough power.
All of these engines drive the new ZF-developed eight-speed autobox, found up to now only in the 760i. This has everything you would expect from a modern automatic and selects its gears at lightning speed in a most unobtrusive manner.
Anyone who fails to be convinced by the first BMW of this rather special kind still has a treat to look forward to. After all, many details of the GT give us a preview of what we can expect from the next generation 5-series. It’s looking good.
Technical details:
535i GT: 2979cc, 306 DIN hp, 0-62 6.3s, 31.7mpg Super, €55,700
550i GT: 4395cc, 407 DIN hp, 0-62 5.5s, 25.2mpg Super, €75,300
530d GT: 2993cc, 245 DIN hp, 0-62 6.9s, 43.4mpg Diesel, €55,200
