Daily Auto News BMW 5 Series GT Pricing Announced
Daily Auto News
The price, along with a few first test drives, of the car no one knows quite what to do with, have come in.
Car and Driver says, “Trying to describe the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo can sound a bit like trying to solve a riddle: What has the rear seat of a 7-series, the driving position of an X5, and the over-the-road dynamics of a 5-series?”
Motor Trend tries to make sense of the 5 Series Gran Turismo by putting it in a European context: “Europe is like a whole other continent. Its citizens tolerate insane levels of taxation, live happily in extremely close quarters, and possess fashion sensibilities that foster foreign looking footwear and business suits dyed colors we associate with the management ranks of the ‘oldest profession.’ Now the Euro elites are eschewing lux sedans and SUVs in favor of ‘something different.’”
The 5 Series Gran Turismo certainly is “something different.” Based on a blending of the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, the 5 Series Gran Turismo has an executive sedan interior, and a hatchback. It’s an anomaly to most Americans. Motor Trend muses, “Maybe Europe loves hatchbacks simply because Americans hate them and they’re P.O.’d at us for grenading the global economy.”
But, now if you want something different, you can pick up the 5 Series GT for only $64,725. Motor Authority writes, “the pricing puts the car just above the top-end of the 5-Series sedans, but about $15,000 below the entry-level 7-Series.” Want to save some off the car’s sticker? “European delivery customers can expect to save about $4,500 off sticker by picking the car up in Munich, meaning those with some cash in hand can justify the expense of a European vacation.
The first test drives of the car are largely positive. Car and Driver says, “It’s a traditional BMW under the skin, from its rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is slated for 2011) to its standard inline-six engine. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six under the hood of the 535i GT is a new single-turbo, direct-injection unit, as opposed to the twin-turbo six that debuted in the 335i.” That engine gets some praise: “The single turbo is just as lag-free and responsive as the twin-turbo arrangement. Even burdened with 4600 pounds, the 535i GT feels quick, and BMW claims a 0-to-60 time of 6.2 seconds.”
Motor Trend thinks, “Fashion-forward Yanks who can be coaxed into a test-spin of this too-tall car/too-short SUV will be impressed with its Swiss-Army-knife versatility and after a few miles at the helm of the 550i GT, they may think they’ve stumbled across a Filene’s Basement bargain on a slightly irregular 7 Series ($82,280 if perfect, now $65,000!).”
Still, not everyone is impressed. Jalopnik writes, “It’s got a 4.4-liter V8 with 400 HP and 450 lb-ft of torque, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and a 0-60MPH time of 5.4 seconds, but it sure can’t outrun the ugly. Making it even more obscene, Ze Germans expect you to pony up $64,725 for the privilege of driving the base model BMW 550i GT. Start talking options and things crack $70k real quick. Der Kaiser hat keine Kleider.”
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