“I don’t get it,” I said to myself when the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo was first unveiled to the public in 2009. “Is it an MPV? Is it a proper grand tourer? Will it replace the 5 Series Touring (station wagon)? I don’t get it.”
Yesterday I met up with the 5 Series GT at the two-day local media launch event in partly cloudy Cape Town and hoped to “get it” once we’d touched base in the flesh for the first time. One can’t help but notice the hulky rear end before anything else, even before the sharky front end which was no doubt influenced by the CS Concept. There’s a reason for that rear end and it became apparent during my few hours behind the wheel.
The first question one might ask regarding this “the first of its kind” is probably “why?”. And BMW’s answer would be “because we are constant innovators, we have to create new models to meet market demand and expectations, and ultimately to grow as a business”. While it’s true that only about a decade ago BMW had the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series and the Z4 as making up its entire model lineup. Some companies might have rejoiced and praised their gods and ancestors at the thought but BMW realised the future would be conquered in new markets.
Thus came the X5, X3, 1 Series, X6, GT and soon X1. And perhaps others as well. I pondered over this explanation for a few hours and came to the conclusion that true as it may be that growth comes from growth, growth for the sake of growth is probably less productive than necessary growth.
I have to say I find the GT quite niche. Extremely niche actually. In fact so niche that I have to wonder if BMW SA will meet its 50-unit monthly sales target. See, the GT is a lovely car. It’s 4.998 metres long, 2.1m wide, 1.6m tall and has a wheelbase measuring 3.1m. What that means is it’s got rear legroom that mimics a 7 Series, falling between the short-wheel-base model and the long-wheel-base Lis. The rear seats can be slid back and forth as well as for back reclining. That’s perhaps its greatest selling point, along with excellent headroom (you can practically sit Shaquille O’Neal there and he wouldn’t break his neck) and the innovative boot space. I’m not using the word innovative haphazardly of course; the boot can be accessed in two ways. One is to open it like you would a normal sedan’s where the interior ambiance is not affected. Apparently in really cold countries in Europe and North America this is quite important. The other way is to open it like you would a hatchback, thus exposing passengers to the elements, but with the advantage that larger items can be loaded more easily. There’s your reason for the hulky rear. Check the accompanying pictures.
Equipment levels fitted straight at the factory are almost on par with a 7 Series and include such niceties as a panoramic glass sunroof, rain sensors, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, electrically adjustable steering column, DSC, DTC, Head-Up Display, park distance control with rear camera, satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. Options include DVD changers for the rear passengers.
That would pretty much sum up the 5 Series GT, except that there’s more. Seeing that this is a BMW surely small items like engines and handling come into play? Indeed both do. For the SA market power is supplied by a range of three engines. At the base end is the 3.0-litre turbo diesel-powered 530d (same found in the 3 and 7 Series) making 180kW at 4000rpm. Peak torque is rated at an impressive 540Nm between 1750rpm and 3000rpm. Acceleration is said to take 6.9 seconds from 0 – 100km/h, which isn’t too bad for a car weighing about two tonnes.
Second up is the 535i which has a single twin-scroll turbo that procures 225kW at 5800rpm and maximum torque of 400Nm at 1200rpm and 5000rpm. Note that this engine is a new-generation motor compared to the old twin turbo. Beady-eyed readers may also have picked up on the fact that power now arrives some 100rpm earlier than with the twin turbo. The 0 – 100km/h sprint can be dispatched in 6.3 seconds while top speed is 250km/h.
At the very top (in the absence of a 5 Series GT M) is the 550i with a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 that’s good for 300kW between 5500rpm and 6400rpm, while torque is 600Nm between 1750rpm and 4500rpm. Quick but smooth is the 550i, having the ability to move from standstill to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds. The mated 8-speed automatic gearbox (sold with all three models) can be shifted via the gear knob in the centre console or left to its own devices in full automatic mode. Up to you.
To play with the suspension and get as close to a “BMW” feeling as possible one simply fiddles with a button that will give you Normal, Sport or Sport+ modes. Possibly the most notable difference for the layperson will be in the quicker gear changes in the Sport+ mode, while the more enthusiastic driver would have felt the tighter grip of the squat to the tarmac. BMW’s investment in runflat tyres during the early 2000s continues with every model in the range, including the GT but excluding M cars. Standard rubber is 245/50 R18 in 8J x 18 aluminium wheels but the 550i gets larger diameters.
Some of the laws of physics can be defied but others remain a mystery. Raising a car’s roof will certainly give you more headroom and ultimate comfort but it will also penalise you when it comes to driving enjoyment. Think of one of those bartenders in the movies sliding a bowl of nuts across the slipper counter tower, to be caught by a customer at the other end. Let them try the same trick with a bottle of whiskey and see how it works out.
And so it was with the GT. Steering is light for the most part but it is precise. However that weight transfer when cornering is very much apparent, although some of the electronic systems do counter it to some extent.
So it will probably be outclassed by a 5 Series sedan when it comes to bends. But when it comes to combining practicality, luxury, space and comfort with healthy doses of driving fun very few cars can compare. Even fewer from the lot used by hotels like The Saxon to transport their most valued guests between airports and their own premises. Instead of subjecting your VVIPs to a minibus taxi or some other large MPV, why not invest in the 5 Series Gran Turismo and make a lasting first impression?
BMW 5 Series GT pricing
530d (R733 000)
535i (R737 000)
550i (R959 500)
I don't get it either
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