2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Road Test Video

2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published February 04, 2010

3:41 min

The 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo Road Test Video takes a look at BMW's new model that defies any conventional description.

2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published February 04, 2010

3:41 min

We don't really know what to call the 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo. Is it an SUV? A wagon? How about a hatchback? It certainly doesn't seem very Gran Turismo.   But whatever it is, the 5 Series GT is the latest in a recent line of vehicles introduced to purposely blur the lines between various vehicle types in the hopes of carving out its own little market niche. And what exactly does that niche include exactly? Inside Line decided to have a look.  Despite the 5 Series name, the GT is actually more closely related to the 7 Series. They share the same wheelbase and width, though the GT is a bit shorter in length and taller in height.   The result is a car with an enormous back seat, one that reclines and slides to bring the kids closer, or give them a little more breathing room.   It's the trick trunk that's worthy of attention, though. Pull one release latch and up pops a big hatchback like an old Saab 900. Pull another and up pops a small trunk-style liftback that keeps the cabin free from the elements.  With the seats raised and the rigid cargo cover in place, there's only 15 cubic feet of trunk room. But lower the solid rear bulkhead and space expands to 60 cubes -- bigger than the current 5 Series wagon, but smaller than the X5.  So the GT is practical, but then so are countless crossover SUVs. The GT's niche is therefore further defined by BMW's standard bag of ultimate-driving-machine tricks.  Under the hood resides the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 found in the 7 Series and X6 that’s good for 400 horsepower. At the test track, the 5 GT falls closer to its 7 Series sibling than the X6 with a zero-to-60 time of 5.3 seconds.   The GT was faster than them both through the slalom and around the skidpad. In fact, its slalom speed of 65 mph is virtually even to the last 550i sedan we tested. That's incredible given the GT is taller and 900 pounds heavier.  Out in the real world, the GT's abilities are often concealed by its persona as a comfortable, practical family cruiser ideal for road trips on the Interstate. But then you hit a curvy strip of road, and this big, heavy cruiser impressively never gets out of sorts.   So that's the niche: a practical luxury vehicle with greater performance and better handling than an SUV. Sounds a lot like a wagon, really, but then it looks … well, like this. Whether folks will buy into that niche and those looks, that's a different story.