Priced: 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

WOODCLIFF LAKE, New Jersey — The five-passenger 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo, the first of the German automaker's 5 Series Gran Turismo models, will start at $64,725, when it arrives in showrooms on December 5 in the U.S. Pricing includes a $825 destination charge.

That base price can be inflated well into the $80,000 range, with the liberal addition of nine optional packages and 13 different pieces of optional equipment. Perhaps the most critical one is the luxury rear seating package, which is priced at $3,950 and transforms the Gran Turismo into a four-seater by adding power rear bucket seats, a rear center console with cupholders and a storage compartment, and a power fold-down function.

Other packages include a $2,950 active ventilated-seat package, a $750 back-up-camera package and a $1,400 premium sound package. The optional equipment on the Gran Turismo includes $2,600 night vision with pedestrian detection, $650 ceramic finished controls, $1,750 integral active steering, $500 power rear side window shades, a $1,000 set of 20-inch wheels with mixed-sized performance tires and a $2,200 rear-seat entertainment system.

For now, the rear-wheel-drive 5 Series Gran Turismo is available only with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that cranks out 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to BMW's first eight-speed automatic transmission.

The 550i Gran Turismo was first shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September. It is essentially a hatchback version of the 5 Series sedan. One unusual touch: a dual-access tailgate that gives consumers the choice of a traditional trunk opening or full tailgate access.

Inside Line says: This is one pricey hatchback, if you throw in all the goodies. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent