The real challenge, we suspect, will be staying clear of the BMW X6, which was already too close in packaging to the current 5-Series GT. Whether the 5-Series GT will do better as a 6-Series remains to be seen, but some felt the model had a tenuous connection to the 5-Series range, which longtime BMW owners preferred to see as a sedan/wagon range. Hybrid powerplants have not been confirmed for 6-Series GT for now. The range-topping gasoline engine, meanwhile, will be the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found elsewhere in the BMW lineup, including in the new M550i xDrive. In gasoline form, buyers will be able to look forward to the 630i, 640i and the M650i xDrive, according to BMWBlog, though buyers in other markets will also have their pick of diesel models, including the 620d, 630d and M650d xDrive, which will be powered by the new quad-turbo diesel engine announced earlier this spring. A rear bench that can seat three is standard, but opting for the two-seat configuration yields adjustable seats that feel like the result of a partnership between La-Z-Boy and Recaro.A cut above: 2015 BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe review notes
Opening one of the long rear doors reveals the GT’s most luxurious feature, a back seat that rivals a long-wheelbase 7-series for limo-like spaciousness.
At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts purportedly to improve cornering stability. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in opposition to the fronts, which helps the GT feel more maneuverable and smaller than its long wheelbase would suggest. Some of the liveliness is due to BMW’s optional active steering system on our tester, which, as on the 7-series, not only changes the steering ratio but now also turns the rear wheels. The steering is lighter than an X5’s, and the ride is less harsh despite 20-inch wheels with narrow sidewalls (18-inch wheels are standard). The center of gravity still feels a bit high (no thanks to the mandatory glass roof), but grip and body control feel more 5-series than X5-a very heavy 5-series, but a 5-series nonetheless. There’s no trickery of any kind in the way the GT enters corners. Dashboard design mimics that of the 7-series, iDrive and all, and should be identical to the next-generation 5-series’ interior. Once inside, the width of the cabin, the height of the roof, the massive A-pillars, and the restricted view out the rear window trick the senses into thinking the GT is an SUV, though. The floor is low, like a car’s, and the seat is high but not quite the height of an SUV’s. Stepping into the GT actually requires no stepping at all. Both engines come standard with a slick eight-speed automatic transmission. During a test drive in Portugal, only the 535i GT was available. The V-8 version will be first to go on sale at an estimated $67,000 the turbocharged six follows in early spring with a starting price in the mid-50s. The V-8 pushes the weight to nearly 5000 pounds, but the claimed 0-to-60 time falls to 5.4 seconds. Even burdened with 4600 pounds, the 535i GT feels quick, and BMW claims a 0-to-60 time of 6.2 seconds.įor those looking for more power, the GT also offers BMW’s 400-hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8. The single turbo is just as lag-free and responsive as the twin-turbo arrangement.
Output of the single-turbo six is identical to that of the twin-turbo unit: 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. BMW says that eventually the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo six will be replaced by the new single-turbo unit. 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. 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. Mechanically, the GT suffers no such inconsistencies. The GT looks better in person, but its styling still can’t hide the proportions of a rolling contradiction. The resulting body is long but not lithe, wide but not sporty. But its height of 61.4 inches and length of 196.8 inches are closer to the realm of cars. The wheelbase spans a long 120.9 inches, and width is SUV-like at 74.8 inches. To achieve those disparate attributes, the 5-series GT is necessarily ungainly. 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?
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