Photo: CarPix
You can say what you want about the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, but the Germans obviously have big plans for the model and they plan on keeping it on the market for at least another generation. The current GT is a praised car, but only once you truly get to know it better, most criticism coming from backseat drivers.
Admittedly, the GT body of the 5er doesn’t do it justice, and yes, from the side it does look like a hunchback, but all that “ugliness” has a purpose to it. And that purpose is to make you feel like a king inside.
The current model is built atop the old 7 Series’ platform. It has exactly the same wheelbase and nearly the same length, offering incredible room in the back as well as the same level of comfort as the former flagship. We even dare say that due to its peculiar shape, the Gran Turismo feels even roomier, especially in the back.
The new model that was spied today up close by our photographers will apparently try to solve some of the design issues. Judging by the photos, the car looks just as bulky, but the psychedelic camouflage “helps” a lot in this regard. According to our people on the ground, the car actually looks a lot better in the flesh, slimmer and more in tune with what the blue and white roundel stands for.
As a matter of fact, the whole thing looks closer to a Gran Coupe version now than it ever did and that’s good news for everyone. We’re only hoping that the final product doesn’t cut corners in other areas just to make it look good. We’re referring to the cavernous space you get inside and the consequences that the sloping roofline could have on it.
The headlights seem inspired by the 7 Series as well, and as far as we can tell now, they appear to be connected to the kidney grilles up front. The changes at the back are rather obvious as well, the trunk being seriously elongated while the taillights will probably feature LEDs. At the moment, they are used in pre-production guise on the prototypes.
As for the powerplants under the hood, expect a mix of 3-liter diesel and gasoline engines, as well as the 4.4-liter V8 on the 550i model. According to the current head of fuel-cell development in Munich, the new 5 Series GT will probably be the first BMW to use hydrogen as fuel, but that will most likely take place once the facelift comes out, after 2020.
The current model is built atop the old 7 Series’ platform. It has exactly the same wheelbase and nearly the same length, offering incredible room in the back as well as the same level of comfort as the former flagship. We even dare say that due to its peculiar shape, the Gran Turismo feels even roomier, especially in the back.
The new model that was spied today up close by our photographers will apparently try to solve some of the design issues. Judging by the photos, the car looks just as bulky, but the psychedelic camouflage “helps” a lot in this regard. According to our people on the ground, the car actually looks a lot better in the flesh, slimmer and more in tune with what the blue and white roundel stands for.
As a matter of fact, the whole thing looks closer to a Gran Coupe version now than it ever did and that’s good news for everyone. We’re only hoping that the final product doesn’t cut corners in other areas just to make it look good. We’re referring to the cavernous space you get inside and the consequences that the sloping roofline could have on it.
The headlights seem inspired by the 7 Series as well, and as far as we can tell now, they appear to be connected to the kidney grilles up front. The changes at the back are rather obvious as well, the trunk being seriously elongated while the taillights will probably feature LEDs. At the moment, they are used in pre-production guise on the prototypes.
As for the powerplants under the hood, expect a mix of 3-liter diesel and gasoline engines, as well as the 4.4-liter V8 on the 550i model. According to the current head of fuel-cell development in Munich, the new 5 Series GT will probably be the first BMW to use hydrogen as fuel, but that will most likely take place once the facelift comes out, after 2020.
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