The BMW 5 Series GT can never be as fun as Gran Turismo 5.
Anyway, functionality is the main emphasis of this big Bimmer, which comes across as a mutant combination of sports saloon, sports-utility and prestige flagship.
Put simply, the BMW 5 Series GT is a BMW 5 Series plus X6 plus 7 Series, or perhaps 5 times X6 times 7.
BMW 5 Series GT occupants enjoy huge comfort and superb visibility.
Either calculation leads to the same conclusion: This Gran Turismo is too clever by half.
It tries to be a jack of all trades and a master of some, but ends up a motoring mishmash with an identity crisis.
It might have started out as BMW’s first MPV, but maybe the management got cold feet and decided to make it multi-purpose without it being a Multi-Purpose Vehicle per se.
This already sounds confusing on paper – imagine executing it in metal.
The end result is essentially a 5 Series hatchback with a twist.
The twirl in question revolves around the tailgate, which has two different modes of opening.
BMW 5 Series GT comes with the brand’s signature iDrive controller, which is like an automotive iPod of infotainment on the move.
It brings to mind the Skoda Superb’s Twindoor, a brilliant liftback-cum-notchback boot system.
But actual cargo space in the BMW 5 Series GT is a lot smaller than in the well-packaged Czech limo for the masses.
Closing the lid in its “saloon” configuration is also harder in the German model, possibly due to the weight and angle.
Maybe BMW should have equipped the boot lid with the same electric closing feature that makes operating the huge hatch a small task.
You can even select one of several wide-open angles via the iDrive controller, with a thoughtful button at the tailgate jamb to motor it up to the maximum height regardless of the setting.
Two sizeable under-floor compartments (one doubling as dedicated storage for the solid parcel shelf), sturdy built-in retainer straps and a convenient split-fold facility aid the car’s “multi-function” objective.
The promise of luxury is fulfilled by the back seat of the BMW 5 Series GT. BMW claims that its rear legroom is the same as in the 7 Series, and headroom is equal to that of the X5.
Indeed, there is plenty of space for rear occupants to stretch their legs and bob their heads, but the bobbing cannot be too violent because the sloping roof isn’t that far away.
A third occupant can fit quite comfortably, but it is of course more comfortable for the two priority passengers to flip down the full-length centre armrest and, well, rest their prioritised arms there.
Individually regulated air-con, a pair of overhead reading lights that can be pointed in any direction, spacious door bins, truly high-fidelity hi-fi and excellent sound insulation are ready for grand tourer duty.
With 306bhp and 400Nm of turbo output at the disposal of the 535i GT, the touring performance is undoubtedly grand.
It would probably be glorious in the 407bhp/600Nm 550i GT, but that’s another story for another day.
Today, the 535i is at play. It has enough torque to overcome its kerb weight of over two tonnes, and enough power to provide acceleration close to that of the 535i saloon, but the BMW 5 Series GT is clearly clumsier in corners.
This heavy-handed behaviour does not gel well with the light steering and lively turn of speed. Toggle “Sport” for the standard DDC (Driving Dynamic Control) chassis and you harden the ride rather than sharpen the handling.
Life in the BMW 5 Series GT would be simpler if you focus on the cruising, which it does very well.
Extraneous noise is kept out, road bumps are soaked up and the drivetrain gets down to the business of munching the miles without missing a beat.
The driving position, somewhere between an X5 and a non-X5, provides commanding visibility and outstanding comfort, with an array of electric adjusters and amenities to make your solace at the wheel last.
The only time discomfort enters the picture is when manoeuvring the giant machine in a little multi-storey carpark, although the upright body, massive mirrors and precise parking assistance (including a helpful rear camera) minimise the stress.
The pressure is on BMW’s marketing experts to sell the Gran Turismo idea to enough executives and justify the whole exercise.
I reckon it will be hard to market this unusual vehicle to your usual towkay uncle, whose understanding of “limousine” is limited to the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the occasional Lexus LS.
To this demographic, the BMW 5 Series GT is an automotive anomaly that is neither here nor there.
BMW 5 Series GT 535i 3.0 (A)
ENGINE 2979cc, 24-valves, inline-6, turbocharged
MAX POWER 306bhp at 5800rpm
MAX TORQUE 400Nm at 1200-5000rpm
GEARBOX 8-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 6.3 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h
CONSUMPTION 11.2km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $306,800 (as of November 2010)
Check out the successor to the BMW 5 Series GT, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is the practical hatchback variant of the 5 Series
