The styling of the original Gran Tourismo version of the BMW 5 Series has probably generated as much discussion as any model in the history of the 5 Series. Some people love it, some hate it, and some tolerate it because they wanted a 5 Series with a larger cargo capacity and easier access.
BMW is remaining committed to the 5 Series GT. Recent spy photos indicate the upcoming generation may share more of its design styling with the normal 5 Series, especially in the front fascia. Also differing from the first F07 5 Series GT, the extended roofline of the new G32 BMW 5 Series GT seems more integrated with the rest of the car and less like the roofline of certain 1960s-era muscle cars. (You youngsters can google 1965 Plymouth Barracuda or 1967 Mustang Fastback to see what those looked like.)
Looking at BMW's luxury flagship introduced last year, the latest BMW 7 Series has a roofline that extends farther back over the trunk than previous models, so perhaps BMW is closing the roofline gap between sedan and GT models of the 5 Series and the difference in the final versions of each may not be as visually extreme as the current 5 Series GT.
The 5 Series GT spotted in these photos appears to have either a fake or very loose-fitting body panel beyond the rear window line and possibly as far as the trunk lid and rear deck spoiler, so we don’t know how the final version actually will look. The new version may ultimately be a car that couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a wagon or a sedan, but at least there appears to be a measurable rear trunk deck; small but a little longer than the first generation’s. Be warned, however, that the upswept rear trunk deck is in close proximity to that wierdly fitting panel, so if BMW is really trying to camouflage the new styling of the all-important area where the roof meets the trunk, the entire rear deck might not be real and the actual roofline of the new GT may be just as extreme as the old one. We hope not.
The interior in the 5 Series GT spy photo bears a strong resemblance to the interior of the new 7 Series as well, especially the steering wheel, which is almost identical. There’s no guarantee that will be the production version’s steering wheel, however.
While there will be styling differences between the new 5 Series GT and the "plain" 5 Series Sedan, the GT will certainly share at least some powertrains with the sedan, although it may not get every engine option that will be offered in the sedan. The first 5 Series GT was not available with a manual transmission, so there is no reason to believe the second generation will have anything other than an automatic; probably an eight-speed. A plug-in hybrid version is likely.
Spy photos of the regular 5 Series Sedan seem to indicate that it is farther along in development than the GT. Industry observers expect the new 5 Series Sedan to be revealed within the next few months, followed by a real-world premiere at either the Paris Motor Show in October or more likely, the North American International Auto Show in January. The GT will likely follow later. We hope that since BMW remains committed to the GT, the new one’s looks have been softened enough to make it at the very least palatable to the sedan purists so we can discuss reasons to buy the 5 Series GT instead of reasons why we shouldn't.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of Autoindustriya.com.]
