2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

Cruising blissfully along a bucolic upstate New York two lane in BMW's new 550i Gran Turismo, I remark to my stunningly beautiful traveling companion, 'I'm going to wind up liking this car for reasons that have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the car.'

Hey, it was a perfect morning, with perfect music, perfect scenery, and, uh, did I mention the retinal magnetism of the amazing woman in the right front seat?

Still, even with all of that, turns out I was wrong.

You see the 5-Series GT was, in fact, an integral part of that experience.

Without the comfort and broad performance envelope the BMW provided, I'd have been more focused on the ride than the surroundings. You see, the true measure of an exceptional touring car is that it fades gracefully into the background to become part of the experience, as opposed to demanding to be the focus of the experience. Yet, when you want to be amused by the dynamics of its gifted performance, the truly exceptional touring car takes center stage with considerable verve and whisks you along in quite the entertaining fashion.

And this BMW does do all of that...

Still, I must admit - my first viewing of the GT left wondering what the people at BMW were thinking. This whole hatchback 5-Series thing? Yeah. No. A brother was definitely not feeling it. But then when I took another look, it started to make more sense.

The silken power delivery of the 400-horsepower twin-turbo, direct injected 4.4-liter V8 contributed mightily to my change of attitude. Delivering great gulping acceleration thanks to its 450 ft-lbs of torque, the engine will get the GT to 60 in 5.4 seconds and will continue to collect and hoard speed freely all the way until the electronic governor intercedes at 150 miles per hour.

The new eight-speed automatic transmission performs the miracle of harnessing all of that power to good effect, while simultaneously enabling the engine to deliver its extraordinary efficiency as well. Those two extra gear ratios means the engine doesn't have to work as hard to maintain cruising speeds. But it's also designed to downshift directly to the appropriate gear to provide maximum acceleration on demand. It's the best of both worlds.

Another innovation related to efficiency, the GT incorporates BMW's new regenerative braking system that charges the electrical system in order to reduce the need for the parasitic alternator. When the alternator does its thing it uses engine power that could be put to better use motivating the vehicle. Generating electricity from the braking system reduces the need to operate the alternator.

Inside, the GT provides the welcoming comfort of familiarity to anyone who's spent time in a contemporary BMW. The blend of luxury and performance is nicely accomplished. The just fat enough steering wheel feels great in your hands and the new iDrive system is wonderfully intuitive.

The instruments are rendered using "Black Panel" technology, when you get in the car you see only the rings that outline the speedometer and tachometer. When the car is activated the numbers reveal themselves along with additional information needed to operate the BMW.

The seating positions are elevated inside the BMW Gran Turismo, you sit higher than you would in a typical sedan. This gives people who prefer the elevated seating position of an SUV an added degree of security, but without having to step up to get into the car.

Rear seat passengers are treated to an abundance of spaciousness, along with optional power adjustable seating and available video monitors mounted in the front seat backs to provide entertainment. Meanwhile the panoramic sunroof and abundance of legroom enhances the feeling of airiness throughout the well-appointed interior.

That sloped back pretty much tells everyone the 5GT is a hatchback. With the rear seats folded, the GT provides an amazing degree of cargo capacity.

However, what isn't readily apparent is that the rear conceals a traditional trunk as well. A partition enables you to separate cargo from the passengers just as you would in a normal sedan.

I alluded earlier to the BMW's prowess on the road. Everything you expect from a BMW the 550i Gran Turismo delivers. Outstanding road holding, accurate steering and easily modulated braking are all part of its performance vocabulary. I did experience a slight difference in the feel of the brakes - probably related to the regenerative braking, but it was not something a less sensitive individual would notice.

Overall, the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo opens a new niche in the market. With pricing estimated in the 60's for the V8 and the 50's for the inline-six powered version coming a bit later, I'm wondering if the car will find much of a market. I will say it drives well and it's remarkably unique. But frankly, that uniqueness could work against it too.