The BMW 550i Gran Turismo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                       The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo adds new facets to BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machine tradition and refines the concept of first-class travel. For the first time, attributes of an elegant sedan, a contemporary Sports Activity Vehicle and a classic Gran Turismo are masterfully melded into a single, harmonious vehicle…”

The 550i Gran Turismo was recently introduced as a concept car and the Bavarian automaker has wasted little time in prepping the 550i for production. The imposing and aggressive 550i blends its attitude with the typical style and luxury you would expect from BMW.

 

Coming standard with a 4.4-liter twin turbo, four cam, direct injected V8 engine, the BMW 550i Gran Turismo produces a whopping 400hp with 450 lb. ft. of torque, teamed up with an 8-speed automatic. Limited to a top speed of 150mph, the BMW goes 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds. Weighing in at 4,895 pounds, these numbers aren’t too shabby.

Labeling the 550i a 5-seater is somewhat misleading. With a unique 40/20/40 back seat design, the BMW is more of a 4-seater unless you’re throwing your scrawny, 60 pound little kid in the middle.

One of the few, small downsides of the BMW 550i Gran Turismo is that both heated seats and satellite radio do not come standard and for the price of the vehicle, that is a surprise. Luckily, the 550i comes standard with a dual-panel Panoramic sunroof, covering about 55 percent of the roof. The 550i Gran Turismo will have a base price at around $65,000 but a well supplied model shoots up quickly to above $75,000 with customized options and taxes.

 

 

The option of heated seats comes in the front or the back, and for an additional $4,000 the Luxury Rear Seating Package provides multi-adjustable, vented and heated rear seats with power sunshades for the rear door windows, and individual automatic climate control. Another optional package is the rear seat entertainment system for $2,200 which offers two screens of DVD entertainment, wireless headphones, and remote to keep the back seat drivers smiling.

Other than that, the interior of the 550i Gran Turismo is simple, clear, and overall first-class. The fineline matte wood trim is a nice change from the high-gloss wood trim usually seen in BMWs. The interior is very clean and contemporary which will keep potential BMW customers very happy.