Hey folks,
first post on bimmerpost
I read and follow this forum for quite a while now, since I am also a huge BMW fan or addict.
I just want to state my 2cents about the ne 5er GT:
Like it or not, the current automotive industry is definied by niches through and trough. Best example is Mercedes, who realized that trend early, created a system of shared plattforms and sells its cars with higher rate of returns than BMW does.
Of course BMW is the(!) maker of sporty saloons. And I had a hard time lat year accepting that BMW would release a car like the X6. "Fucking pointless", was my opinion back than. And I still think it is, BUT after a test drive I realized: "Hey that unneccesary car rides quite well and sport - not bad for 2 tons of luxury". Plus it looks sexy.
But back to the 5er GT:
BMW wants to fill another niche with that car. The niche is: Offering space, room and comfort but not in a utility or something with the image of a station wagon. So the combinied a station wagon (the trunk and variability) with the space and comfort of a huge sedan like the 7 series.
So why does it have just 4 seats? It doesn't.
In the german Webspecial (
http://www.bmw.de/de/de/insights/con...2/content.html ), when it comes to the rear seats in the interior it says: "Auf Wunsch für vier oder fünf Personen" =>
Optionally for four or five passengers
And by the way the (overpriced) Porsche Panamera is a four seater all the time and ugly as shit.
So I think the 5er GT fills a niche that is hard to see now, but will make sense (if you like it not
) as soon as the car is being released. Because you never had the space and luxury and most important the style of a huge sedian like 7 Series with the variability of a station wagon.
I suppose it also offers the comfort/sport mode suspension settings like the 7 series and the rear wheel steering, so it will also perfom well. Especially with a biturbo charged inline six cylinder.
If it sells depends on the price. It should be definetly less than the Panamera S (which starts at 95.000€
), a bit more than a 5 Series Station Wagon but much less than a 7 Series. Probably around ~60.000€ similar to the X6.
Aspe