2010 BMW 5-series Gran Turismo / 535i Gran Turismo - Second Drive - Car and Driver (blog)

Trying to describe the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo can sound a bit like trying to solve a riddle: What has the rear seat of a 7-series, the driving position of an X5, and the over-the-road dynamics of a 5-series. The wheelbase spans a long 120. 9 inches, and width is SUV-like at 74. 8 inches. It’s a traditional BMW under the skin, from its rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is slated for 2011) to its standard inline-six engine. The turbocharged 3. 0-liter inline-six under the hood of the 535i GT is a new single-turbo, direct-injection unit, as opposed to the twin-turbo six that debuted in the 335i. BMW says that eventually the 3. 0-liter, twin-turbo six will be replaced... Output of the single-turbo six is identical to that of the twin-turbo unit: 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. The single turbo is just as lag-free and responsive as the twin-turbo arrangement. Even burdened with 4600 pounds, the 535i GT feels quick, and BMW claims a 0-to-60 time of 6. 2 seconds. For those looking for more power, the GT also offers BMW’s 400-hp, 4. 4-liter twin-turbo V-8. The V-8 pushes the weight to nearly 5000 pounds, but the claimed 0-to-60 time falls to 5. 4 seconds. Stepping into the GT actually requires no stepping at all. Source: www.caranddriver.com