BMW 550i Gran Turismo blends attitude with luxury - Chicago Tribune
It's called a "refined, elegant SAV," which in BMW speak means a sports-activity vehicle with an attitude toward luxury and performance. The 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo (GT) is a 7-Series wannabe with the muscle to slap your melon firmly into the headrest at launch, while offering such amenities as rear-window sunshades and heated and cooled seats front and rear, plus power fore to... Sit back while the 4. 4-liter V-8 uses twin turbos to summon a 407-hp launch from the light and propel the 4,900-pound machine from zero to 60 mph in a mere 5. 4 seconds. The BMW 5-Series offers the 550i V-8 GT and a tamer 535i with a 3-liter, 306-hp, inline 6 with just one turbo. The 550i Gran Turismo we tested combines high performance with high luxury in a sedan with long hood/short deck and a sharply sloping aero roofline for a coupelike profile, along with the kidney-shaped grille that says Bimmer. The test vehicle came with optional Sport package ($4,200) that includes road-hugging, 19-inch performance radials and sport-tuned suspension, along with buckets contoured to hold you in place. Stability and traction control are standard, while electronic suspension adjusts to the road surface to reduce harshness and self-levels to ensure steering, braking and handling control. Source: articles.chicagotribune.com
