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TegTypeR February 13, 2009 5:39 PM

Well, I was with and thinking you may have a point right up until you said you liked the R class.

Then you lost me.

No, I don't think its a monster,  but I will have to leave my judgement until I see it in the flesh!

Citytiger February 13, 2009 5:40 PM

Are you telling me no where else in the automotive world has any car manufacturer found a place to stow a parcel shelf, do some research and you will probably find there is, but if that's a major selling point, they must be worried that this car is going to bomb, oh no wait a minute its a BMW of course it wont

Citytiger February 13, 2009 5:58 PM

Sorry have to post more,

"inside its airy & spacious",

The concept is a strict four seater so not a great family car/concept.

Its got a whopping great panoramic sunroof with what appears to be a floodlight shining through it.

"But at least BMW is trying something new at a time when innovation and risk taking are under extreme threat. You might not like the GT, but you can’t call it boring."

You really are trying hard to find some justification for this car, boot lid nicked from Skoda, Idea for a big hatchback nicked from Rover, do you remember the SD1 or the Ford Granada. Innovative it isn't, risk it is, most boring concept in years, they really have run out of ideas.

If it was made by anyone apart from BMW you would have slated it.

Orangewheels February 13, 2009 6:01 PM

"You might not like the GT, but you can’t call it boring."

Oh yes you can. It's an out and out family car. It's like the Golf Plus to the equivalent Golf. Bought by older more sensible people. It's as close to a people carrier as BMW have yet got because they've seen the massive flop that is the R Class.

It's even in BEIGE, surely that should give you an idea of the target audience?

As said in the forums, it may be a niche too far, or it may be BMW successfully pre-guessing the move back to 1 car families.

It may be a brave move by BMW, but it is a boring car. No one would WANT to have one, they might HAVE to have one because their lifestyle forces them to when they wanted something sexier, but this is not an aspirational car, which will kick residuals where it hurts.

I can even understand the desire to own an X6, there is a degree of sexiness or aggression there, but here? neither. A 5 series hatch with a raised roofline? This is the dullest car that BMW will ever make.

Heff_2404 February 13, 2009 6:27 PM

I may only be an 18 year old, an age that people always assume want the latest thing no matter how expensive, impractical un-PC, but this is possibly the most pointless car of the last decade. What is it?!! To my eyes its just a bigger, tarted-up 5-series with one less seat - who in their right mind would buy something like this, especially at a time like this?!!

Dan Stevens appears to be defending this car purely on how it looks, and I have to agree that it doesn't look all bad, definitely not in the realms of other BM's. *cough* X6 *cough* But seriously, why not just save yourself some money and get a normal 5-series with a better spec, or if your really want a nice car, an XF - so much better looking, no doubt more comfortable, what with BM putting huge wheels and run-flats on almost every car they produce, and to top it off, the XF is infinitely better looking!!

I do like BM's, it's just they seem to producing cars that people shouldn't want at the worst time possible!

Anyway, rant over!

HiltonH February 13, 2009 6:56 PM

I saw this car before Christmas and was left with one impression. This for older BMW buyers who can no longer deal with getting in and out of a car with a very low driving position.

The lifestyle spin is just that (not that BMW is any worse than any other car maker) as it's for the affluent over-50s. Nice place to sit, though, for front passengers.

david RS February 13, 2009 8:50 PM

One word : decadent.

david RS February 13, 2009 8:52 PM

They had to glue the GT badge because of that design.

Poor BMW...

manicm February 13, 2009 9:29 PM

And must agree with TegTypeR, it's a wanton insult to this car to compare it with the R-Class.

ThwartedEfforts February 13, 2009 11:12 PM

There can be few better ways of getting people to read and comment on a blog post than to title it "In defence of the BMW 5-series GT".

Regardless of design, it is a superbly irrelevant car. The mad clowns who used to carve into their house equity so as to afford the lease on something inelegant but German are a dying breed.

Look at sales of the ordinary 5-Series, down by half - nobody need waste time wondering if an exponentially more funny looking version will straighten things up for BMW. It won't.

Dan McNeil February 14, 2009 12:30 AM

And what does GT stand for when it comes to this dumpy throwback?  Yes, it's Grand Tailgate.

MrTrilby February 14, 2009 9:49 AM

No one will want one? I can think of someone. My dad. He likes big cars, but didn't want an S Class or 7 Series because he also wants something practical enough to be able to cart a couple of bicycles around with. He didn't like the R Class because the styling's a bit too soft and mumsy. He reluctantly ended up with a Merc ML - reluctant because although he likes the practicality, he's not a fan of the 4x4 negative image, and misses the performance of his old E Class. I reckon he'll love the idea of the 5 GT.

Lupe February 14, 2009 10:21 AM

Honestly why is BMW wasting time, effort and money on a car nobody asked for or even wants. For goodness sake I love beemers, but r they going mad? Give us an Audi R8 rival not some dumpy looking Exec that is so ugly. I think they are loosing the plot, the new 7 series is still flawed like the old one, they need to focus and get back to the top of the car making game like they did with the old E39 5 series. Don’t put that rubbish into production!!!!!!!

david RS February 14, 2009 11:10 AM

I like BMW.

But I see that several "premium" manufacturers are ready to jeopardize their image, like BMW with the 5 series or Porsche with their Cayenne, and worse with the Diesel.

They are so confident of their image, they are ready to sell their soul to the devil, hoping to make cash with those vehicles. Chrysler, Hyundai could make such vehicles, not Porsche or BMW ...

Autocar and others, if that concept GT had a different badge, I am almost certain that nobody would talk, or worse, it would have been criticized.

sorrel February 15, 2009 10:04 AM

"Then again, I like the Mercedes R-class and I appear to be in a minority of one with that."

Minority of two, 'cos I like the R Class too, although I think it's a little too close in styling to the Chrysler Pacifica on which it's based!

As for the 5 GT, well, I don't see the point!   As Heff_2404 says the Jaguar XF is a much better designed car and anyway, Rover (SD1), Austin (remember the Ambassador?) Ford (Granada), Renault (25?) and Citroen (CX) have all been there, done that...

W124 February 15, 2009 1:10 PM

I've finally concluded that I really like this car.  Jaguar could do the concept better though.  I suppose BMW are looking for a way to keep all the customers bailing out of X5s.  It's a real grandparents car isn't it?  Nice high seating and screens in the back to keep the grandkids quiet.  Top work.

realdriver February 16, 2009 9:09 AM

Nobody likes the R class because it's a 4x4 mascarading as a people carrier. So it's enormous while not being effecient in any way. Because of it's heritage, it looks like if it's on stilts.

This GT on the other hand is a 5 series trying to be a cross between a 7 series and a 5 estate. It looks better IMO.

Both are pointless though.

Dan Stevens February 16, 2009 1:00 PM

The concept is a four-seater but the real thing will have five seats, so it will be more useful. And it is spacious inside, regardless of the number of seats, and it's very light, too - yes, partly because of the glass roof but it has a lot of glass in the sides - the windows are big, and the frameless doors increase the amount of transparency.

I looked for other cars with somewhere to store a parcel shelf, but couldn't find any. Any ideas?

The Colonel February 16, 2009 1:43 PM

"I looked for other cars with somewhere to store a parcel shelf, but couldn't find any. Any ideas? "

None (ideas that is), but there are a few with a retractable "parcel shelf", which if done well is a better solution, since it will roll up into a handy section which when removed will take up less room and is easier to handle.  I know a retractable one wouldn't be so happy with stuff on top of it, but who really does that nowadays...save for the gold and velvet tissue box and an abundance of cuddly toys, not likely to be found in the back of such a car?

I do like it though.  Still photographs do it no favours though, but in the metal, it does indeed have a certain elegance.  The rake to the rear and the line from headlight to rear light helps to diminish the rear hump which otherwise would make the front end look way to skinny.  It makes more sense to me than the X6.

Less 4x4 looking than I feared before seeing it, though not as sporty as one might imagine for something displaying a GT badge, and that is my only query really...why GT?

It might just be the 5 Series that I buy into, and I'm no grandad, not even a dad, but I'd prefer it just as it is, with four seats...if an option.

jammy_rex February 16, 2009 2:04 PM

" the windows are big, and the frameless doors increase the amount of transparency. "

Have you actually sat in it?  the window line looks fairly high and the rear passenger's head would be next to the pillar, and the pillars do not seem any thinner than normal at all - just look at the photos again!!!!

Dan Stevens February 16, 2009 3:40 PM

Colonel; retractable load covers are great until you have to remove them to put long things in the car, at which point I always leave them behind… I can be a forgetful idiot though…

Jammy Rex; yes, I actually sat in it because I went to the unveil and had a good look around it and in it. There's a video on this site of me sitting in it.

Iand666 February 16, 2009 10:07 PM

Dan I like the R Class too. Its just you and me though, shall we elope and be married at Gretna?

RobotBoogie February 17, 2009 12:30 PM

Why don't prestige manufacturers just call a spade a spade? It's not a 5 Series GE, its a hatch. The R Class is a people carrier, although inexplicably a four wheel drive one; the A3 Sportback is a hatchback; and anything called a Tourer is an estate, albeit usually with a lower carrying capacity than the equivalent saloon.

Maybe if prestige manufacturers did call these things by the generally excepted name because they are afraid that they will compared to mainstream brands. For example, admit that the R Class is an MPV and someone might point out that the S Max costs less than half the price and is a much, much better car.

sorrel February 17, 2009 5:38 PM

"Dan I like the R Class too. Its just you and me though, shall we elope and be married at Gretna?"

I like thr R Class too, but threes a crowd, so I'll leave you two to enjoy Gretna... ;)

heidfirst February 18, 2009 9:59 AM

whilst it's not quite a parcel shelf the tonneau cover for the last generation Toyota Avensis estate stores under the boot floor when not in use ...

Giom37 February 18, 2009 7:12 PM

I guess nobody 'asked' for the 3-series in the seventies either, yet, they saw a nich and build it. No matter what the public would say. And I guess there was a lot of ranting, like above, about it too.

This car is the answere to the question I was asking... uncannily so. So, that makes all of you wrong (who said nobody asked the question). I just cant wait to see one in the flesh.

Way to go BMW!

david RS February 19, 2009 10:18 PM

Don't compare the first 3-series to that modernized and over weighed Renault 20.

david RS February 19, 2009 10:22 PM

But with this badge and some "LED" lights , it could be sold all the same...