Ask 100 people which is the ugliest car in BMW’s range today, and 99 would probably point to the 5-Series GT, but that hasn’t deterred the Bavarians from developing a successor.
Our scoop photographers captured BMW testing a camouflaged prototype for the second iteration of the 5-Series Gran Turismo, and as a first impression, it looks more handsome that today’s cumbersome model with a silhouette that reminds of a cross between the 3-Series GT and the 4-Series Gran Coupe
It still has a big booty, which is the price you pay for a capacious cargo area, but the more steeply raked roofline, together with the tighter profile window line and edgier finishing of the rear, give the notchback BMW a sleeker and less outlandish appearance.
Inside, it should get the same cockpit design with the upcoming 2017 5-Series sedan adding more headroom and rear passenger legroom, the latter thanks to the extended wheelbase shared with the Chinese-market 5 Series, along with extra storing compartments plus sliding, reclining and split-folding rear seats.
All next-generation 5-Series models ride on a new flexible and lightweight BMW platform using a combination of carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium in their structure to lose around 100 kg or 220 pounds, or possibly even more in the case of the 5 GT, over their predecessors.
The anticipated engine range for the 5-Series Gran Turismo is believed to include a selection of the next 5-Series sedan’s turbocharged four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesels, and V8 turbocharged gasoline mills, all paired to automatics with the option of all-wheel drive. The new X5 xDrive40e’s plug-in hybrid powertrain based around a 2.0-liter turbocharged four producing a combined 313PS will likely feature in the range as well.
The GT model will arrive about a year after the regular 5-Series sedan, which itself is due in mid-2016, possibly as a 2018MY in North America.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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