
Hatchbacks are big business in Europe -- not just for small cars, but for mid-size and full-size cars as well. Despite the fact that large hatchbacks generally don't do well in the States, BMW is going to give it that ol' Germanic try with the upcoming 5-series Gran Turismo. The 5-series Gran Turismo features a fastback roofline similar to the X6 SUV, with a trick tailgate opens two ways -- there's a full-length hatch as well as a smaller trunk opening. A removable partition blocks off a separate cargo bay, eliminating the road noise from which many hatchbacks suffer. The Gran Turismo will initially be offered in 550i guise, powered by BMW's 400 hp 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 coupled to a new 8-speed automatic transmission. BMW claims a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds. No word on a second engine, but I imagine the 306 horsepower twin-turbo six from the X6 can't be far behind... or perhaps the 265 hp diesel from the 335d.
0 comments:
Post a Comment