Playboy Names the BMW 5 Series GT Best Crossover in 2010
Playboy is one of the last publications to come to the table with a top cars list in 2010 and as expected, they call it “10 Hottest Cars in 2010″. Emphasize on “hot”….
There are plenty of cars on that list that could qualify as head-turners(Ferrari California) and we wouldn’t mind owning some of them, but there is one especially that sneaks in and takes the crown of a Best Crossover: the BMW 5 Series GT. While we have never really seen the 5 GT as a crossover type of car, we do see where they’re coming from, mostly due to its unconventional design lines and somewhat confusing niche market.
Despite being skeptical prior to its official unveiling and even after seeing the first photos, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has grown on us and as we said before, it doesn’t photograph as good as it looks in person.
Our Senior Editor Andrew outlined some its characteristics in a our first drive:
Styling is an excellent jumping off point for the 5 GT too. Many love it, many hate it – typical of BMW styling as of late. However, after arriving early and spending about an hour snapping shots of the GT, the car began to make more sense to me as I went over the lines of it in person. As I wandered around a parking lot full of the GT’s I studied the curves of the car and the first thing I found was that the GT is best suited in highly reflective, darker colors as they show off the subtle curves of the car. Colors like Titanium Silver don’t really give a good impression of the way the design flows and can make the it feel a bit awkward – however, this can probably be said of many modern cars. The second thing I noticed was just how much styling DNA comes across from the CS Concept.
Studying the nose of the GT, I could see how the nose the very wide dual kidney grill protrude outward, giving the front fascia a very masculine, strong look. Along the sides, the CS Concept influence continues with a high cutline that runs from the front wheel arch all the way to the tail lamps, giving the car a very sculpted appearance. At the rear, the 5 GT does have a large butt and there is no getting around it. From 3/4 shots of the rear, it does look a bit tacked on but when looking directly at the rear it looks fantastic. With squat, artistically styled L shaped tail lamps and a bit of a sedan-like, squished wagon rear-end, the back of the car looks very BMW but with a cross between a 5 Series Touring and an X6/X5. Overall, the exterior looks strong and honestly, pictures don’t do it much justice. The tail lamps are a very nice touch to the rear with their resemblance blown glass.
Playboy summarizes the BMW 5 Series GT in a single sentence: “go-fast, go-anywhere, all-purpose utility vehicle”.
Could this be true?Mid-year sales will say it all….
[Source: MotorAuthority ]
Author: Horatiu B.
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/01/08/playb ... r-in-2010/