BMW 5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO MAKES NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT AT SOUTH FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - October 23, 2009… The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo will make its North American debut at the South Florida International Auto Show October 23-November 1.  For the first time, attributes of an elegant sedan, a contemporary Sports Activity Vehicle and a classic Gran Turismo are masterfully melded into a single, harmonious vehicle shape.  The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo adds new facets to BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machine tradition and refines the concept of first-class travel.

The traditional European term Gran Turismo (Grand Touring) was first applied by Italian carmakers in the 1950s when they combined the performance, handling, and style of a 2-seat sport car with luxurious amenities and luggage room for each occupant. BMW’s new Gran Turismo nurtures this tradition in its own contemporary way, providing exceptional space, style, luxury, and comfort for four passengers[1], plus the performance and driving pleasure of a BMW.

It does so with 21st-century technology. BMW’s wide-ranging EfficientDynamics engineering philosophy endows this new automobile with an outstanding balance between performance and efficiency. Thanks to its innovative twin turbo V-8 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission, the 550i Gran Turismo can accelerate from rest to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, yet delivers excellent efficiency in everyday driving.

Design: Abundant sportiness, elegance, luxury and versatility.

•     Typical BMW proportions communicate dynamic character and sportiness.

•     Long wheelbase and graceful, coupe-like roofline.

•     An interior with contemporary design, generous dimensions and premium materials.

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo radiates a unique blend of sportiness and stylish presence. Typical BMW proportions, four doors with frameless windows, and a coupe-like roofline combine into a harmonious, highly distinctive silhouette that visually represents this vehicle’s innovative  capabilities.

The Gran Turismo’s visual presence is a fusion of established BMW identity and new elements. Its elongated hood and long 120.7-inch wheelbase coalesce with a “greenhouse” set well aft and a fastback roofline into a profile that’s immediately recognizable as a BMW, yet at the same time communicates a new vehicle concept. From the first glance, it’s clear that this is an exceptionally roomy vehicle, yet also a highly dynamic one.

Inside the 5 Series Gran Turismo, users find generous dimensions, inspired contemporary design, and individualized luxury. Sweeping contours – such as those of the interior door panels – combine with rich, premium-quality materials to create an ambiance that’s equally satisfying to front and rear occupants.

At the front: thoroughly modern, traditionally BMW.

The Gran Turismo’s frontal aspect has a marked forward thrust, with its traditional BMW “kidney grille” leaning slightly forward and emphasized by its separation from the flanking (also traditional) four round headlights.

In profile: frameless door windows and a new form of “Hofmeister Kink.”

The 5 Series Gran Turismo is also the first 4-door BMW to have frameless door windows - a feature BMW usually reserves for Coupes and Convertibles. These give an “open” look to side and angled views of the vehicle.

Over the years, another window detail has become a tradition: BMW’s so-called “Hofmeister Kink,” named after Wilhelm Hofmeister, who headed BMW design when this shape first appeared. On the Gran Turismo, it appears in “6-window” (3 windows per side) form in the rear quarter windows aft of the rear doors, framed in matte black plus chrome or optional high-gloss Shadowline black trim.

At the rear: aesthetically and functionally distinctive

Another BMW design tradition, in evidence since the second-generation 7 Series was introduced for 1988 is the freely interpreted L-shape of the rear lighting clusters. On the 5 Series Gran Turismo this theme is retained but new LED lighting tubes wrap far around the body sides and provide yet another recognizable BMW design cue. Together, these elements reinforce the impression of the Gran Turismo’s wide stance, which is further enhanced by strong horizontal lines spanning the bi-modal trunk and likewise tying into the character lines of the side profile.

Function, as much as the handsome aesthetics, is the main attraction of the 5 Series Gran Turismo’s interesting rear view. Below the rear window is a conventional, though shorter-than-usual, sedan trunklid that opens separately to reveal a fully enclosed trunk – sealed off from the passenger cabin by an acoustic partition that renders the interior as quiet as that of a sedan.

To take full advantage of the 5 Series Gran Turismo’s great cargo capacity, the liftgate – including lower trunklid, rear window and an upper section reaching a few inches above the window – can also be opened. There are two releases, one for the trunklid alone, the other for the entire liftgate including trunklid.

Interior design: spacious luxury at its finest.

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo interior combines space, luxury and stylish materials to create a premium ambiance. In the rear seats as well as up front, there’s a sense of generous space and comprehensive amenities, promoting relaxed and accommodating travel.

The outstanding feeling – and reality – of spaciousness is enhanced by design and materials. Dash and instrument panel lines are decidedly horizontal; door panels sweep dramatically and harmoniously from front to rear. Thanks to their frameless designs, the door windows are larger than they would be with frames, adding to the openness of the cabin. The dual-panel panoramic moonroof, standard on the U.S. model, also contributes to these effects.

Instrument panel in Black Panel technology.

Like so many aspects of the 5 Series Gran Turismo, its instrument cluster combines BMW tradition with advanced, beautiful new executions. Here the entire cluster is in a high-resolution Black Panel display, in which four classic circular instruments are most prominent; other driving-relevant displays and readouts – including Navigation if present, vehicle-monitoring functions, upcoming service requirements and other information – also appear here in their various (and function-related) graphic forms. Climate-control settings and controls are located in a second Black Panel display in the center console stack.

So it is that the advantages of mechanical and electronic displays are ideally combined with eye-catching visual and graphic effects. As the user enters the vehicle, the circular instruments’ “chrome rings,” until now open at the bottom, close and become brighter. Once the ignition is activated (by pressing the Start/Stop button), the numerals plus all other displays and warnings illuminate. As the engine starts, functions that have been previously activated by the driver are then revealed as well.

The new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo will arrive in BMW Centers this December. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 87 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com

www.bmwusanews.com

www.press.bmw-motorsport.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: www.press.bmwgroup.com/us.html.  Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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[1] Standard configuration includes seating for 5 passengers.