Northstar BMW Car Club of America
BMW's 2010 550i GT is a delicious crossbreed of sedan and coupe
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My Neptune Blue Metallic 550i GT test car was the first one I've seen on Lehigh Valley roadways. Its sleek, slippery, sexy roofline not only gives the car coupe-like styling, but also gives it the appearance that it's going 55 mpg standing still. (It's also offered in AWD)

Looks aside, the 550i is, as BMW boasts in their slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine. Press the keyless ignition switch and you'll barely hear the sweet purr of the 4.4-liter, 407-hp twin turbo V8 engine. Step on the accelerator a tad too hard and the engine's 442 lb/ft of torque will push you back in the seat. It's a linear explosion of sweet power that runs through a slick shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. And despite having twin turbo's, there's no perceptible turbo lag.

BMW says it uses High Precision Injection nozzles that provide exact does of fuel into the combustion chambers. The all-encompassing combination provides EPA mileage figures of 15 city, 21-highway mpg. Not great, but expected from a high-performance V8 as this. And it's the reason it garners a $1,000 gas-guzzler tax.

When slipping into the cabin of this elegant sedan, you¿re treated to sumptuous perforated leather and supportive seating for four. Ingress/egress into the back seat is easy thanks to wide opening rear doors. With a separate rear console and LCD screens embedded within the seatbacks, the kids will be occupied enough to not ask are we there yet? And if they opt to take a nap, the rear seats recline and power fore and aft.

In the cockpit, a dizzying array of controls and iDrive system require an owner¿s manual study. While iDrive has been around for a while, it's complicated. I also had a problem trusting the gear selected by the electronic transmission shifter. Upon selecting the Park gear, I would gently press on the accelerator to make sure the trans is in Park.

As GPS nav is standard on the 550i GT, it comes with the largest LCD screen (9.5x3.5 inches) I've ever seen on any vehicle. Of course it's also used by the rear and side view camera system ($750 option) that comes in handy as the view rearward is blocked somewhat by wide D pillars and a high-back trunk lid.

Back in the trunk, space is limited unless the split rear seats are folded. That done, there's six feet of load length that can handle three golf bags. But getting them in is a squeeze as the trunk opening is a mere 37.5x 16.5 inches. In addition, there is some small item storage beneath the cargo floor.

Then there's the gigantic sunroof that measures 36x30.5 inches. It offers an expansive view skyward. And soft close doors wherein the windows dip enough to provide closure clearance upon opening and closing the doors. The result is a tight cabin.

The 550i GT offers ride and handling characteristics that are a mix of sport and luxury. There's virtually no body lean in sharp turns taken a bit too fast like those cloverleaf's at routes 33 and 22 or 22 and Airport Road.

The 550i GT came with a lot of exquisite attributes, many of which come at a steep price and too numerous to list. All totaled, they escalate the price to a whopping $89,875 including delivery. But if you can afford it, the 550i GT is one helluva piece of precision, luxurious, machinery. I hated to give it back.

Posted by KGB on 24-JUL-2010

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