Mercurycn

UGLY and UGly

pagemaster

I haven't decided whether I like this or not.

Its seems that Honda and BMW have vehicles coming out on the opposite end of the price spectrum.





I do have to give both credit, they are trying something right now when many other manufacturers are sticking to the basics (didn't BMW invent the iDrive controller that is now in Merc, Audi and Hyundai.....still absent in the LS) Looks like BMW is on to something as Lexus has a concept out that is very similar


Is this Lexus' eventual response?

IS-SV

Lost their way a bit.

vwynn

iTrader: (4)

kinda reminds me of this in the fail thread...

STIG

I really hated the X6 when it came out. But it has grown on me a lot. In fact, I don't mind owning one in black. They look really good.

On the other hand, the 5GT is still a complete fail.

DustinV

I wouldn't be so quick to judge a car based on appearance. The 5 series GT is already a common sight in Stuttgart and I find that it looks neither pretty nor offensive in person. From certain angles I actually find it a little attractive, just a little. Sadly, the front isn't one of those angles. The rest of the car is fine from a design perspective in my opinion.

Aside from that, BMW wouldn't release such a car if there was no market for it. Car firms react to what their customers desire. BMW's target market is constantly changing, now more than ever, and thus BMW has to react to this change.

Perhaps the young men who bought 3 series sedans in the early '90s are now family fathers and their priorities have shifted from driving a sport sedan to a more family-oriented car that is spacious and also sporty - and a BMW. It's these people the 5er GT was most likely designed for.

LexFather

Not every thread must be a Lexus rant ignoring some basics.
1. The LF-X debuted in 2004, WAY before these vehicles.
2. They are not selling well, it is a niche market.
3 What does BMW bringing iDrive have anything to do with this? If you were fair you would state Remote Touch runs rings around it and every review has said so.
4. Who is sticking to the basics? Everyone has something different. BMW has this, Lexus has the LFA, Benz has the SLS or CLS, Audi has the R8.

Its ugly, period. Its ugly like a lot of ugly cars, there is no excuse or spin for it. Ugly is ugly. Some cars can be ugly subjectively and some are just pretty universally ugly.

This is the latter.

*Batman*

$74,000 for that car just seems ridiculous to me. I can get a better more powerful Infiniti M56 for $56,000. I just don't see the $18k premium. When the next gen GS comes out it will slay that car. At that price point you will likely be able to buy a fully loaded GSF.

I8ABMR

I dont think we will be seeing many on the road. For the money you could have an huge variety of cars that will provide equal comfort, luxury, and cutting edge features with out the ugly looks

dunnojack

i wouldn't be so sure about that.

it's not in the Lexus DNA to slay anything.
middle of the road is their formula for standard models, and that's not gonna change anytime soon

GFerg

I guess I will be the odd man out. I attended the Philly Auto Show today and got a chance to check out the 550i GT. This thing does not photograph well at all. I originally found this car to be incredibly ugly, but its actually not that bad (nor is it great). I can see myself living with this design. A nice drop and rims would set this car off.

One thing is for sure though, this thing is no where near as ugly as the Porsche Panamera which is by far the ugliest hatchback-ish large sedan currently on the market. Its absolutely repulsive in person.


Camera phone pic I took.


Couple pics I just found on another forum. IMO, the rear of the car, above the tail lights needs some serious work. Plus, a blacked out grill wouldnt hurt either.





I feel like BMW is focusing on improving its interiors. I do not find this to be bad at all compared to the 1, 3, 6, and current 5 which IMO I think is trash.

RXSF

my dad wants one...


until he saw the price tag

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I think the pricetag is the most ridiculous part of this car, even over the styling. If it went from mid $40K to low $60K for the 550i GT, I think there would be more takers but this brings me to my next point:

BMW could barely ever sell a 5 series wagon which was nicer looking and had infinitely more utility, despite a smaller back seat. What makes them think they can sell this at a $20K premium when it's uglier and far less useful ?

LexFather

utterly ridiculous.

pagemaster

Great pics! I will reserve judgment and wait till I see the car in person. I think I could live with it and the performance is outstanding.

I agree with the interiors. I like this one and I have no problem with the current crop of interiors. BMW does a good job of making you feel like you are in a "BMW" and nothing else when you are in them.