By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(June 24, 2017) The oddly proportioned, segment-straddling 5 Series Gran Turismo sport hatchback is no more. Which is not to say that BMW has seen the light and killed this strange creation. Rather, it has aligned the vehicle with its revised naming convention that places coupes and specialty models in the even-numbered column, and smoothed the bulky styling of the original into a more pleasing exterior shape.

The 6 Series Gran Turismo’s long fastback roofline carries over a cabin that is set back on a long, 120.9-in. wheelbase. The highest point of the roof is located at the B-pillar, but the slope toward the rear is so gentle that the rear seat headroom is an ample 38.5 inches.

Long distance traveling comfort is the raison d’être of the Gran Turismo, with the rear compartment filled with three individual seats with generous head and leg room. Multi-contour seats, active seat ventilation and a massage function are available for both the driver and front seat passenger, while the rear seats can be optionally fitted with a powered backrest for the 40:20:40 split rear seats. In addition, the load sill has been lowered by more than two inches, and the seat backs can be lowered via an electric release in the cargo area. Doing so increases luggage capacity to 65 ft.3.

The GT’s structure has increased amounts of aluminum and high-strength steel. The front cross-member, struts and trailing arms for the five-link air-suspended rear suspension are made from lightweight metal, while the hatch, doors and cargo area are pressed aluminum. By the way, the doors, are laser welded to further reduce weight while improving rigidity.

The 6 Series Gran Turismo’s standard electromechanical steering system has speed-sensitive power assistance while the optional Integral Active Steering is likewise electromechanical. It works by providing controlled steering of the rear wheels for greater agility and sure footedness. If that’s not enough, and it never is, the Dynamic Handling Package adds Comfort+ and Adaptive modes to the Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport settings of the Driving Dynamics Control toggle switch. In Adaptive mode, it takes data from the navigation system to adjust the GT’s responses when approaching curves or intersections.

The adaptive suspension with Dynamic Damper Control and two-axle air suspension has electronically controlled dampers, as well as an electric compressor with pressure reservoir that supplies air to each wheel and can (within reason) compensate for an unevenly distributed load. Plus, Active Roll Stabilization uses electric swivel motors to quickly counteract body roll, while also improving comfort by actively countering bumps affecting only one side of the car.

Under the hood of the 640i xDriver Gran Turismo sits a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder TwinPower Turbo with 335 hp and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and can push the 6 Series GT from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

The transmission uses the database from the navigation system to optimize its shift strategy to the route. If Eco Pro is selected, the powertrain is decoupled when coasting at speeds between 30 and 100 mph. The same database is combined with information from the car’s cameras and radar sensors to improve the efficiency of the Auto Stop Start function, disabling it when its use would be counterproductive. This includes situations like short pauses at traffic circles and at intersections.

The iDrive 6.0 unit has a high-resolution 10.25-in. full-color information display, and takes inputs through the rotary controller or through an improved natural speech function. Gesture Control is available as an option, and allows certain functions to be operated with simple hand or finger movements above a 3D sensor in the center console. If that’s not enough tech, the standard Active Driving Assistant includes a number of driving assistant functions including: Active Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Daytime Pedestrian Protection, Frontal Collision Warning w/City Collision Mitigation, Speed Limit Info, and Cross-traffic alert rear. Add the optional Driving Assistant Plus Package, and you also get Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Active Lane Keeping Assistant with Side Collision Avoidance, Traffic Jam Assistant, Evasion Aid and Cross-traffic alert front.

And then there’s the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo’s Parking Assistant. It  enables the automatic selection and use of parallel, perpendicular and angled parking spaces detected with the help of the vehicle’s ultrasonic sensors. It takes care of all the acceleration, braking, steering and gear changes required to maneuver into the space. However, the Remote Control Parking feature is the real party piece. It allows the driver to move forward into narrow parking spots or back out of them from outside the vehicle using the BMW Display Key.

Acceleration and braking are monitored and controlled by the Park Distance Control (PDC), the Parking Assistant and the Surround View sensors and cameras, while the engine is started and switched off by remote control with the Display Key. And you thought this was movie magic when Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond used similar technology in his BMW 7 Series in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies.

There’s more tech available, but — while it can make it easier to live with the car under certain circumstances — it has little to do with making the 6 Series Gran Turismo a vehicle that you actually want to get in and drive. Suffice it to say that it will add to the size of the owner’s manual, and make the pre-delivery walk around an all-day affair.

The Virtual Driver