Fail of the century #183: the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo

What was peak niche? This is a question FOTC likes to ask, mostly because it sounds like FOTC is adopting a strong foreign accent while asking about al fresco dining.

And a strong contender for the peak niche crown was 2009’s 5 Series Gran Turismo, a car looking to exploit a gap in the market only visible through an electron microscope.

BMW claimed the GT catered to the buyer wanting something more spacious than a regular 5 Series saloon. Problem was, BMW already offered precisely that in the shape of the 5 Series Touring, one of the most excellent estate cars of its generation.

Ah, said BMW, but the GT caters to the buyer who wants something taller and also very slightly less sporty than a 5 Series Touring. Problem was, BMW already offered precisely that in the shape of the X5 SUV.

Ah, said BMW, but the 5 Series GT caters to the buyer who wants something with a more distinctive, sleeker profile than an X5. Problem was, BMW already offered precisely that in the shape of the X6 coupe-SUV, which, though quite obnoxious, was unquestionably distinctive.

So, when you boiled it down, what BMW succeeded in creating with the GT was... a very slightly shorter X6, with added frumpery in the styling department. Were there humans out there requesting such a thing? Possibly. Should they have been listened to? Absolutely not. GT sales tanked, especially in America. Niche try, no cigar.