BMW 3-Series GT: Joy in a more practical package

SICILY, Italy—Sun, sand, gorgeous landscape, equally gorgeous women, with passion flaring up on every corner. There’s no better place to discover BMW’s niche-busting sedan-cum-SAV-cum-estate, the 3-Series GT.

 

The 3-Series GT (internally codenamed F34) seats you up 5.9 cm higher, with an extra 7 cm of legroom for the rear seat passengers, has 25 liters’ worth of extra cargo space compared to the sexier 3-Series Touring (estate to you and me) and 100 liters if you fold down the rear seats. This is because of an 11-centimeter-longer wheelbase that ultimately sets up the 3-Series GT to be more practical, enjoyable and comfortable particularly on very long drives. You lose some of the sharpness of your 3-Series Sedan which the GT is based on, even with the optional Adaptive Dampers set in their firmest Sport setting. You also have comfort and normal settings as well.

 

But the added room means you can bring more people and enjoy the drive, the scenery and the ridiculously high speeds our 320d GT, a modest 2-liter diesel engine with the 8-speed automatic was capable of. Driving position is of course, par excellence just as you’d expect from any BMW. There’s no major changes inside, save for a few added trim pieces.

 

Important, iconic race

 

Sicily is home to the legendary Targa Florio road race, which first ran in 1906. Prior to the establishment of Formula 1 Grand Prix races and legendary endurance events like Le Mans, the Targa Florio was already an important and iconic race which sports car manufacturers all pined to win. The original race consisted of an entire tour of the island, but the most legendary battles occurred in the 1950s up until the mid-’70s when the event was shortened to a 45-mile (72.4 km) lap through the hills of Palermo and would take the most fearsome sports car of that time, often packing as much as 600 horsepowers with no concern for safety equipment, through very tight, narrow and spectator-lined roads. It was last run as a World Sports Car event in 1973 following multiple deaths and accidents during practice prior to the race itself.

 

Perfect vehicle

 

Our BMW 320d GT, with a more modest 2-liter diesel engine delivering a clean 184 hp and 380 Newton-meters of torque, fitted with the latest CRDi and intercooled turbocharged engine and driving the rear wheels via the aforementioned 8-speed automatic would be a perfect vehicle to rediscover the romance, history and legacy of the Targa Florio.

 

With four adults on board, along with baggage, we set off from our ultraposh Verdura Resort on the south of Sicily, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s still winter, yet the sun gods are smiling as the sea breeze brings with it a fresh, joyful smell of freedom and adventure. Rarely do the stars line up this beautifully.

 

Soaks up the bumps

 

There’s a dirt road that’s immaculately perfect, looking more like a movie set scene than an access road to and from the resort to the national highway and the 320d GT soaks up the bumps, while we take some pictures along the way. On the highways and by-ways of Sicily, the 320d GT laps up the minute road imperfections, going faster and faster. Our speedometer indicated we reach 200 kilometers per hour, before friendly motorists going the opposite lane flash us to slow down; apparently, cops were waiting at the end of the straight with a speed trap. We could have easily hit the 240 kph top speed with a few more seconds of wide-open fun. Nice!

 

The 3-Series GT flows through bends well, both fast and flowing or tight and abrupt, with very good body control, no pitching under heavy braking or squatting on hard acceleration. Steering feel is excellent, you tend to forget sometimes that you’re in a vehicle heavier, bigger and with a higher center of gravity than the regular 3-Series sedan. Driving through mountain roads and costal highways alike, plus some autostrada thrown in for good measure, the 3-Series GT is a stylish, practical and crucially for a BMW, engaging drive.

 

Safe inside

 

All 3-Series GTs come with six airbags (front, front-side and curtain airbags), ABS-EBD brakes with brake assist, traction-stability control and has a full five-star rating for the Euro NCAP crash test rating, so you know you’re safe inside the 3-Series GT. Air curtain vents, essentially port holes mounted behind the front wheels help channel air into and through the sides of the 320d GT, reducing front-end lift and increasing stability over the front axle. This is  a styling and technical cue that will soon filter down into all BMW models. An active rear-spoiler also pops out to help add some useful rear-end stability at speeds over 112 kph. Stylish 18-inch forged alloy wheels come as standard on all 3-Series GTs with options for even bigger, wider and more stylish wheels available.

 

Sounds all daisies and roses, indeed. But the elephant in the room has yet to be acknowledged: the 3-Series GT look rather awkward. In lighter colors it looks better, at least under the Sicilian sun. Darker shades tend to bring out a lot of fussy details and can make the GT look ungainly. BMW has done a better job, though, with the 3-Series GT, compared to the original 5-Series GT; but many foreign journalists the world over present during the event remarked that the regular 3 Series Touring looks better.

That may be true, but the reality is that the 3-Series GT will always find a place in BMW’s line-up. People need more space than a sedan or station wagon, yet don’t want the bulk of an SUV. People will also need added ground clearance to traverse some light dirt trails or pockmarked roads such as our Edsa with confidence, yet demand a driving experience as close to that of a sedan as possible.

 

BMW’s 3-Series GT hasn’t lost its core of bringing joy to its driver. Only now, the driver can share that joy with four more people in roomy comfort. And the Targa Florio? We got lost a few times as the Satnav built into the BMW iDrive kept insisting on some roads which weren’t there. Only in Italy! But we happily ended up driving through more beautiful scenery instead, reminiscent of Mario Puzo’s Godfather Trilogy. Bellissimo Paessaggio!