The Sport Wagon Enthusiast

Every so often, we’re informed of a rare production wagon that we can’t ignore. An Englishman named Graeme owns just such an estate. BMW made a wide variety of E61 5-series sport wagons, with the most well known being their V10-powered M5 Touring. Yet in focusing exclusively on the M5, the other very capable variants are too often overlooked. The 6-speed manual-equip U.S.-spec 535xiT and the UK-spec 550iT are two such examples.

In 2005, BMW unveiled the 550iT Touring with a new, higher-performance 4.8L V8. Featuring the last iteration of the N62 V8 family (code named N62B48), the 550 produced 367 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque—nearly matching the never-produced E39 M5 Touring. With this impressive power, the 550 Touring sprints to sixty in just 5.3 seconds and is capable of top speed of 175 when the electronic governor is removed.

What makes Graeme’s 550 so special is the gearbox: his Touring is only one of ten 6-speed manual 550iT M-Sport wagons brought to the UK. This exclusivity is compounded when one factors that most markets—the U.S. included—were never offered the 550 sport wagon. Graeme’s touring is properly equip as well, with logic 7 surround sound, heated seats, navigation, and the essential M-Sport package.

We tip our hat to you Graeme—well done! Have a rare wagon that you’d like to share? Shoot us an e-mail or share on our Facebook page.