BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe

The exterior

The new 6-Series Gran Coupe is 197 inches long, features a 116.8 inches wheelbase, is 74.6 inches wide and stands 54.8 inches in height. The model also offers a 16.24 cu. ft DIN luggage compartment – the perfect numbers for the four-passengers.

The car’s lines and surfaces have been inspired by the movement of waves. This way the car’s exterior design creates a feeling of athletic grace which underline the opulent character and elegant appearance of the four-door BMW. The model’s front is dominated by the large and slightly forward-slanting BMW kidney grille, a V-shaped hood that perfectly integrates with the contours of the headlights, kidney and wide air intakes. The line of the front continues with powerfully flared wheel arches and the LED foglamps, placed well to the outside and a lower air intake split into three sections by model-specific L-shaped electroplated bars. The new Gran Coupe will be equipped with Adaptive Xenon headlights as standard, while Adaptive LED Headlights will be offered as an option.

Viewed from the side the model will be immediately recognized by its four-door layout, longer wheelbase than other BMW 6 Series models and likewise longer passenger compartment. The side windows features high-quality Chrome Line Exterior surrounds, while the side windows are extending far back into the C-pillar.

At the rear you will notice that the trunk lid and rear fascia both have flatter surfacing than their counterparts on the other BMW 6 Series models, while the two-part, L-shaped rear lights share the contours of the car’s BMW 6 Series siblings.

The interior

Next to offering more space for its passengers and a luxurious ambiance for all those on board, the new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe’s interior has been built with the driver in mind. First there is a driver-focused cockpit featuring a central section of the instrument panel angled slightly towards the driver and the gear selector for the automatic gearbox, the Driving Experience Control switch and the activation button for the parking brake are all positioned on the surface of the center console which opens out towards the driver.

The driver and all the passengers will enjoy individually tailored seats, high-quality materials, carefully coordinated colors and meticulously sculpted surfaces.

The new model can be ordered with an optional Luxury Seating Package that adds ventilated multi-contour, active seats, sunshades on both the rear side and rear windows and a four zone climate control system with additional controls located between the rear seats.

The interior is trimmed in a standard standard Dakota leather, but customers can also opt for an Exclusive Nappa leather or extended Merino leather. The instrument panel, door trim and center console are also finished in Nappa leather with contrasting stitching when the Nappa Leather option is selected.

The engine

The first model to be offered on the US market is the 640i. It is powered by a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine equipped with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. The engine delivers a total of 315 HP at 5,800 to 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 330 lb-ft between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm. The 640i can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been announced at 30.1 mpg.

Starting late in the summer of 2012 BMW will also be offering a 650i model equipped with 4.4-liter V-8 engine that next to the TwinTurbo technology will also be equipped with BMW’s VALVETRONIC variable valve timing. The V8 engine delivers a total of 445 HP between 5,500 and 6,000 rpm and makes peak torque of 480 lb-ft between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm. This version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while top speed is again limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been announced at 26.7-27.3 mpg.

The 650i can be also combined with xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system that increases the 0 to 60 mph sprint time at 4.5 seconds.

But no matter what engine you will opt for, your car will be equipped with a standard 8-speed Sport Automatic transmission combined with BMW EfficientDynamics, Brake Energy Regeneration, engine Auto Start-Stop, on-demand operation of ancillary components, intelligent lightweight construction and extensive aerodynamic refinement.

Prices

The new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe will go on sale early in the summer of 2012 as a 640i version and will be followed by 650i Gran Coupe and 650i xDrive Gran Coupe in late summer. Retail and option pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

The competition

BMW’s decision to offer a 6-Series Gran Coupe shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone: they were among the few makers left without a model in the luxury four-door market. Its true Mercedes started the trend with the CLS-Class, but it was followed by Porsche with their Panamera and the list can continue. If you ask us, the new Gran Coupe does not feature an exterior as elegant as the CLS, but if you step on the inside you will forget about this little inconvenience. The CLS also is a little bit slower than the new Gran Coupe: the CLS550 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.

And you may believe that the Panamera is the most elegant and luxurious of all. Maybe you are right, but you have to remember that in order to get a performance version you will have to pay more than $100k, while by comparison the CLS550 is priced at $73,800.