BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe - Sneak Preview

Just the Facts:

• BMW's head of exterior design, Karim Habib, says the 6 Series Gran Coupe is the "most extreme statement of BMW design."
• It is 4.4 inches longer than the two-door coupe.
• There is genuine space for four but the fifth seat is compromised.
• U.K. prices are in line with the 7 Series, with U.S. prices to be announced nearer the summer 2012 on-sale date.

LONDON — According to BMW's head of exterior design, Karim Habib, the new 6 Series Gran Coupe is the "most extreme statement of BMW's sporty, elegant design." Habib revealed BMW's first ever four-door coupe at a press dinner in London, attended by Inside Line.

The car was being shown for the first time ahead of its debut at next month's 2012 Detroit Auto Show. So secretive was the presentation that we were only able to view the car on the proviso that we didn't take photographs. What we can reveal, though, is that the car looks even better in the metal than it does in photographs. Some 4.4 inches longer than the two-door, the four-door's proportions actually look more harmonious. Fears that the Gran Coupe would look uncomfortably "stretched" can be allayed.

It is also much more practical than the standard coupe. While the rear of the two-door is a tight squeeze for anyone post-adolescence, the Gran Coupe can seat a quartet of 6-footers with comparative ease. The fifth occupant will suffer, though. The extension of the center console to meet the rear seat means that the central passenger must pose as if riding a horse. It'll be fine for short trips, but no more.

BMW is keen to present the car as the boutique option, no doubt to counter the similarly priced 7 Series' greater practicality. Among the niceties on display in London were LED front headlights and a Bang & Olufsen surround-sound audio system, which makes an art form of the speakers. This car is not short of desirability.

The Gran Coupe goes on sale next summer and the price list for the U.S. has yet to be announced. European prices have been revealed, though, and make interesting reading. In the U.K., the 640i will cost £61,380 ($96,270), which is just £1,815 ($2,847) more than the equivalent Coupe and, intriguingly, £155 ($243) more than a 740i. It also places the Gran Coupe at a significant premium compared with the both the Mercedes CLS (from £50,500 ($79K)) and the Audi A7 (from £45,240 ($71K)). Habib will be hoping that the "extreme elegance" of the Gran Coupe will be enough to encourage luxury car buyers to dig a little deeper into their pockets.

Source: insideline.com