BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe unveiled: Photos & Video

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe revealed

BMW reveals the 6 Series Gran Coupe, a 6 Series with extra doors and more room, the Gran Coupe is BMW’s take on the Mercedes CLS.

It’s not a surprise that the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has arrived, the surprise is that it’s taken so long.

Mercedes started the whole swoopy coupe fad with the CLS – which is now in its second iteration – and it seemed an odd niche at the time. A four door coupe, based on the E-Class, that didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. But buyers took to it in droves, spawning numerous imitators including the VW CC, the Audi A7 and the Porsche Panamera.

But BMW has now twigged they could take their existing 6 Series Coupe, stick an extra 4.5 inches in the wheelbase, cobble up a couple of extra doors and have a car that fills the swoopy coupe market to perfection with the Gran Coupe. And here it is revealed and looking quite convincing ahead of a public debut – probably at Detroit in January (although maybe not until Geneva in March).

In all the ways that matter, the Gran Coupe really is a 6 Series with a bit more bulk. So it looks decent, despite the stretch, should handle well and gets lots of toys. It will also, when BMW offer the inevitable M6 Gran Coupe, be properly quick.

But for now we get a choice of two petrol engines and a diesel lump. The range-topper is the 650i Gran Coupe with its twin turbo 4.5 litre V8 with 444bhp and 479lb/ft of torque. That’s enough to scoot the Gran Coupe to 62mph in 4.6 seconds yet still manages emissions of 206g/km and combined economy of 32.1mpg. But it won’t be the big seller.

Nor will the 640i Gran Coupe with its 3.0 litre twin turbo inline six. That’s good for 316bhp and 332lb/ft of torque and can get to 62mph in 5.4 seconds whilst returning 36.2mpg and emitting 181g/km. But the big seller will be the diesel Gran Coupe.

The six pot twin turbo diesel BMW 640d Gran Coupe manages to muster 309bhp and almost as much torque as the 650i – 465lb/ft. That translates in to a 0-62mph dash the same as the 640i but with 50.4mpg and emissions of just 148g/km. Another ‘cake and eat it’ car.

The all-round decent economy and emissions on the 2012 Gran Coupe range is down to a raft of BMW EfficientDynamics gubbins, including an eight-speed auto ‘box, Auto Stop-Start and lots of aluminium to keep weight down.

The 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe goes on sale in June 2012.

(Note: We’re processing over 100 photos of the Gran Coupe at the moment, and we’ll update the photo gallery with those later this morning – NOW UPDATED with 157 photos))

(157 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

Source: BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

By Cars UK