Gran entrance: 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

Initiated by Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz CLS cars, the modern four-door coupe phenomenon has become a segment of the market that caters to high-end sports car enthusiasts who want equally sophisticated cars. With Audi, Porsche and Aston Martin joining the four-door coupe class, BMW is clearly absent. The German automobile company showcased a car called the Gran Coupe concept car at the Beijing Auto Show in 2010. It developed the BMW 6 Series Coupe and Convertible shortly after the car was exhibited for the first time. Becoming a 2013 model in time, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe on the road conveyed a message that the automaker, which has long been known for building the "ultimate driving machine", will not shy away from sporty four-door models.

In applying a design where two extra doors would be incorporated on the newly-released BMW 6 Series, designers of the 6 Series Gran Coupe were challenged to properly represent a sport sedan needing to look more aggressive than the 5 Series. The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is instantly a distinct sight with the longer-arching roofline. The rear door windows shorter appearance magnifies the sport coupe persona on this latest BMW offering. Employing all the subtle design touches of the two-door 6 Series, the model specific headlamp housings as well as the performance car front fascia transitions into a body shape featuring aggressively chiselled side contour lines. At the rear, a straight-flowing rear bumper and a brake light bar traveling across the full width of the rear window invokes the 6 Series Gran Coupe’s racy composition.

For the 2013 model year, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe will be available in nine exterior colour options that include Frozen Bronze metallic. Within wheel arches projecting a wide, muscular stance, standard wheels on the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe will be a set of 18-inch light alloys. There will also be an M Sport Package model of the 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe featuring 19-inch wheels and body style enhancements along few modifications.

Part of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe’s constant inundation of performance driving, the person behind the wheel has all the vital vehicle controls in easy reach. The driver-oriented cockpit of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe presents a natural motoring perspective that can include heads-up display as well as the brand’s Top View system. Seating inside the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe advertised as 4+1. The terming of ‘4+1’ in automotive advertising code translates to say that the fifth passenger could be in for a less than comfortable trip. Despite cheating at least one passenger, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe cabin features all of the right luxury touches. BMW iDrive and a navigation system operating off a 10.2-inch high definition display will be standard on all 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe models. To heighten the lavishness of the four-door coupe, a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System as well as an optional Luxury Seating Package that includes four-zone climate control allows peak comfort inside of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.

Accomplishing the looks of a four-door coupe, BMW insures that a well-equipped 6 Series Gran Coupe will have the ingredients to perform the sports car role. For the North American, two gasoline powerplant choices optimized by BMW Valvetronic, TwinPower Turbo and direct injection technology will be found underneath the 6 Series Gran Coupe’s hood. The BMW 640i Gran Coupe model will offer the brand’s N55 3-liter, 315-horsepower inline-six engine. Launching the car in a formidable 0 to 62 mile per hour acceleration time of 5.4 seconds, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

For Bimmer lovers craving the German version of V-8 power, the 650i Gran Coupe offers a thundering 4.4 liter powerplant. A newly revised version of BMW’s N63 engine, the 650i Gran Coupe is motivated by 445 horsepower and 480 pounds-feet of torque. Bettering the previous version of the twin turbocharged 4.4 liter V-8 by 45 horsepower, the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe performance is spectacular. Under rear-wheel drive, the BMW 650i Gran Coupe sails from 0 to 62 miles per hour in a fast 4.6 seconds. The BMW 650i Gran Coupe is claiming to be half a second faster than the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550. With the V-8 engined model, the 6 Series Gran Coupe features available xDrive all-wheel drive that provides greater traction and shaves one-tenth of a second off acceleration times.

Engine power from both gasoline powerplant configurations of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe will be funnelled through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has Driving Dynamics Control featuring five driver-adjustable settings to configure ride with performance. A new ECO PRO mode added to the BMW system sets a strategy for optimizing fuel consumption of the 6 Series Gran Coupe by instructing the transmission to upshift sooner and lessening throttle response.

Patrons entering European dealerships will also have a 313 horsepower, 3-liter inline-6 diesel version propelled thanks to the use of BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. Boosting the same performance as the gasoline inline-six engine, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe diesel-fueled powerplant offers longer travel between refuelling.

A late arrival into the four-door coupe marketplace, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has coupled the ingredients for what is certain to be an all-out German automaker fight between the Audi A7, Volkswagen CC and Mercedes CLS-Class.

Source of information and photos: BMW Group