BMW's 6-series sedan/coupe stands apart from a very small crowd
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| BMW
Quite a shape, eh? Even in six-cylinder trim it performs pretty well for a two-ton Teuton. |
What is it?
Cynics would say that the 640i Gran Coupe is a BMW CLS, a Bavarian copy of the Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupe introduced way back in 2005 (not to be confused with the two-door 1973 BMW CSL coupe). The 2012 BMW 6-series
Gran Coupe certainly shares its basic proportions with the Mercedes
CLS, a car now well into its second generation. But BMW designed its
Gran Coupe with its own distinct take on the genre, with a relatively
small greenhouse canted inward around the edges and dolloped on top of a
wide, powerful base. There is less of the distinct roofline arch that
you see flowing from nose to tail on the Mercedes.
Whether BMW's
interpretation of the class works better or worse is for you to decide.
Some will still love the Mercedes' shape, others will like this one, and
still others the Audi A7 or the Porsche Panamera.
In any case, the Gran Coupe is a four-door that sacrifices a little of
the roominess of a regular 5-series sedan for styling closer to that of a
two-door.
The Gran Coupe is stretched four and a half inches in
the wheelbase compared with the 6-series coupe, all four and a half
inches of which go to rear-seat legroom. The rear seat itself has
positions for two and a half people. The center person sits on the
transmission hump, neck bent up against the suede roof, with one leg in
each footwell, but with a three-point belt. The two outboard rear
passengers get 1.3 inches more headroom than they would in the 6-series
coupe, and almost five inches more shoulder room and legroom. The rear
seatback even folds forward 60/40.
The first Gran Coupe to come to
U.S. showrooms on June 23 will be the 640i, powered by a 315-hp,
330-lb-ft version of the TwinPower turbo straight-six. The 650i and the
650i xDrive with a 445-hp, 480-lb-ft V8 will arrive in late summer. The
650i will hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, or 4.3 seconds with xDrive. All
three versions of the Gran Coupe will come with BMW's Driving Dynamics
Control, the latter which allows five modes to adjust engine,
transmission and steering response: "Eco Pro," comfort, comfort-plus,
sport and sport-plus.
What is it like to drive?
It's
sportier than the Mercedes CLS, the A7 and maybe even Audi S7. BMW
says its closest competitor is the Panamera, and that may be about
right. Cranking the Driving Dynamics settings in our 640i to sport-plus,
we immediately verified BMW's 0-to-60-mph time of 5.4 seconds, which it
covered exactly. Even in straight-six trim the car moves out with
authority. Can't wait for the V8 later this summer? Those five Driving
Dynamics modes, even the comfort settings, are all geared toward sporty
driving, at least compared with the Audi and non-AMG Mercedes
competitors, which are set up more for comfort.
Like many a BMW,
the harder you push it, the better it responds. Our 640i cornered
confidently on optional 245/35R-20 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT rubber.
Combined with vented disc brakes, the 4,190-pound cruiser went from 60
to zero in just 115.1 feet on our drive, pretty good for such a heavy
car. You can drive this coupe over a long haul and still be fairly
comfortable. But when you feel like hot-rodding it, you won't be
disappointed.
Do I want one?
This could be
something of a polarizing design. If you like it, you like it. If you
don't, you don't. Buyers looking for more styling and more performance
will probably pick this over the Audi or the Mercedes four-door coupes.
But among this rarefied list of competitors, the choices are all highly
subjective. Our particular test car was swathed in "Frozen Bronze
Metallic" on the outside and something of a Bavarian boudoir on the
inside. If we had personalized plates on it we'd ask for "Das Pimp."
The
640i Gran Coupe starts at $76,895 including destination. Entry-level
versions of the competition are all within a few thousand dollars of the
Gran Coupe, so price won't be too much of a determining factor if
you're considering something in this narrow niche. The 650i will be
$87,395 and the 650i xDrive will cost $90,395.
2012 BMW Gran Coupe
On Sale: June 23
Base Price: $76,895
Powertrain: 315-hp, 330-lb-ft turbocharged I6; RWD, eight-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 4,190 lb
0-60 MPH: 5.4 sec (mfr/AW)
60-0 MPH: 115.1 ft (AW)
Fuel Economy (EPA): 20 city/30 hwy/34 combined mpg (mfr est)
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