Having made its public debut at the without much fanfare at the Beijing Auto Show earlier this year, BMW’s Gran Coupe has finally been confirmed for production and is ready to give its premium peers a run for their high dollars.
Slated be launched in 2012, the Gran Coupe will follow a year after the next-gen 6 Series is launched, on which much of its architecture will be based upon. BMW development chief Klaus Draeger, confirmed the Gran Coupe’s production plans while mentioning that it will be “closely aligned” with the new 6 Series.
The biggest guessing game is the nomenclature to be used on the model. The most consistent rumours indicate that a 6 prefix will adorn the badging on the rear but with an additional moniker, much like the 5 Series GT.
As for engine options, expect to see similar line-ups of BMW’s straight six and V8 engines under the hood. A Hybrid version will surely be offered as well, along the lines of offering the 5 and 7 Series with such power plants too.
For the power hungry, an ‘M’ version will surely hit dealers a year or so after the initial launch with the upcoming M5’s twin turbo’ed V8 under the hood and flirting with the 600hp mark.
So as for the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS, Aston Martin Rapide and the newly launched Audi A7, be afraid… be very afraid.
Source: Autoweek
