IT SEEMS WHEREVER you look in the car world, there's always a new niche, and one of the most successful — and important — is the four-door sporting coupe: think Mercedes CLS and Audi A7. Now there's a new addition — albeit rather late — from BMW, the 6 Series Gran Coupe.
The grandly-named, Gran Coupe, has a simple objective, to marry the dynamics of the 5 Series with the upwardly mobile, classy looks of the 6 Series.
Whatever was thrown at the Gran Coupe, the car coped more than admirably. Its eight-speed auto gearbox, great fun when used with the paddleshift, is smooth and immediate. There's a positive, well-weighted fluidity to the car's steering — I loved the small-diameter, sporty steering wheel — which is even more impressive than that of the 5 Series. And the chassis is wonderfully balanced.
Big it may be, but BMW's designers have achieved a wonderful job in making it look a real headturner: flat, broad and low is the mantra.
That combination manages to make, what — as I realise I've already said quite a few times — is a big car, feel powerful and sporty.
Two specs of the Gran Coupe will be offered when the car goes on sale across Scotland on June 2: the SE and M Sport. Both the 640i and 640d get 18in alloys, though the V8 650i — which arrives later — gets 19in rims. Dakota leather, satnav with a 10.2-inch display, parking sensors all-round, keyless ignition, dual-zone climate control, electric adjustment for the steering wheel and heated seats are standard on all versions.
Step up to the M Sport, and sports seats and 'Aluminium Hexagon' interior trim, plus a distinctive exterior makeover, including 19in alloys, are all part of the 'standard' package.
The range starts with the 640i SE Gran Coupe at £61,390 and rises to £70,650 for the 650i SE: that's equivalent to a £1820 premium over the two-door coupe for the '640' models. M Sport versions of the 640i and 640d cost around £4700 over their two-door siblings.
Ok: so let's get back to the car. Sandwiched between the front and rear-ends — which have been lifted straight from the two-door 6 Series, as have the dash and front seats — of the Gran Coupe, is a sumptuous cabin. It benefits from a 113mm longer wheelbase which allows the extra doors, and proper rear seats, to be fitted.
Front occupants sit sportily low on broad and supportive seats which come with their own integral seatbelts. Ahead of them is the dashboard, lifted from the 6 Series, which sweeps from one door to the other. There's also an altered centre console.
Strangely, BMW designers have allowed their normally flawless ergonomics to be compromised by the siting of two large upholders which sit between the gearshift and the base of the dash.
The result is the gearlever and the iDrive controller, don't feel as if they're in exactly the right place: you feel as though you consciously need to move your arm back a few inches in order to flick the gearshift. It's a small whinge, but worth highllighting.
Adding to the sense of occasion and grandness of the car, the doors are frameless, and you'll be forgiven if, with your first glimpse into the rear, that there's actually only seating for two people. In fact it will seat three, but only at a push.
In an effort to maximise occupancy, BMW has fitted a third rear seatbelt which allows someone to sit on the raised centre section between the two dedicated seats. Certainly not ideal — especially given their legs will need to straddle the wide transmission tunnel — but for a short run I'm sure it would do the job.
Interestingly, the rear of the Gran Coupe isn't as big as that of the 5 Series. But what is worthy of mention is that the rear seats fold down to reveal a 460-litre boot, which is the same as the regular Coupe, but expands to 1265-litres with the seats down.
Initially the 6 Series Gran Coupe will be available with the choice of two in-line six-cylinder powerplants: the 316bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol found in the 640i, and, perhaps more satisfyingly, a 309bhp turbocharged 3.0 diesel in the 640d. It's the oilburner, which will be the biggest seller in the UK, and which we drive here. Though we have it in £68,565, M Sport guise: plus the car was loaded with in excess of £16k of 'extras'.
The big diesel is perfectly suited to the needs and expectations of the Gran Coupe which, let's face it, will spend most of its life gobbling up the miles and kilometres on Scotland's and Europe's motorways.
I drove it almost 300kms in France, including navigating the tight cobbled city streets of the historic centre of Strasbourg, cruising the motorway, and climbing the tight, twisty mountainous route up to the top of the 1420m Grand Ballon, one of the iconic stages of the Tour de France.
Whatever was thrown at the Gran Coupe, the car coped more than admirably. Its eight-speed auto gearbox, great fun when used with the paddleshift, is smooth and immediate.
There's a positive, well-weighted fluidity to the car's steering — I loved the small-diameter, sporty steering wheel — which is even more impressive than that of the 5 Series. And the chassis is wonderfully balanced.
Amongst the dazzling array or electronic wizardry, the Gran Coupe comes with five different driving modes, which are offered by BMW’s driving experience function. The result is the car can be set up — at the push of a button — for a wide range of conditions and driving styles.
The 640d also impresses at the fuel pumps, with a 49.6mpg figure — at least that's what BMW quotes — thanks in large to its stop-start, brake energy recuperation and extra-long gearing. It should be capable of close to 800 miles between fill-ups. And it's quick, covering the 0-62mph sprint in an enviable 5.4secs. Clean too, with CO2 emissions of 148g/km.
That the 6 Series Gran Coupe will become a resident of executive and directors' car parking bays across the UK is without question. It's also the best car in the 6 Series range.
Ok, it may not have the outright practicality of a 5 Series, but it blows it out the water in terms of image, handling, sportiness, and outright kudos. It's just … well, special.
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Jim McGill