Those looking for the ultimate luxury and performance family car will undoubtedly be interested in the forthcoming BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé.


This new four-door vehicle will not only offer all the space and practicality of a family sedan, but thanks to its coupe-like design will appeal to your emotional side as well.

BMW is a relative latecomer to the four-door coupe segment, notably occupied by the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, but better late than never.

The 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé is based on the same platform that forms the underpinnings for the current 5 Series sedan (code-name F10) and the 6 Series Coupe and Convertible (F12/F13). At 5007 mm, the Gran Coupé is the longest of them all, yet its wheelbase of 2,968 mm is identical to the 5 Series’. With a width of 1,894 mm, the Gran Coupé is identical to its Coupe sibling in this dimension.

The 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé is based on the same platform that the current 5 Series sedan and the 6 Series Coupe and Convertible. (Photo: BMW)

The similarities extend to its technical specifications. All the gadgets currently offered in its siblings will also be offered in the Gran Coupé.

The one area where the Gran Coupé gets a slight advantage is its engine output, at least for now. While under the hood lies the familiar 4.4L twin-turbo V8, in the Gran Coupé it is tweaked to produce 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. The increase in power is mainly due to the inclusion of BMW’s VALVETRONIC variable valve timing system.

Power will be fed to all four wheel via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. In Canada, the Gran Coupé will be offered only as a 650i model with xDrive, while in other markets, smaller engines and rear-wheel drive will be available.

While under the hood lies the familiar 4.4L twin-turbo V8, in the Gran Coupé it is tweaked to produce 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: BMW)

According to BMW, the 650i Gran Coupé can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, while an electronic speed limiter pegs the top speed at 250 km/h.

The Gran Coupé is not just about performance; its fuel efficiency is also impressive. Thanks to its standard auto start-stop feature, which shuts the car off when the car comes to a halt and fires up the engine as soon as you release the brake pedal, the Gran Coupé can achieve 8.6L/100km on combined city and highway cycles.

One of the main selling points for any BMW is their ability to handle twisty roads, and the Gran Coupé should be no exception. On top of the standard fully independent suspension setup, BMW will also offer an optional Active Roll Stabilization feature, which is said to improve the handling of the Gran Coupé by minimizing body roll.

It achieves this by calculating the amount of lean generated as the car goes through a corner and applies counter-reactive forces through its hydraulic rotary actuators for the front and rear anti-roll bars. This will ensure the Gran Coupé will corner very flat, even when pushed hard.

One of the main selling points for any BMW is their ability to handle twisty roads, and the Gran Coupé should be no exception. (Photo: BMW)

However, while the performance and its technical features are very impressive, the main reason anyone will be buying the 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé is because of its stunning sleek design. It really does look like a coupe with some extra doors. Open them and you’ll find a beautifully trimmed interior with seating for four occupants.

The 6 Series Gran Coupé is expected to be in Canadian showrooms by this fall. No official pricing information is available yet, but expect a higher MSRP than the 6 Series Coupe, or about $105,000 CDN.