2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe Debut

What's New

Debuting first in Geneva, the 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe makes its first appearance in North America at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. But the name is a little deceptive, as it's not really a coupe. Instead, it's a four-door version of the luxurious BMW 640i coupe. And it's not a lightly warmed-over 640i with two extra doors, either. It's more of a melding between the four-door 5 Series and two-door 6 Series into a package that's 4.5 inches longer and 4.4 inches wider than 6 Series coupe, and 2 inches lower than the 5 Series sedan. Perhaps, calling it "Gran Coupe" is the most fitting way to describe what it is after all.

Who It's For

Four-door coupes have become the way to go for people too stubborn for the stodginess of a sedan but too practical for a coupe. They're designer suits. In the case of the 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe, its chief competition will come from the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and Audi A7. But it may attract those in the market for a Porsche Panamera as well. What it comes down to is style and exclusivity. The base 315-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter in the 640i Gran Coupe will come to market immediately, and the U.S. may eventually get an optional twin-turbocharged, 445-horsepower V-8 in the 650i Gran Coupe. Both be capable of acceleration to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds—gravy on top if you ask us.

Key Features

Although it shares much with the coupe variant, some unique features include:

• An available Opal White interior exclusive to the 640i Gran Coupe.
• A $76,895 starting price, securing its exclusivity.
• A long list of BMW Individual premium and customizable interior accoutrements.

What We Think

Expected to go on sale early this summer, we think BMW has a hit on its hands. It looks sleeker, lower, and sexier than its German rivals in some respects. It sacrifices some practicality to get it, which may heave some buyers back into the CLS and A7 camp. And it's not cheap, either, costing more than either of them for starters and coming without the V-8 option for the time being. We think a little style goes a long way, and we think the 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has plenty more than just a little style working for it.

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