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Report: BMW Gran Coupe To Wear 6-Series Badge

 
9 6,004 views Jun 4, 2010
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2010 BMW Concept Gran Coupe

HI-RES GALLERY: 2010 BMW Concept Gran Coupe

Reports that the BMW Gran Coupe Concept was approved for production emerged just days after its Beijing Auto Show debut this April. Now the word on the street is that it will wear a 6-Series badge when it goes on sale in 2012.

The Concept CS-inspired Gran Coupe Concept should make a good fit within the 6-Series lineup. Its coupe-like lines and sporting proportions offer an alternative to the two-door model, while also allowing for more luxurious rear-seat treatment. The 6-Series name is also something of a matter of necessity: BMW has no other numeric space between the 5-Series and the 7-Series, and while the 8-Series name might have been possible, that name was reserved for BMW's flagship position during its ten-year run from 1989 to 1999.

Rather than a halo four-door coupe, however, the Gran Coupe is targeting the same market space as the 6-Series, but for those that would like more accessible rear seats. It's positioned to go heads-up with competition like the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and the lower end of the Porsche Panamera spectrum.

It's not yet clear how the Gran Coupe's nameplate will be distinguished from the regular 6-Series coupe. Possibilities include adding a letter to the existing alphanumeric formula, or possibly tagging an appendage to the name, as done with the 5-Series GT.

In essence, the Gran Coupe/6-Series four-door coupe BMW hopes will combine the luxury and demeanor of the 7-Series, while delivering more sporting character and driving involvement. The similarities to the 7-Series will run more than skin deep, as well, with the car to be based on the same platform that underpins the current 5- and 7-Series cars, as well as the same powertrain components.

[Autocar]





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Comments (9)

  1. fb_100000985937298 avatar Billy Govender Posted: 6/4/2010 2:19pm PDT

    A seemingly sensible course of action by BMW.
     
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  2. By archknight Posted: 6/4/2010 2:54pm PDT

    I figured this would happen, seeing as the Gran Coupe was about the same size as the 5-series. This leaves 8-series nameplate free to create an ultra-luxo big coupe to take on the new S-Class coupe from MB. In any case, if this has the same luxurious interior as the 7 with a sportier ride, they'll fly out of showrooms.
     
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  3. By NoNameDenton Posted: 6/4/2010 3:16pm PDT

    Should have brought back the 8-series name plate
     
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  4. By bepsf Posted: 6/4/2010 9:02pm PDT

    Hello - Munich?
    Odd-Numbered Series = Sedans and Wagons.
    Even-Numbered Series = Coupes
    And by the way: Regardless of what the nice folks in Ingolstadt and Stuttgart say, Sedans have 4 doors, Coupes have 2 doors.
    And finally: GT stands for "Grand Touring", which is defined by Merriam-Webster as a 2-passenger coupe (not a bloated 5 door hatchback)
    Any questions?
     
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  5. By NoNameDenton Posted: 6/5/2010 3:54pm PDT

    bepsf, what about the Z3, odd numbered 2 door, and of course 3 series coupe
     
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  6. By bepsf Posted: 6/5/2010 6:31pm PDT

    @NND--
    The 3 Series began as a 2 door sedan - It's grown into a full lineup of 4-door sedan, wagon and the coupe & convertible which were actually intended to be renamed the 4-Series for the previous generation (similar to how Audi created the A5/S5) but BMW decided against this due to their fear of a lack of brand recognition.
    As far as the Z3 - You may recall that BMW successfully changed that to Z4 to align with the Odd/Even nomenclature system.
     
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  7. By NoNameDenton Posted: 6/5/2010 7:37pm PDT

    Since the Z3 went from 1996–2002 with the same name I think they only got the Z4 because it was supposed to be a new model
     
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  8. By Damien Thomas Posted: 6/6/2010 5:38pm PDT

    I have a feeling BMW might use 8-Series for its new eco-sports car its working on. Makes sense since the original 8-Series was a coupe. Either way, I think BMW has WAYYYYY too many models and with the new megacity and sub 1-series models, i don't see how the brand can remain that desirable anymore. Their new cars still look ugly IMO. Far too plasticky looking.
     
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  9. By MaXimO Posted: 6/7/2010 7:40am PDT

    Is NOT coupe, is an Sedan...
     
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