BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe 2012 Review

BMW 6 Series GranCoupe

The third member of BMW’s second-generation 6 Series range, which debuted here earlier this year in redesigned two-door coupe and convertible guises, brings a coupe-like side profile to a large (7 Series size) BMW sedan for the first time, enticing those that want all of BMW’s latest technologies and the flexibility of four doors and five seats in a full-size package that doesn’t look like a three-box limousine.

We covered the 6 Series GranCoupe’s global launch back in May but the inaugural 6 Series sedan is now available here in turbocharged six-cylinder 640i form, while the twin-turbo V8-powered 650i will follow by October and a range-topping M6 GranCoupe – motivated by the same 412kW/680Nm V8 as seen in the M6 Coupe and Convertible – should hit local showrooms next year.

Now available in a single 640i model grade priced at $184,800 plus on-road costs, Australia’s first 6 Series GranCoupe variant costs some $69,200 more than the $115,600 535i sedan upon which it is based, but is $22,100 cheaper than the 740i limousine ($206,900).

While the 650i due here by October will cost well over $200,000, the entry-level 640i GranCoupe’s sub-$185K sticker price makes it $6500 dearer than the 640i Coupe ($178,300) and $9500 more accessible than the 640i Convertible ($194,300), but the 640i sedan offers more standard equipment than both of its two-door namesakes, in the form of adaptive LED headlights and four-zone climate-control.

The four-door 6 Series is also the first BMW Australia model to become available in “satinated” matt exterior paint, which is available in three hues including black, grey and the ‘Frozen Bronze’ hero colour, and costs an extra $700 unless the M Sport Package is specified.

The latter costs $8700 and includes 20-inch alloy wheels, black brake callipers, BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line, BMW Individual Anthracite headlining, dark chrome exhaust outlets, Aluminium Hexagon interior trim and Alcantara/Nappa leather upholstery options, an M leather steering wheel, M doorsill plates and a full M bodykit comprising front and rear bumpers and side skirts.

Of course there’s also a host of individual 6 Series options, including different 19-inch ($1200) and 20-inch wheels ($2700), plus high-end technologies like Adaptive Drive active anti-roll bars ($8000) incorporating Dynamic Damper Control (which costs $2650 on its own), BMW Night Vision ($4500), Active Cruise Control ($4700), Integral Active Steering ($3600) and Lane Departure Warning System ($1400), Surround View ($1300) and automatic Parking Assistant ($1200).

There is also a 600-Watt 16-speaker Professional HiFi system ($1600), a 1200-Watt 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround Sound system ($16,000), a leather-clad instrument panel ($3000), rear/side window blinds ($2500), front Comfort seats ($1600), ceramic control surrounds ($1100), laminated glass ($1100), rear seat heating ($900) and contrast seat stitching ($500).

No-cost options include 18-inch wheels/tyres and Poplar Grain and American Oak interior trims, but common convenience features fitted as standard on many mainstream models include a TV ($2800), six-disc DVD changer ($1300), digital radio tuner ($950), automatic soft-close doors ($900), tyre pressure monitoring ($700), a heated steering wheel ($700) and smartphone music integration ($220).

All this is in addition to a healthy standard equipment list, including the aforementioned four-zone climate-control and LED headlights (including LED high- and low-beam, LED turn indicators and LED foglights), automatic High Beam Assist, rain-sensing wipers, full-colour second-generation head-up display, cruise control with braking function, speed-limiter, front/rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, electric glass sunroof and ambient lighting.

Also standard are powered/folding/heated mirrors, three anti-dazzle mirrors, metallic paint, illuminated door sills, fine brushed aluminium trim, Dakota leather upholstery, trip computer, alarm, front armrest, velour floor mats, a multifunction leather-clad steering wheel with electric reach/rake adjustment, powered sports front seats, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, a nine-speaker 205-Watt sound system, iDrive controller, internet functionality, Professional satellite-navigation, 10.2-inch colour screen, USB audio interface, voice recognition and 19-inch alloys with latest-generation run-flat tyres.

The 640i runs a top-shelf 235kw/450Nm version of BMW’s twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre inline petrol six, which is also seen in the 640i Coupe and Convertible, but not the twin-turbo six that powers the 250kW/450Nm 1 Series M Coupe or 240kW/450Nm 740i. A 225kW/400Nm version of the same N55 twin-scroll single-turbo direct-injection engine is also seen in the 335i, 535i, X5, X6 and Z4.

The result is 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.4 seconds, matching the 4.8-litre V8-powered Porsche Panamera S and making the 640i quicker than everything in its class but the Aston Martin Rapide, which is two-tenths quicker to 100km/h.

At the same time, the 640i returns combined fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km (7.8L/100km on no-cost optional 18-inch alloys), making it more efficient than all of its competitors, including the Panamera S, Rapide, Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS350.

Aiding its fuel-efficiency, the 640i is fitted with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with standard idle-stop function, brake energy regeneration, air-vent control and an ‘EcoPro’ mode that optimises auxiliary electric systems to reduce fuel use by up to 20 per cent.

Shorter than the (short-wheelbase) 7 Series limousine at a still-long 5007mm overall, the 6 GC rides on the exact same 2968mm wheelbase as the 5 Series, making it 113mm longer in both wheelbase and overall length than the 6 Series coupe and convertible.

All of that extra length is contained in a longer side glass area, split either side of a B-pillar that is moved further back, while up front is the same forward-inclined ‘shark nose’ kidney grille and V-shaped bonnet seen on other 6 Series models and the rear-end wears the same small bootlid opening as the coupe. However, boot space expands from the same 460 litres to some 1265 litres via split/folding rear seatback.

Apart from an extra pair of doors and stretched glasshouse, unique GC design cues include ‘GranCoupe’ lettering in the C-pillar’s Hofmeister kink and a full-width brake light built into the roof for the first time on a BMW. Like the coupe and convertible, the Six sedan is a full 1894mm wide and, despite being 23mm higher than them, its roof is lower than everything in its class but the Rapide and Quattroporte.

That means rear headroom is 32mm tighter than in the 5 Series sedan (which also offers 20mm more rear legroom), making the humped centre rear seat a kids-only zone or for extremely short trips for small adults. The upside is 120mm of extra rear legroom than the two-door 6 Series, which donate their front bucket seats and driver-focussed cockpit comprising 10.2-inch dash-top screen and signature diagonally trimmed centre console.

Despite the extra wheelbase and body length, the ‘4+1-seat’ 6 Series GranCoupe – which employs the same electric power steering and double-wishbone front and integral V rear suspension systems as other 6 Series models, still tips the scales with a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.

Specifically, the 640i GranCoupe is more than $20,000 pricier than the CLS350 ($164,570) and almost $40,000 dearer than the A7 3.0 TFSI ($147,800), but undercuts the cheapest version of Maserati’s soon-to-be-replaced Quattroporte V8 ($250,000) by more than $65,000.

Further upstream, the Panamera S ($284,700) is about $100,000 more expensive, though Porsche’s entry-level four-door sedan is positioned $10,100 higher at $194,900 for the Diesel.

Aston’s Rapide is in another league at $371,300 – more than twice the price of the 640i – but the upcoming 650i (circa $240K) and yet-to-appear M6 GranCoupe will take BMW’s sleek sedan further upmarket.

While the cheaper A7 exudes similar class but remains technically a hatchback, so too does Porsche’s awkward-looking and vastly more expensive Panamera. With the new Quattroporte expected to remain in another price bracket, the CLS emerges as the most obvious suspect in BMW’s plan to steal sales from everywhere but its own range with its first 6 Series sedan.

Like the CLS, the GranCoupe combines the platform of a highly competent existing model – in this case the 5 Series - with an even sexier four-door bodyshell. Representing BMW at its best, the GranCoupe returns the Bavarian brand to its original 1970s-era 6 Series roots in the same way the latest 5 Series is, in our view, the purest and most handsome model to wear the badge since the E39 of the 1990s.

It’s impossible not to draw comparisons between existing BMW models and the third member of the 6 Series clan. Viewed as a sleeker 5 Series sedan, the GranCoupe is expensive and impractical, since it’s almost $70K pricier than the mechanically similar 535i yet seats only four in comfort, albeit with less rear leg and headroom.

Compared to the two-door 6 Series Coupe and Convertible between which it’s positioned, however, the GranCoupe offers more value than both models by delivering two extra doors, two real (read: usable) rear seats, a flexible cargo space and extra standard equipment including LED headlights and four-zone climate-control.

But it’s when you back-to-back it with the 7 Series that the GranCoupe really shines, given it’s more than $22K cheaper than the mechanically similar 740i, yet can still carry four adults (five at a pinch) in luxurious comfort, offers all of the flagship BMW limousine’s latest technology, appeals to more drivers than just chauffers and is one of the sexiest BMWs ever.

In fact, the GranCoupe’s dynamic prowess is so superior to that of the 7 Series that it’s difficult to pick from the 6 Series Coupe from behind the wheel. Cosseted within the same classy driver-oriented cockpit, the GC steers and grips with all the focus of the accomplished coupe, despite its longer wheelbase and extra associated bulk.

Yes, ride quality is on the firm side – even in Comfort damping mode on standard 19-inch alloys – but remains in keeping with the GranCoupe’s sporting exterior and is a minor trade-off for those seeking coupe-like design and dynamics in a full-size four-door.

As with all BMWs, the options list is enormous and overpriced, but the 640’s class-leading performance and efficiency compensate for that and everything available in the 7 Series can also be had in the GranCoupe, making it the new flagship of the BMW range for those who consider a 7 Series too stodgy.

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