Here it is, ladies and gents. Photographed for the second time this year is the much anticipated BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, the elongated four-door version of the new flagship 8 Series coupe. The Gran Coupe will be the third model to join the revered 8 Series line-up, after the G14 8 Series Convertible.
Now, the front section of this four-door prototype is now completely free of camouflage, revealing a familiar fascia that’s reminiscent of the M850i. The actual variant may vary, but there’s a good chance that this prototype is in fact the top-of-the-line model, evident through the large 19-inch disc brakes with blue M calipers, as well as M-specific front and rear bumpers.
Word is that the 8 Series Gran Coupe will be considerably lengthened for the benefit of rear occupants, stretching it beyond the five-metre mark. Comparatively, the 8 Series Coupe has an overall length of 4,843 mm and a wheelbase of 2,822 mm. Check out our rendering to find out how it could potentially look.
For the cabin, expect the cockpit to be lifted wholesale from the Coupe and Cabriolet. The centre dash features the Professional navigation system as standard, complete with a 10.25-inch centre touchscreen, gesture control and the new BMW Operating System 7.0. Also standard is the new 12.3-inch BMW Live Cockpit Professional instrument display.
Front sports seats should come as standard, as will the new function cluster with active haptic feedback which houses the starter button, iDrive controller, the Driving Experience Control switches and the stubby gear lever.
The multifaceted glass gear lever with illuminated “8” symbol will also be available as an option. Other options include redesigned seat ventilation, the touchscreen BMW Display Key, Qi wireless smartphone charging and dynamic interior lighting to complement the standard ambient lighting.
Powertrain-wise, again, don’t expect anything wildly different here. At launch, the 8 Series Gran Coupe will likely be offered in two flavours, that being the all-wheel drive 840d xDrive and hotter M850i xDrive. The oil burner in question is a 3.0 litre twin-turbo straight-six unit that makes 320 hp and 680 Nm of torque, and is paired to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission.
The M850i xDrive is propelled by an upgraded version of the M550i‘s 4.4 litre biturbo petrol V8, pushing out 530 hp and a mind-numbing 750 Nm. In the Coupe, the century sprint in dusted in just 3.7 seconds, so expect the Gran Coupe to do it under four seconds, despite all the weight gain.
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