An all-new version of the BMW 6-Series debuts in concept form at the Paris Motor Show.
Call it a “show car,” if you wish, but the BMW Concept 6 Series Coupe making its debut at the Mondial de l’Automobile, next week, is little more than a thinly-disguised version of the next-generation BMW 6-Series, the maker’s premium 2+2 seater.
The genesis of the show car will be readily apparent to anyone who makes it to the 2010 Paris Motor Show, at least if these advanced-release pics are any indication. The sheet metal is a little more elegant and subtle than the prior model, which went out of production earlier this month. Four character lines give the new coupe shape and dimension.
There’s also less of the so-called “Bangle-butt,” the high rear deck nicknamed for former BMW design chief Chris Bangle, who introduced the wind-cheating shape on the 7-Series a decade ago. The overall look, with the addition of 20-inch wheels, is sporty and aggressive. While the tail is vaguely reminiscent of the 5-Series GT, the concept is decidedly coupe- rather than crossover-like.
The thinly-disguised 6-Series coupe should soon reach production.
The pics leave open guesswork as to how BMW will handle the inevitable 6-Series Cabriolet. The outgoing generation went with a canvas top, unlike the fold-away metal roof of the current 3-Series convertible. That resulted in an almost retro-style flying buttress in the rear of the soft-top roofline.
Expect BMW officials to save details of the 6-Series Cabrio for a later auto show preview.
A widescreen LCD display anchors the new concept coupe's driver-oriented cockpit.
A notable design touch on the Concept 6 Series Coupe is the use of LED lamps for both high and low beams, as well as for the taillamps.
But the high-tech bulbs maintain the classic twin-round shape Beamer aficionados will recognize. The adaptive LED headlights, incidentally, will change direction and intensity based on such factors as vehicle speed and the direction of the steering wheel.
Inside, BMW mounts a widescreen 10.2-inch display at the top of the center stack of the very driver-oriented cockpit, and, of course, it adopts the later iteration of its iDrive controller to handle everything from navigation to the highline, 16-speaker Bang & Olufson audio system. The concept also integrates a Head-Up Display, or HUD, unit to present key driver information, such as speed and turn-by-turn directions, directly onto the windshield.
Production details for the next-generation BMW 6-Series will almost certainly be revealed in Paris.