BMW's M6 Gran Coupe brings the M treatment to BMW's entry in the category it shares with other coupe-like sedans.
Coupe-like sedans are all the rage and now BMW is bringing the M treatment to its 6-Series Gran Coupe.
The Bavarian automaker unveiled the M6 Gran Coupe today at the North American International Auto Show.
The M6 Grand Coupe will fill one of the few blank spaces left in the Bavarian maker’s performance line-up. Of all its wide range of offerings, BMW has said it has no intention of adding an M7 – instead turning to Alpina for a performance version of its flagship sedan.
Ian Robertson, a member of BMW’s Board of Management, said the car provides a sports car experience with elegant ambiance of a luxury interior.
“You can see how the legendary power of the M is integrated into the design of this car,” Robertson said.
A look at the BMW M6 Gran Coupe's twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V-8.
The new M6 Gran Coupe shares powertrains with the M5 and M6 models, drawing power from a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 producing a neck-snapping 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque – which hits its peak at just 1,500 RPM, BMW notes. That’s enough to launch the 4-door variant of the 6-Series coupe from 0 to 60 in just 4.1 seconds – on the way to a limited top speed of 155 mph.
Power is pumped through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that is also borrowed from the M5 and M6 Coupe/Convertible models. The M6 Grand Coupe also gets an Active M Differential meant to maximize traction.
BMW formally introduced the new M6 Gran Coupe at the North American International Auto Show.
Other mechanical upgrades include beefed up brakes – with six-piston calipers and 15.7 inch rotors front and 15.6 inches in the rear.
On the visual side, there are the classic M upgrades, from a carbon fiber roof panel to painted brake calipers, 20-inch wheels, and M-sill plates.
The interior gets a distinctive M 3-spoke steering wheel, leather-wrapped sports seats, Alcantara trim and still more carbon fiber accents, and new buttons on the steering wheel.
Tap M1 and you’re in Sport Mode, which tightens up the suspension, makes the gearbox and throttle more responsive and adjusts the stability control and other brake intervention systems for more aggressive driving. M2 turns things up another notch for those ready to risk the $100,000-plus M6 Gran Coupe on the track.
BMW notably excluded pricing from its release, though it’s expected to carry a stiff premium above the current top-line model, the BMW 650i xDrive Gran Coupe, which comes in at $90,395 – meaning, expect something nudging into six figures.
Expect to see final numbers on pricing – and on fuel economy – closer to the official on-sale date next summer.
Paul A. Eisenstein contributed to this report.