BMW 6 series saloon.

By -

First, there was the Mercedes-Benz CLS. And it was good. Then, the Audi A7. That was also good. Now, Internet, meet the third contender for the crown of ultimate luxo-four-door-coupe-thingy: the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.

It's the first four-door coupe BMW has ever built, and its launch next year will kick off a Teutonic three-way tussle so explicit it'd make the Internet's most liberal adult film purveyors blush.

As you can see, the Gran Coupe is a stretched Six, some 22cm longer than the Coupe, 4cm longer than the A7 and a whopping 7cm longer than the CLS, and features a 4+1 seating system like you get in the Audi A7 [I think fifth seatbelt is optional in the A7, check this?]. The wheelbase is 11cm longer to allow for a "noticeable increase in legroom" for the rear passengers, which will come as a relief to anyone who's travelled in the back of a 6-Series on a long journey.

That long, low and wide stance with short overhangs - and driver-focused cockpit - shows us it has BMW's driving DNA etched into its flanks, though whether it can offer up any more joy than the capable-but-anodyne coupe and convertible versions remains to be seen.

The 6 GC features electronically controlled dampers, anti-roll stabilisation and electronically controlled anti-roll bars to reduce roll during what BMW euphemistically refers to as "fast cornering".

Engine wise, you're looking at two six-cylinders - the 320bhp 640i and the torquey-yet-frugal 313bhp 640d - along with the range-topping 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 of the 650i. Essentially a detuned version of the M5's powerplant, this puts out a very, very respectable 450bhp and 650Nm of torque, and together with optional ‘xDrive' all wheel drive, will do the 0-100kph sprint in 4.5 seconds. That's 0.1 slower than the 518bhp Mercedes CLS 63 AMG. That's scary-quick.

BMW will only offer an eight-speed auto with the new Gran Coupe, along with standard equipment including electrically adjustable leather seats, two-zone climate control, 18in alloys, and a natty HiFi system. As usual, you can demonstrate your individuality - and burgeoning wallet - on the options list, including the M Sport pack. That adds aero body parts, a sports exhaust, 19in wheels (with optional 20s), sports seats and lots of M badging.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All new Ambassador makeover by Hindustan Motors in 2012 .

By -
Image
Sixty years back, the word ‘car’ in India literally meant the Ambassador for most Indians. A lot has changed since then, with horde of automobile manufacturers active in the Indian market, sales figures for Hindustan Motors have hit an all time low 5,510 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. Over the years, it has been the Indian political class that has been keeping Hindustan Motors rolling. The latest blow to Hindustan motors came from the Govt. of India itself, which replaced the Ambassador with cars like the  Maruti SX4  and the  Tata Indigo CS considering safety and performance issues. The next-gen Ambassador will feature structural, aerodynamic and aesthetical chages. Changes on board the 2012 Ambassador include new engine calibrations, an anti-lock brake system and aluminium alloy wheels. For comfort, there will be new leather seats coupled with wood grain interiors. For the first time, there will also be an integrated music system and redesigned instrument c
Read more

Force One to get 4x4 in mid-2012

By -
Image
Force Motors, which launched its first SUV, Force One, last August will launch a new 4x4 version and a variant equipped with ABS by mid-2012. The new 4X4 was displayed at the Auto Expo last month. At the launch, the company had indicated its intentions to offer more features in the SUV at a later stage. These features have made it to the SUV, but the company has been tight-lipped about launch date  and price tag. The 4x4 variant will continue to be powered by the FM-Tech 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor that develops 139bhp and 32.6kgm of torque. It will be offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as is the case with the 4x2 version. There will be no visual changes to  differentiate the 4x4 from its 4x2 sibling, except for  the badge. We expect the ABS-equipped 4x4 version to  cost at least Rs 1 lakh more than the 4x2 variant, which costs Rs 10.65 lakh (ex-showroom,  Delhi). 
Read more

Maruti 800 replacement coming soon.

By -
Image
Authentic Cars  broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year   and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800.  This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior. As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the headlamps all the
Read more