It’s Fast. It’s Furious. Aaand it’s a 4 – Door!
Have you ever imagined what happens when you take the sexiness of the Coupe, the masculinity of the Sedan and the combine these with the monstrosity of a beast? Looks like the think tanks at Bavarian Motor Works did!
In fact, they haven’t just given this concept a thought – they physically amalgamated dollops of all 3 of the aforementioned and showcased the same when they recently showcased the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe!
EXTERIORS
On the first look, one can casually remark that the BMW has just taken the 4 series Coupe and given it 4 doors. Yet, a closer introspection reveals how the maverick engineers, at this behemoth of a company, have actually married the exceptional charisma of the 4 Series Coupe with the elegance of its cousin – the 3 Series Sedan. This very fact has led to a huge controversy regarding the automobile’s nomenclature amongst industry observers and devout followers.
Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, “EVERY CURVE A PROMISE”, is testament to the fact that this beast is built on the same architecture as the 4 Series Coupe. Sharing the same length, width and wheelbase (4638mm, 1825mm & 2810mm respectively) with the 4 Series Coupe, the prima facie difference between these 2 lies in the roofline of the Gran Coupe, which sits 12mm higher and abuts 112 mm further towards the end of the car. Despite it appearing that the Gran Coupe shall cater to only a niche segment of the marketplace, the Gran Coupe is bound to give its ageing old, yet highly successful, rivals (like the Audi A5 Sportback & Volkswagen CC) a tight run for their money.
ENGINE
BMW has introduced a plethora of Engine variants for this particular model – making a Petrol debut are the 435i, 428i xDrive, 428i and 420i models whilst the 420d xDrive, 420d & 418d are intended for those more inclined to go with a Diesel variant. These same 4 Engine models are also used to power the corresponding Coupe models. Of the lot, 435i is the only one to be feature a turbocharged 6-cylinder petrol engine whilst the remaining lot is brought to life by a turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol / diesel engine.
PERFORMANCE
The BMW EfficientDynamics®,which is present as standard across all variants, lives up to it’s motto of “Less Emissions. More Driving Pleasure.” A perfect example of the same is the Auto Start Stop Function™ – wherein, the engine is automatically turned off if the vehicle has been stationary for some time, thereby providing more – & the 8-Speed Sports Automatic Transmission.
There are 4 types of the car which shall be released – 1 being the base with the others being concepts developed specifically by BMW Individual to suit your individual palate & taste. These are as follows :
1. Modern Line
The base model with light colour schemes and optional Dakota upholstery.
2. Luxury Line
The luxe model for the slightly more distinguished and refined. This includes Dakota upholstery in Saddle Brown.
3. Sport Line
This conveys the sporting dynamism vis-à-vis distinctive design elements and optional Dakota upholstery in Coral Red.
4. M Sport Package
A singular look at this model is enough to know that it means business – the M Aerodynamics package with its enlarged air inlets in the front apron reinforce that impression. Dakota upholstery is optionally available in Ivory White for this variant.
DRIVING
On the road, this car handles like a breeze – just like its brother, the 4 Series Coupe. It impresses almost everyone – from the newly nascent to the veteran drivers – with its abilities to handle even daunting turns and corners with the ease and grace that is expected of its superior cousins. A straight road proves to be a dream come true for all, as it actually enables us to get a feel of all that raw power bottled up under the hood. On average, a burst of speed i.e. from 0 – 100 kmph can be achieved in a span of about 6 seconds.
CONCLUSION
Thus, with an expected launch date of June, 2014 (internationally), the only question that now remains is whether the Marketing maestros at BMW can fit this new entrant in the family at a sweet spot that it is a hit with both – the masses and the beau monde.