AUTOS: BMW Reveals M6 Gran Coupe

AUTOS: BMW Reveals M6 Gran Coupe

A twin-turbo V8 generating 560 horsepower lifts the sleek four-door ahead of the competiion; official debut set for January at the Detroit Auto Show.

BMW has revealed its 560-horsepower M6 Gran Coupe in a series of official photographs ahead of the sleek four-door's public debut in January at the Detroit auto show.

Set to rival the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, Porsche Panamera Turbo and upcoming Audi RS7, the latest M-car sets out to broaden the scope of the existing M6 lineup by providing added levels of practicality and improved comfort through the adoption of two extra doors and greater rear seat accommodation than its coupe and convertible siblings.

Unique styling for the M6 Gran Coupe includes a carbon-fiber-reinforced rear diffuser. (Photo: BMW) Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, the car arrives in North America next summer with a price tag around $110,000.

The M6 Gran Coupe is distinguishable from lesser versions of the 6-series Gran Coupe by exterior styling cues developed under the guise of BMW M division's longtime head of design, Uwe Weidehase.

Included is a deeper front bumper with sizeable cooling ducts for the engine bay and front brakes, altered kidney grille with twinned horizontal slates and M6 identification, adaptive headlamps, widened front wheel arches, a chromed indicator lamp surround within the front wings, deeper sills underneath the four doors, aerodynamically optimized mirror housings and a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic roof panel.

At the rear, the machine receives more M6 identification on the trunk lid and a deep, uniquely profiled bumper housing a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic diffuser element shaped to draw hot air away from the rear differential and a quartet of chromed tailpipes. Wheels are 20 inches in diameter.

A wealth of riches is contained within the M6 Gran Coupe's luxurious interior. (Photo: BMW) The M6 Gran Coupe is based around a high-strength steel platform that boasts the same wheelbase as the M5. As is customary for all cars wearing the revered M badge, it receives tracks that have been widened significantly compared with the standard 6-series Gran Coupe.

The powertrain is completed with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, a combination first seen in the M5 and more recently brought to the M6 coupe and cabriolet.

Torque swells to 500 pound-feet in the M6 Gran Coupe, and BMW claims its new super sedan is marginally faster than its keenest four-door performance rivals from zero-60 mph, with an official time of 4.1 seconds.

Top speed is nominally limited to 155 mph, although buyers can increase it to 189 mph through an optional driver's package that also brings high-performance tires.

With standard fuel-saving functions such as stop/start and brake energy recuperation, the M6 Gran Coupe's average fuel consumption is pegged at 23.8 mpg on the European test cycle.

This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-bmw-reveals-m6-gran-coupe/

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