Gran Coupe caps new BMW 8 Series
BY RON HAMMERTON | 19th Jun 2019
BMW has rounded out its all-new 8 Series luxury sports range by revealing the four-door Gran Coupe that will join its two-door coupe and convertible siblings in Australian showrooms in the last quarter of this year.
Longer, wider and taller than its two-door brethren, the Gran Coupe replaces the 6 Series Gran Coupe that has been deleted from the line-up.
The Gran Coupe will be launched in Europe with the same three turbocharged engines as the two-door variants – a range-topping petrol 4.4-litre 390kW/750Nm V8, a 3.0-litre 250kW/500Nm inline petrol six and 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel producing 235kW/680Nm.
However, if the two-door range that was launched recently in Australia is any guide, the diesel is unlikely to make the boat to Australia where the Gran Coupe will ride into battle against the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7 and Porsche Panamera.
That means the likely powertrains locally will be the V8 M850i and six-cylinder 840i, both with eight-speed automatic transmission. The M850i will get BMW’s all-wheel-drive xDrive system, but it is unclear if the 840i will have that for Australia, as two- and four-wheel-drive are both available in Europe.
Sitting on the same new CLAR rear-wheel-drive platform as the 8 Series coupe and convertible, and many other new-generation models, the Gran Coupe is identical to the other 8 Series variants from the nose to the A pillars, but from there it is drastically different.
The windscreen and rear window are more vertical, helping to increase headroom in both the front and back seats. The side panels have a flared shape around the rear wheels to accommodate a wide track and provide a muscular look.
The wheelbase has been stretched 201mm, to 3023mm, over the coupe and convertible, making room for the extra doors and more rear seat space while at the same time improving high speed stability and ride comfort in a car that BMW describes as a long-distance specialist.
Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers is standard, while xDrive variants get active rear-wheel steering for added control at highway speeds.
Four-piston fixed-calliper front brakes are standard, but the M850i gets the M version, along with bigger 20-inch wheels (18-inch wheels on the 840i).
The Gran Coupe is not only 231mm longer, at 5082mm, but also 30mm wider (1932mm) and 61mm taller (1407mm).
BMW describes the seating as 4+1, as the rear seats comprise two sports-style buckets and a bump in the middle for a third occupant in emergencies.
Because of the Gran Coupe’s larger dimensions, it weighs 70kg more than the two-door coupe, but still manages to skate from zero to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds in V8 M850i form (5.1s for 840i xDrive).
Fuel consumption on the combined test cycle is rated as about 10.0 litres per 100km for the M850i and 7.5L/100km for the 840i.
While most of the panels are pressed from aluminium, the boot lid is of plastic and the central tunnel is fashioned from carbon-fibre. An optional carbon-fibre roof helps to reduce the centre of gravity.
Boot space is 440 litres – 20L more than the coupe – with the 40:20:40 folding rear seats in the upright position.
The Gran Coupe gets a longer centre console than its siblings, along with leather-wrapped dash and door trims.
An optional glass sunroof extends from the windshield to the rear window – a glass area of 1.5 square metres. The front part of the roof can be opened, while sun shades can cover front and back sections.
Standard specification on the Gran Coupe includes adaptive LED headlights, head-up display, city autonomous braking, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, speed limit info, rear crossing traffic warning and rear collision warning.
Other safety features such as active cruise control with stop and go are optional.
The new digital instrument panel features a 12.3-inch screen, while the latest multimedia and sat-nav functions are control from a 10.25-inch display and the new iDrive controller.
The new Gran Coupe will be shown in the flesh for the first time alongside a raft of other new models at the BMW Group #NEXTgen event later this month.
