BMW Takes Wraps Off 8-Series GranCoupe

BMW rounds out its new 8-Series range with the unveiling of the 4-door 8-Series GranCoupe.

Making its public debut later this year at the Frankfurt auto show, the plush new 2+2 joins the 8-Series Coupe and Convertible with a lineup that will support both 6-cyl. and V-8 models, including the swift new 523-hp M850i xDrive GranCoupe, from the outset of North American sales in September.

The 8-Series GranCoupe will replace the discontinued 6-Series GranCoupe in a growing market segment that will see it compete against upmarket versions of the second-generation Audi A7 and third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS as well as the second-generation Porsche Panamera.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, though it is expected to be similar to that of the recently introduced 8-Series Coupe and Convertible, with which the new BMW GranCoupe shares its familiar front-end styling and interior appointments.

At 200.1 ins. (5,083 mm) long, 76.1 ins. (1,933 mm) wide and 55.4 in. (1,407 mm) tall, the 8-Series GranCoupe is 9.1 ins. (231 mm) longer, 1.2 ins. (30 mm) wider and 2.4 ins. (61 mm) higher than the 8-Series Coupe in M850i xDrive guise.

The added length is achieved through the adoption of a 7.9-in. (201-mm) longer wheelbase than that of the 8-Series Coupe and Convertible, at 119.0 ins. (3,023 mm). It allows the packaging of two additional frameless doors and more substantial rear seats (below, left) in a move aimed at providing the 8-Series GranCoupe with a level of practicality on par with its luxurious 4-door coupe rivals.

By comparison, the current standard-wheelbase Porsche Panamera measures 198.8 ins. (5,050 mm) in length, 76.1 ins. (1,933 mm) in width, 56.0 ins. (1,422 mm) in height and rides on a 116.1-in. (2,949 mm) wheelbase.

The third 8-Series model has a traditional trunk at the rear. It boasts a nominal capacity of 15.5 cu.-ft. (439 L), though it can be extended when the 40/20/40-configured rear seat is folded down.

The engine choices for the 8-Series GranCoupe mirror those of its recently introduced coupe and convertible siblings.

The entry point to the new lineup is BMW’s familiar turbocharged 3.0L inline gasoline 6-cyl., which develops 335 hp and 369 lb.-ft. (500 Nm) of torque in the rear-wheel-drive 840i and all-wheel-drive 840i xDrive.

They boast respective 0-62 mph (100 km/h) times of 5.2 seconds and 4.9 seconds and a limited 155-mph (250 km/h) top speed, together with combined-cycle fuel consumption of 39.2 mpg (6.0 L/100 km) and 37.7 mpg (6.2 L/100 km) on the WLTP test procedure.

Also available from the outset in selected markets is a turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cyl. diesel, which endows the AWD 840d 4Matic with 326 hp and 501 lb.-ft. (679 Nm) of torque.

It possesses an official 0-62 mph time of 5.1 seconds and limited 155-mph top speed, with combined fuel consumption of 47.9 mpg. (4.9 L/100 km).

BMW 8-Series GranCoupe rear seats

Later this year, BMW’s M division will launch even more powerful M8 and M8 Competition variants of the new 4-door featuring a twin-turbocharged 4.4L gasoline V-8 making 592 hp and 616 hp, respectively.

All engines are mated to a standard 8-speed torque-converter-equipped automatic gearbox with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles, with the 840i and M850i xDrive both featuring a standard M Sport rear differential.

The 8-Series GranCoupe is underpinned by double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspensions. In AWD models it is combined with BMW’s so-called Integral Active rear-steer system, a function also available as an option on the rear-wheel-drive 840i.