BMW 640i Gran Coupe

The BMW 640i Gran Coupe is technically a new car, although it could be more accurately described as a new combination of parts from existing cars. As you can see, it has a voluptuous new exterior but is comprised of components from the BMW 5-series, 6-series, and 7-series.

The Gran Coupe shares its wheelbase with the 5-series but is as wide as a 6-series coupe. It's longer than both and just 2.6 inches shy of a 7-series. The Gran Coupe makes the 5 look nerdy, the 6 coupe look busy, and the 7 look bloated. Like the Z4, this is a Bimmer you'll need to see in traffic to fully appreciate.

The Gran Coupe is what the 5-series would be if BMW were more concerned with sex appeal than practicality. It seats four adults comfortably -- a fifth is only theoretically possible, straddling the wide rear center console with legs splayed. Despite the car's extra length, its trunk is no bigger than a 6-series coupe's. The long front overhang, unusual for a BMW, is vulnerable to scraping, and the low seating position makes it difficult to see over the unusually high beltline.

Sounds like it makes no sense, right? Indeed, the 640i Gran Coupe makes no rational sense whatsoever. But this isn't a rational segment. Like the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Audi A7, BMW's four-door coupe also has a premium price. It starts at a hefty $76,895 -- $2400 more than a 640i coupe and some twelve grand over a comparable 535i. Start adding options and things get outrageously expensive very quickly. Our almost fully loaded test car soared past $100,000. Then again, you can't get a 535i with twenty-inch wheels, full LED headlights, a Bang & Olufsen stereo, or the Gran Coupe's stunning, leather-lined and contrast-stitched interior.

BMW 640i Gran Coupe

BMW 640i Gran Coupe

The base Gran Coupe comes with the high-output version of BMW's N55 single-turbo six-cylinder. It produces 315 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque and is paired with the ZF eight-speed sport-automatic, which has a first gear short enough to easily smoke the 275-section rear tires and a cruising gear tall enough to achieve 30 mpg on the highway (or so BMW estimates). In manual mode, the transmission's shifts are quick and positive, rivaling the best dual-clutch automatics, and its torque converter makes off-the-line getaways smoother than any of them. A standard auto stop/start system helps the 640i return an expected 20 mpg in the city and is relatively unobtrusive.
The steering is more heavily weighted than that of the 5-series, but the electric assist absorbs most of the steering feel. Optional Integral Active Steering kills whatever feel is left in exchange for quicker turn-in, a smaller turning circle, and a superfast ratio at parking-lot speeds. Our test car's low, wide proportions; adaptive dampers; rear steering; and active antiroll bars -- not to mention the enormous rubber -- helped it tackle back roads at sports-car speeds with astonishing ease. Otherwise, the driving experience is highly reminiscent of a 535i, a 640i coupe, or a 740i. That means class-leading powertrain refinement and a suspension that does a superb job -- on smooth roads. Like those other BMWs, the Gran Coupe transmits small pavement irregularities with sharp jolts, but then all hell breaks loose when you encounter bigger bumps, which can result in an impact so harsh you'll think something in the suspension broke. In addition to the hard-as-steel bump stops, the M Sport package's available twenty-inch wheels deserve some of the blame. They look great, but they're clearly too heavy for the suspension to manage.
Other demerits for the Gran Coupe are few: it uses the 640i coupe's hard-to-reach, seat-mounted seatbelts. The large glass sunroof tilts but doesn't slide. The rear window is a mail slot, but thankfully a reverse camera is standard fare.
BMW has already announced the 650i Gran Coupe, which will be powered by a Valvetronic-equipped 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8. That 445-hp brute will send 480 lb-ft of torque either to the rear or to all four wheels. The all-wheel-drive version is the quicker of the two, getting to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. The 650i, though, strikes us as overkill. The 640i feels far faster than its factory-measured 5.4-second 0-to-60-mph time would suggest, and its straight-six engine sounds both aggressive and refined. If you need even more speed, you might want to wait for the as-yet-unconfirmed M version. We suspect that an M6 Gran Coupe would be a better all-around performer than either the M5 or the M6 coupe/convertible. In fact, with hydraulic power steering and better overall suspension tuning, the M6 Gran Coupe could just be the best of the current crop of M cars -- and a great example of how to make a new, even better car out of some already great automobiles.
On sale Now
Price $76,895
Engine 3.0L turbo I-6, 315 hp, 330 lb-ft
Drive Rear-wheel
Because Mercedes-Benz has the CLS and Audi has the A7.