REVIEWS 2013 BMW 6-series Gran Coupe First Drives/Reviews

It's hard for me to judge the CLS's proportions fairly as the detailing really draws away from the elegance of it. I'd say the 6 GC, due to either its more refined lines/detailing or due to its actual technical proportions has a more graceful proportional look, however I'd say that the CLS's front overhangs at least *appear* to be less ungainly and noticeably bulbous.

It's hard to tell though, until I see the GC in person. The CLS has great proportions I know, but I usually only notice that at night, when the nonsensical lines aren't distracting my eyes away from it.

The reason I ask is because the 6GC's front overhang is the exact same as that of the coupe, meaning only 40mm longer than the CLS's. If you can see this in pictures, then perhaps these reviewers are noticing the 117mm longer wheelbase of the 6 GC vs the 6 coupe in real life, as in pictures it is already quite noticeable. The greenhouse, windows, and sheetmetal of the GC is clearly stretched from the coupe, and simply adding two doors to the coupe would not give full length doors. Ignoring BMW's marketing jargon of "coupe" for a moment, we expect a long, lean, and low look from a coupe. So the 6 GC, with its longer length:height and wheelbase:height ratios, should fulfill this better than the 2-door coupe.

Interesting point and that does make sense. Perhaps the extra length does give it a sleeker and more dramatic effect than the Coupe. My only qualm toward the technical proportions is the front overhang, which is also an issue with the Coupe I think. Other than that, the proportions can be even worthy of "flawless" claims. I just want to see how this 6 GC might shift my perception of the 5-Series. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out between the two. The E and CLS I feel have had a harmonious relationship because the E's been able to go full fledge as the "Stately Cruiser" type, with the Luxury grille, the standup Star, the more masculine shape, etc, while the CLS obviously is the more "sporty" looking, more feminine in its "beauty", etc.

The 5-Series and 6 GC will have to have a different dynamic, however, as the 5er hasn't carried the same traits as the E-Class, which would make it more prone I'd think to being negatively affected by a car that's on the same wheelbase, similar looking yet sleeker and sportier. I guess we'll see. Will we hear the term "Stately" being used for the 5-Series more and more when one wants to talk its design merits, once the 6 GC comes into play? Makes me wonder.

Perhaps the dynamic comparison here may be 6 GC vs 7 Series, as the Gran Coupe is closer to the 7-Series in length than the 5-Series, and in terms of price, the GC actually starts at a price $5k more than the 7 here in the States, though there may be some differences in standard equipment. They start at roughly the same prices in Germany too.

Yes, you are correct. However, I no longer have the ability to edit the post.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-bmw-640i-gran-coupe-road-test-review

“Four doors good, two doors bad.” So say German auto manufacturers with their Mercedes-Benz CLSs, Volkswagen CCs, and now BMW 6-series Gran Coupes. All of these so-called four-door coupes come in hauter sheetmetal than their sedan and coupe analogs, and the Gran Coupe, or GC, is no exception. It might even be the best-looking BMW, period.
A chimera of the 5- and 6-series, the Gran Coupe shares the 5er’s 116.9-inch wheelbase but is all 6er from the front bumper to the bottoms of the A-pillars, and it takes its front seats from the coupe. At 197.1 inches overall, it’s four inches longer than the 5-series and only 2.7 shorter than a standard-wheelbase 7-series.

The price for long, low looks and distinct design cues, such as an LED CHMSL that spans the top of the rear glass, is likely beyond the financial reach of the proletariat. The 640i GC (650i and 650i xDrive versions are coming soon) leads off at $76,895, a whopping $23,500 more than a base 535i. True, the Gran Coupe comes with more standard equipment, but it even starts pricier than both the 740i and the Porsche Panamera. With a high option count (but by no means loaded)—including an adjustable suspension, a leather dash, and the M Sport package—our test car topped $100,000. That’s a lot of money for what at first appears to be just a 535i in a made-to-measure suit.



Besides its good looks, though, the Gran Coupe proves better to drive than the 5-series. It offers five chassis and drivetrain settings: eco pro, comfort plus, comfort, sport, and sport plus—all properly taut in compression and rebound and minus the marshmallowy highway float of the 5. If the new, softer 3-series has us wondering where BMW is headed, the Gran Coupe suggests that at least a few good Munichers still take the Ultimate Driving Machine tag line seriously. That said, the steering, as in the 5- and 6-series, is properly weighted and precise but vague in feedback, especially midcorner. Brake feel is excellent, though, and skidpad grip is sporty, at 0.89g.

The throttle is calibrated for immediate response, and the eight-speed transmission (the only available gearbox) shifts smoothly and quickly whether in automatic or DIY mode. Powered by BMW’s familiar twin- scroll, single-turbo inline-six making 315 horsepower, the 640i GC excels at midrange acceleration and pulls willingly right up to the 7250-rpm cutoff.

From a stop, this 6-series sedan is slightly slower than the latest 5-series six-cylinder. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.6 seconds versus 5.4 seconds in the 5. Fuel economy mimics the 535i’s, at 20 mpg city and 30 highway. We observed 14 mpg while constantly flooring the pedal through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. In other words, our number is no more representative of real-world driving than is an EPA rating.

Included in a short list of complaints is a faint wind noise near the driver’s left ear in an otherwise hushed cabin, likely related to the frameless windows. And though the ride is generally compliant, thin 35-profile front tires on 20-inch wheels result in pothole-impact harshness that sends shudders all the way through your bones.

While the Gran Coupe may be late to the four-door-coupe party, it does arrive with one distinguishing feature: five seatbelts. Don’t be fooled by this. The middle rear seat can only accommodate passengers possessing either a wide stance or no legs since the center console extends all the way to the base of the back seat. Middle-seat legroom is nonexistent. BMW rightly calls this “four-plus-one” seating; it’s suitable only for a trust-fund-baby’s car seat.

That dummy chair reveals the truth of the 640i GC: More so than the CLS Benz and even the five-door Audi A7, the GC feels like an actual coupe rather than a beautifully tailored sedan. The elongated 6er is more engaging to drive than a 5-series; the A7, for example, feels much like the A6. Which is to say that though all four-door coupes look sporty, some are sportier than others.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel- drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE AS TESTED: $102,145
BASE PRICE: $76,895
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 182 cu in, 2979 cc
Power: 315 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 330 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 116.9 in
Length: 197.1 in
Width: 74.6 in Height: 54.8 in
Curb weight: 4291 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.1 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 23.3 sec
Rolling Start, 5-60 mph: 6.4
Standing ¼-mile: 14.3 sec @ 97 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 155 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g
FUEL ECONOMY (mfr's est):
EPA city/highway driving: 20/30 mpg
C/D Observed: 14 mpg

TEST NOTES: There's no launch control, so the most effective acceleration method is simply to floor the gas pedal. Automatic mode works better than manual, as the delay between requesting and completing a shift frustrates the sprint.

[scans] Auto Motor und Sport - BMW 640i Gran Coupé vs. Mercedes-Benz CLS350


Scans: lesney78

Ok...so the MB wins because it's cheaper and more comfortable.......

The 6GC seats are seriously painful. I can't believe an M5 has a more comfortable seat compared to 6GC. Still the 6GC has better seats than the Panamera though.

Are you talking about the flat looking standard seats, or the premium seat option in the 6 GC?

Premium. They are hard and so un-comfortable for anyone. They are so thin that there is barely any filling between metal and leather

Really? I've been inside both (just for a short time though) and both felt cosy like a luxury sofa

Maybe you need to take off your BMW glasses seriously, M5 has a much better seats !

[scans] Quattroruote - A7 Sportback TDi vs 640d Gran Coupé & CLS350 CDi

translation please?

Well there's one for the books, CLS has a worse weight distribution than the supposably nose heavy Audi. Is the rearend of the CLS made of paper or what?

The other shocker is that the A7 despite having AWD (power sapping) is still ahead of the similarly powered 6GC after a kilometer.

Impressive acceleration numbers for engine flexibility by 640d.

I finally checked one out today.

640i, NON M-Sport, $99,xxxK. Ridiculous.

So far, no good for me. It looks a bit awkward. Really long, really low. It definitely has the presence of a Sedan with the low form factor of a Coupe.

Inside is nice, GREAT frontal headroom unlike the pathetic CLS. At 6'4 I could actually fit in it decently enough (still a little cramped, but not much worse than the headroom in my E). The CLS is so cramped it hurts my head.

I'm surprised nobody's brought this up yet, but you can see the metal from the door through the doors shutline in the interior! You can see the damn painted metal peeking through! I.e the interior door panel doesn't cover it up. This is the kind of unfinished look that you get from an old American Pickup Truck's interior door-shutline area. Very crude and unfinished look there in an otherwise beautiful interior.

Human, how were you not on the case?! How did you now notice that?!

Afterward, I went and looked at the 6-Series Coupe. IMO, MUCH nicer, much sexier, sleeker, sportier, etc. I'm really starting to think that my next car will be a 6 Coupe, or a current CL. I'm getting really bored of 4-Doors after indulging so hard in them lately, and am feeling the urge to go back to my 2-Door roots.