It's always an incredible coincidence (cough) when a new car's design is revealed in the days before its full launch. And, what would you know, some pictures of the new BMW 8 Gran Coupe have popped up on the internet prior to its expected launch this week.
The Gran Coupe takes the new 8 (a car we quite like) and throws two more doors into the equation. Those who shudder at the mere thought of a 'four-door coupe' will hate it, while the rest of us will watch on curiously.
As more buyers search for cars that tick as many boxes as possible, the luxury four-door coupe space continues to grow. Buyers like them for their suave design, badge power, luxury, and performance aspects.
This 8 Gran Coupe will come up against the likes of the four-door Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche Panamera Turbo — most likely doing so with a lower price attached.
The looks themselves aren't too unfamiliar. Take the proportions of the 6 Series Gran Coupe (a design that's ageing surprisingly gracefully) and superimpose the front and rear ends of the reasonably handsome 8, and you arrive at these leaked images.
Although the 6er is a reasonably commodious thing already, dignitaries and Remuera property home owners should expect the 8 to have even more rear leg-room on hand. The curious thing to see, as always, will be how well BMW's sloping roof-line design accommodates headroom for rear-mounted passengers.
In regards to that cabin, the dash in the front is almost a complete swap-and-drop of the dash we know and love from the standard BMW 8 coupe. Among the few design differences that others have noted are that the window switches are metal instead of plastic.
The eagle-eyed who peep the gallery of images below will note the presence of a fifth seat-belt in the rear. It's true that the bigger 8 can fit five people, but — with a huge centre console precisely where one's legs would go — don't expect said fifth passenger to want to sit there for too long.
The aforementioned centre console has a couple of air vents, plus a pair of charging points, and controls for air and seat heating/cooling adjustment.
Apart from these images, nothing else has been confirmed. However, it's probably safe to say that the engine packages of the coupe and this new Gran Coupe will probably overlap.
So, expect the Gran Coupe to — at the very least — come with the option of either the 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel (making 234kW/502Nm) from the 840d or the 4.4-litre V8 (390kW/750Nm) from the M850i. There's also an M8 version supposedly coming down the pipeline. New Zealand only gets the current 8 in petrol V8 form, for reference.
