2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe First Test

With the proliferation of the luxury four-door sport "coupe" -- e.g., the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and Porsche Panamera -- it was only a matter of time before BMW entered this hip, upscale segment. And for good reason: Through May 2012, the Audi, Benz, and Porsche combined for calendar-year sales of 10,230, or nearly the number of IS coupes and sedans Lexus sold over the same period. 

BMW, no doubt, will experience little problem moving as many Gran Coupes as it can build. Why? Well, just look at it. Based off the 6 Series coupe, the 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe we had in for testing is a handsome machine. It's differentiated from its two-door counterpart by chrome "blades" in the front fascia; a roof-mounted third brake light that stretches the width of the rear window (versus a smaller truck-mounted unit); "Gran Coupe" badges housed behind the rear side windows; and, of course, two additional apertures. Aside from the doors, the other differentiators are minor, and only the keenest BMW aficionados will detect them. 

In fact, until you notice the rear doors, the Gran Coupe looks like any other two-door 6 Series, which is to say a sleek, menacing coupe.   But with the wheelbase and overall length stretched 4.5 and 4.4 inches, respectively, the Gran Coupe manages to look sleeker and even more menacing than its two-door sibling, despite a roof that stands 0.9 inch taller. 

That taller roof, along with the extended length, gives the Gran Coupe the dimensional increases required to accommodate four adults, five in a pinch: 0.6 inch of extra front headroom, 1.3 inches of additional rear headroom, 4.9 inches of added rear shoulder room, and 4.8 inches of extra rear legroom.
      
Our 640i tester came with BMW's ubiquitous N55 turbocharged inline-six, albeit the high-output "HO" version, which boasts 315 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 330 lb-ft of torque at 1400 (compared with the non-HO version in the 535i, which doles out 300 hp at 5800 and 300 lb-ft at 1200). Weighing in at 4281 pounds, or 274 pounds porkier than the last 535i we tested, the 640i GC needed 5.4 seconds to hit 60 and 14.1 seconds at 96.5 mph to eclipse the quarter mile. The 535i, in comparison, needed 5.5 and 14.0 at 99.3, respectively. So, more or less a wash. 

As for the competition, the Audi A7 (4.7, 13.3 at 103.5) and Mercedes-Benz CLS550 (4.3, 12.8 at 110.6) are both quicker, while the Porsche Panamera V-6 (5.5, 14.1 at 99.8) is roughly the same.   From dragstrip to curvy road is where the GC separates itself from the 535i. Whereas the 535i is prone to frustrating understeer at the limit, the 640i GC is more neutral, delivering 0.93 g of maximum lateral acceleration compared to the 535i's 0.89 g. In light of the Audi (0.96), Benz (0.92), and Porsche (0.99), the BMW doesn't shine quite as bright, but nevertheless it's a fine-handling four-door. 

The steering is light and direct, albeit a bit numb, and the adjustable suspension can be tailored for highway comfort or canyon-road firmness. But while it's an easy and impressive car to hustle through the curves, the GC falters a bit in terms of driver engagement. 

In other words, the style and luxury outweigh the sport. It's so good at trying to be the ultimate four-door coupe that it misses the bull's-eye for being the ultimate driving machine. Perhaps the M version, which BMW would neither confirm nor deny, will satisfy the BMW diehards who place driver engagement first and foremost.
     
 The 640i Gran Coupe starts at $76,895, which is considerably more than the A7 ($60,125) and about the same as the CLS ($72,175) and Panamera V-6 ($76,825). Problem for the GC, though, is that the A7 and CLS are quicker, and the Panamera is more engaging and dynamically capable. Moreover, our well-equipped tester exited the checkout line at $99,645. Ouch. 

The last CLS550 we tested -- with a 402-hp twin-turbo V-8, mind you -- totaled just over 80 large. Value, it appears, is not the Gran Coupe's strong suit. Want a GC with a V-8? This fall BMW will offer a 445-hp 650i Gran Coupe, but it will cost you back some $87,395 to start. Without a doubt, the Gran Coupe is a striking, sexy "coupe." But I, unlike the competition, just wish it cost less.