A FETCHING CATCH BMW 8 SERIES GRAN COUPÉ
With BMW having launched the two-door variants of its 8 Series derivatives in both coupé and convertible, it has now also included its more practical four-door coupé, the Gran Coupé. Lerato Matebese drove the latter at its international media launch in Portugal to see whether it successfully combines the coupé’s styling with the practicality of two additional doors.
/ BMW’s Gran Coupè suffix alludes to its four-door coupé design that dates back to the 6 Series Gran Coupè, which was based on the then 5 Series’ underpinnings but skinned in the sleeker lines of the 6 Series Coupè. It is a practical solution to a market that finds a two-door coupé impractical, but a conventional sedan staid. Since then, the Gran Coupè plate has adorned the 4 Series Gran Coupè and, most recently, the 2 Series Gran Coupè.
Innovative Style
The front-end of the 8 Series Gran Coupè takes on the visage of its coupé sibling, but has a slightly taller windscreen and roof, which equates to a roomier cabin for both front and rear passengers. In an effort to keep the weight of the Gran Coupè down – thereby ensuring that, for the most part, it steers as well as the coupé variant – the bonnet is made from aluminium, while the boot lid is moulded from composite plastic. You can even specify a carbon-fibre roof, should you so wish. As a result, the Gran Coupè weighs only 70 kg more than the coupé.
The cabin, meanwhile, features a 2+2 seating configuration with the rear offering surprisingly good legroom – allowing even the lankiest of individuals to lounge in relative comfort. The rest of the cabin appointments are identical to that of the coupé, including the 10” touchscreen infotainment screen and 12.3” digital instrument cluster. You also get the voiceactivated command system for various vehicle functions.
Choose Your Flavour
There are three engine derivatives available from launch: the 3.0-litre turbo inline-six with 250 kW and 500 Nm (840i); a 3.0-litre turbo diesel with 235 kW and 680 Nm (840d); and a 4.4-litre twin
turbo V8 petrol with 390 kW and 750 Nm (M850i). For those with an even higher penchant for performance, the M8 Gran Coupè will be offered at a later stage. All models come standard with an eightspeed automatic gearbox and, save for the 840i, xDrive all-wheel-drive traction. There’s also rear-wheel steer on offer to make the vehicle more agile.
On the Road
At launch, only the 840i was available for us to sample and, while it offered enough get up and go and a glorious straight-six howl, I’m of the view that the turbodiesel 840d would be better suited for this application. That said, the Gran Coupè feels surefooted when hurled into corners in Sport+ mode, and decidedly comfortable when pottering about town in its softest Comfort setting. There weren’t any tangible dynamic drawbacks compared to the coupé’s sporty disposition, and I reckon this is the 8 Series to buy if you are looking for something practical with a sporty temperament.
How Does It Stack Up?
The 8 Series Gran Coupè plays in a very elite segment, occupied by the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz GT 4 Door and the Maserati Quattroporte. These all pander to the niche buyer who appreciates style without sacrificing on performance and practicality. Having driven all but the Mercedes-Benz, the 8 Series feels right up there with the best of them – it looks the part, is well appointed, and has a drive polish to back it up.
Final Say
In a segment that is decidedly niche, there’s a premium price to pay when it comes to that and, with a starting price of just over R1,3 million for the 840i and rising to R1,8 million odd for the M850i, it will remain a relatively rare sight on the roads – much like the 6 Series Gran Coupè that went before it. Exclusivity, then, seems to be one of the four-door coupé genre’s biggest selling points and for those shopping in this luxury pond, the 8 Series Gran Coupé makes for a fetching catch.