The 4 Series Gran Coupe (F36) has now taken its development to the Nurburgring for some high speed performance testing. It's the first we've seen of the prototype on the Ring, as well as being fitted with M Sport Brakes.
As always, don't worry about the headlights and tail lights of the prototypes at this stage of testing. They are merely fakes for testing purposes. Expect the 4GC to share the lights with the rest of the upcoming 4 Series lineup.
Codenamed as the F36, the 4 Series Gran Coupe will be positioned and priced in the 3/4 Series lineup just as the 6 Series Gran Coupe is positioned in the 5/6 Series lineup (in between the coupe and convertible models). [See our
recent article previewing the future 4 Series / M4 lineup].
Like the 6 Series Gran Coupe, the 4 Series Gran Coupe combines the convenience of 4 doors (and larger rear passenger cabin) with the sleek roofline and silhouette of a coupe. It will share the upcoming 4 Series Coupe (F32)'s overall styling, just as the 6 Series Gran Coupe shares with its coupe counterpart. The 4 Series coupe recently revealed its kidney grille design (
photos), which we will also see on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. It will also share the same engine offerings as the 4 Series coupe and convertible.
With the 4 Series Gran Coupe as an addition, here is a summary of the upcoming 3 Series / 4 Series lineup:
- F30 3 Series Sedan
- F31 3 Series Touring
- F32 4 Series Coupe
- F33 4 Series Convertible
- F34 3 Series (GT) Gran Touring
- F35 3 Series Long Wheelbase (China only)
- F36 4 Series Gran Coupe
Just as the 6 Series Gran Coupe has spawned the
M6 Gran Coupe, so it would come as no shock to see an eventual M4 Gran Coupe as well.
Expect the 4 Series Gran Coupe to hit the market sometime in 2014 to compete with the Audi A5 Sportback.
UPDATED WITH FIRST EVER VIDEO - 10/12/12
* Click on images for high resolution *
And in case you missed it, the previous sighting featured the F36 4 Series Gran Coupe (4GC) next to the F30 3 series sedan and the F34 3 Series GT (gran touring) for a good comparison look.
What was confirmed by those photos was the expected difference in roofline heights and shapes between the different models, which mirror the differences between the 6 series gran coupe, 5 series sedan and 5 series GT. The 4GC features the lowest and sleekest roofline, followed by the slightly taller F30 sedan, and then the GT. The 4GC will also add some centimeters in its overall length compared to the F30 sedan.