2013 BMW M6 Gran Coupe: 412kW four-door ‘coupe’ unveiled

The BMW M6 Gran Coupe becomes the third model in the flagship M6 performance family, joining the Coupe and Convertible variants that launched in Australia in November.

The BMW M6 Gran Coupe is destined to arrive in Australia around the third quarter of 2013, with local pricing tipped to start around $300,000 – slotting between the $292,500 M6 Coupe and $308,500 M6 Convertible – some $70,000 more than the BMW M5 sedan on which it’s based.

The M6 Gran Coupe shares its mechanical package with the Coupe, Convertible and M5, with a 412kW/680Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 sending power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The result is a 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds – matching the M6 Coupe, and bettering the M5 and M6 Convertible by one-tenth – and a top speed of 305km/h.

The new model also features an Active M Differential for optimised traction and an M-specific version of BMW’s Dynamic Damper Control system, while high-performance carbonfibre compound ceramic brakes are available as an option to the standard six-piston fixed-caliper 400mm front and single-piston floating-caliper 396mm rear set-up.

The M6 Gran Coupe’s wheelbase is 113mm longer than the M6 Coupe’s to accommodate the rear doors, and it’s also the only M6 model with a fifth seat in the back. The Gran Coupe’s 460-litre boot is on par with the Coupe’s, but unlike the two-door its rear seats can be folded forward to offer 1265 litres of load space.

The design of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe otherwise largely mirrors its two-door siblings, sporting broad air intakes, adaptive LED headlights, chrome-slatted kidney grille, flared wheel arches, 20-inch light-alloy wheels, quad exhaust outlets and a lightweight carbonfibre-reinforced plastic roof.

The cabin is finished with leather upholstery and an alcantara roof liner, and features dual-zone climate control, BMW Professional navigation system, M-specific head-up display, rear-view camera with surround view, lane change and lane departure warning, high-beam assist, and night vision with pedestrian recognition.

Australian prices and specifications will be confirmed closer to the local launch of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe early next year.