The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe is a gorgeous car. In a world filled with coupe SUVs (a trend that BMW started) and awkward niches, it is refreshing to see a genuinely good looking sedan. The 8 Series Gran Coupe is a niche in itself actually — slotting between a two-door mile munching GT car and a luxury sedan. It is powered by a punchy 3-litre inline six-cylinder and comes loaded with the latest technology, and a lot of leather.
The Gran Coupe is a stunner. There are few cars around that can ferry four people around in as much style as the 8 Series can, even fewer at this price point. The slim LED headlights at the front coupled with the wide kidney grille and large air intakes give the Gran Coupe an aggressive front end. The butch shoulders, wraparound LED tail lights and the diffuser make the rear of the Gran Coupe stand out, especially in M Sport guise. The side profile is sleek with the roofline flowing into the bootlid neatly. The xx-inch rims fill up the flared wheel arches nicely too and the vent placed behind the front tyres is a nice touch. In terms of dimensions, the Gran Coupe is slightly taller than the standard Coupe, 61mm to be precise, opening up headroom for the passengers in the back. It is also wider by 30mm and 231mm longer in total, 201mm of which comes from the longer wheelbase.
On the inside the 8 Series Gran Coupe is a nice place to be. The layout is neat, differing slightly from the rest of the BMW range. Which is a good thing, makes it more special. It looks very luxurious too — the leather carries over to the top half of the dashboard and door shoulders and the optional glass treatment for the gear lever, iDrive controller and start/stop button looks cool. The rear passengers get more head room and shoulder room thanks to the increased dimensions. There is quite a large tunnel placed between the two rear seats which houses the controls for the air conditioning, meaning the rear can fit two people only. In comfort at least. The Gran Coupe is the only car in the 8 Series range to get an option of a panoramic roof which will certainly lend the cabin a roomy and airy feel. I mean, there is a convertible that will one-up this but it isn't launching in India at the moment. Technology wise, there is a digital instrument cluster with customisable displays and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system which supports Apple CarPlay and also gets gesture control.
The top spec M Sport edition model adds a bunch of features to the Gran Coupe. It gets BMW's laser lights, exclusive paint options and a more aggressive aerodynamic package. There are also 19-inch light alloy wheels, chrome exhaust tips and M lettering littered around the car. On the inside, the M Sport variant gets a sportier steering wheel and more extensive options for the leather.
In India we get the 8 Series Gran Coupe with a 3-litre inline six-cylinder engine which produces 335bhp and 500Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. 100kmph comes up in 5.2 seconds from a standstill and the Gran Coupe is limited to a top speed of 250kmph. The M Sport differential and adaptive suspension should keep you engaged behind the wheel of the Gran Coupe.
The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe comes in two variants. The 840i Gran Coupe will set you back Rs 1.29 crore, while the M Sport edition costs Rs 1.55 crore. Thanks to a long list of options, you could be increasing that price tag considerably. The 8 Series Gran Coupe sits in a fairly unique space in the market — the Porsche Panamera is a more sporty alternative while something like the Mercedes-Benz CLS is more luxurious. However, the 8 Series Gran Coupe is considerably more affordable than the Panamera GTS which starts at Rs 1.89 crore. The CLS is the more affordable car of the three, priced at Rs 86.4 lakh. So, the 8 Series Gran Coupe sits somewhere between the two in terms of pricing as well. We can't wait to get behind the wheel!