BMW 2 series Gran Coupe spotted ahead of global unveil   

Prior to the official unveil in November at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, a few BMW 2 Series Gran Coupes were spotted in what the brand calls ‘eye-catching camouflage.’ In BMW parlance, ‘Gran Coupe’ refers to a four-door version of an otherwise two-seater coupe, and continues the success story of the BMW Gran Coupes which began in 2012 with the 6 Series Gran Coupe. The all-new 2020 2 Series Gran Coupe is in the final phase of testing ahead of its world debut.

The brand says that the 2 Series Gran Coupe will be a front-wheel-drive car, a departure from traditional BMW architecture, and will share an array of technological developments with the recently-unveiled BMW 1 Series.

One feature of the new car's technical armoury is the ARB (near-actuator wheel slip limitation) technology featured in the BMW i3s, which uses a slip controller positioned directly in the engine control unit rather than in the control unit for the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system. Eliminating long signal paths means that information is relayed three times quicker, while the driver perceives wheel slip being brought under control up to ten times faster.

The base 228i has a turbocharged 2-litre engine making 231bhp and 349Nm, whereas the range-topping M235i variant will get the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the BMW Group line-up, producing 302bhp, along with the newly developed mechanical Torsen limited-slip differential, which gives the car an even sportier edge by creating a locking effect between the front wheels. Also on offer will be the 220d xDrive (which means it will be all-wheel drive) variant fitted with a 2.0-litre unit pushing out 188bhp and 400Nm.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will be launched worldwide in the first half of 2020, and will go up against the Audi A3 and Mercedes Benz A-Class sedan.