BMW Officially Announces the 6-Series GT
BMW is presenting an extensively updated successor to one of the most creative vehicle concepts of recent years. The new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo blends the long-distance comfort of a luxury sedan with alluring coupe style.
The impressive functionality offered by this body format and the high standards of driving comfort and spaciousness that provide the ideal setting for a relaxing journey are among the features that defined the character of the new car’s predecessor – the founder of this vehicle genre. These strengths have now been further honed in the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, whose systematic evolution from the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is particularly evident in the new model’s sporting elegance, highly advanced equipment features, innovative control and assistance systems, and a leap forward in dynamism and efficiency.
The new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo will make its public debut at Frankfurt’s International Motor Show (IAA) in September 2017. The market launch will then get underway in November 2017, when there will initially be a choice of three engines from the BMW Group’s latest generation of power units. The BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system will also be available for two model variants from launch.
Lighter, sportier, more comfortable and more efficient.
A combination of intelligent lightweight engineering and increased use of aluminium and high-strength steel grades for body and chassis components has shaved an average of around 150 kilograms off the weight of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo compared to the outgoing model. Together with the considerable improvement in the car’s aerodynamic properties, the increase in power and the superior efficiency of the new engines, this endows the car with sportier performance at the same time as optimising fuel economy. Depending on the engine variant, the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is completed up to 0.7 seconds quicker (BMW 630i Gran Turismo) than in the equivalent predecessor model, while fuel consumption and emissions figures in the NEDC test cycle are as much as 15 per cent lower (BMW 640i Gran Turismo, BMW 630d Gran Turismo).
Handling dynamics and driving comfort in the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo both reap the benefits of the extensive improvements made to chassis technology. Self-levelling air suspension comes as standard at the rear axle, while ride comfort especially can be further enhanced by opting for the Adaptive suspension (featuring front and rear air suspension plus Dynamic Damper Control). The Executive Drive option, which is offered in combination with the Integral Active Steering system and also includes active roll stabilisation, gives the vehicle a sportier edge. The two-axle air suspension allows the vehicle’s ride height to be adjusted manually, meaning that ground clearance can be increased by 20 millimetres at the touch of a button to negotiate dirt tracks or steep ramps, for example. The vehicle can also be lowered by 10 millimetres – either manually by again pushing a button, or automatically when SPORT mode is engaged via the Driving Experience Control switch or the car’s speed exceeds 120 km/h (75 mph). All optional suspension systems are now available in conjunction with BMW xDrive.
Design: dynamic proportions and elegant, flowing lines.
An exterior length of 5,091 millimetres (an increase of 87 millimetres on its predecessor), an unchanged width of 1,902 millimetres and a reduction in height of 21 millimetres (to 1,538 millimetres) give the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo dynamically stretched proportions. The front end has a distinctive, powerful appearance, with the lenses of the standard LED headlights extending all the way to the large BMW kidney grille. BMW’s signature sporting elegance comes to the fore particularly prominently when the car is viewed in profile, thanks to familiar features such as the long bonnet, set-back positioning of the cabin, a wheelbase of 3,070 millimetres, doors with frameless windows, and an elongated window outline stretching deep into the rear end. The roofline sweeps down, coupe-style, to merge into a tail section that is now 64 millimetres lower in height. Rear lights with three-dimensional styling add an eye-catching touch.
Model variants from launch:
BMW 630i Gran Turismo:
Four-cylinder petrol engine, eight-speed Steptronic transmission.
Capacity: 1,998cc, output: 258 hp at 5,000 – 6,500 rpm,
max. torque: 400 Nm at 1,550 – 4,400 rpm.
Acceleration [0 – 100 km/h]: 6.3 seconds
BMW 640i Gran Turismo / BMW 640i xDrive Gran Turismo:
Six-cylinder in-line petrol engine, eight-speed Steptronic transmission.
Capacity: 2,998cc, output: 340 hp at 5,500 – 6,500 rpm,
max. torque: 450 Nm at 1,380 – 5,200 rpm.
Acceleration [0 – 100 km/h]: 5.4 seconds
BMW 630d Gran Turismo / BMW 630d xDrive Gran Turismo:
Six-cylinder in-line diesel engine, eight-speed Steptronic transmission.
Capacity: 2,993cc, output: 265 hp at 4,000 rpm, max. torque: 620 Nm at 2,000 – 2,500 rpm.
Acceleration [0 – 100 km/h] 6.1 seconds
About the Author
Subhash Nair Written work on dsf.my. @subhashtag on instagram. Autophiles Malaysia on Youtube.
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