2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe Starts at $76,895; It’s the Most-Expensive Six-Cylinder BMW

BMW has announced that the entry-level iteration of the 2013 6-series Gran Coupe, the six-cylinder 640i, will start at $76,895. That means the Gran Coupe's extra style relative to the 535i sedan—with which the 640i shares its turbocharged inline-six and a lot of DNA and componentry—will cost buyers an additional $23,000. That princely sum buys you an extra 15 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque (for totals of 315 and 330), plus more standard equipment than the 535i. Of course, BMW didn't pull the Gran Coupe's price out of thin air; stickers for the two-door 640i coupe begin at $74,495, so the two additional doors are a bargain at $1200 each. Still, the Gran Coupe starts $5000 higher than the larger 740i sedan powered by the same 315-hp six. The Bavarian beauty's sticker shock isn't limited to comparisons with other BMWs. Mercedes-Benz's swoopy CLS, now in its second generation (after having created the "four-door coupe" segment) costs $4720 less. And that's for the "base" CLS550 with a 402-hp, 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-8. BMW's equivalent 650i Gran Coupe also packs a twin-turbocharged V-8, but doesn't go on sale until later this year and doesn't yet have a price—given that the two-door 650i coupe starts at $83,895, we're betting on a base near $86K. The V-8 car's optional all-wheel drive will, of course, send the total even higher. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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