BMW's rapidly proliferating lineup is showing no signs of slowing down, if these patent images of the 4-series Gran Coupe are anything to go by. The photos appeared on the Chinese site autohome.com.cn (head to the site to see the rest), and if legit, confirm what we've suspected for some time: that BMW will give its 4-series coupe (previously known as the 3-series coupe) a four-door option. This four-door option will sit apart from the 3-series sedan and feature a coupe-like roofline and design features, just like the larger 6-series Gran Coupe, which co-exists with the architecturally similar 5-series sedan.
To that end, the 4-series Gran Coupe blurs the line between the 3-series sedan and 4-series coupe. (The 6er GC mixes 5-series and 6-series components together to form a four-door with the 6-series's front and rear ends, which are saucier than the workaday 5-series sedan's gear.) In the case of the 4-series, it wears 4-series coupe front and rear-end treatments, but with a four-door body like that of a 3-series sedan—only with a lower roof. For better or worse, the 4-series GC in these photos gets the same tacky fender vent as the two-door and the 3-series GT; the vent seems randomly placed and doesn't line up with any nearby body lines or creases. Overall, though, the 4-series GC appears to have inherited its 6er big brother's gorgeous looks; we suspect that BMW will offer the smaller GC with the same turbocharged four- and inline-six-cylinder engines as the 4-series coupe, as well as the option for xDrive all-wheel drive.
- Comparison Test: 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe vs. 2013 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro
- Instrumented Test: 2013 BMW 320i
- First Drive: 2014 BMW 435i
With the 4-series Gran Coupe apparently on its way, the 3- and 4-series lineup—which used to be one in the same—is getting big. The current-generation F30 3-series sedan has quickly been joined by the wagon, the 3-series GT, the 4-series coupe, and the 4-series convertible. This expansion is mirrored by the rest of BMW's lineup, which has been gaining ever more niche-like products such as the aforementioned 6-series Gran Coupe, 5-series GT, X1 small crossover, and upcoming X4 compact crossover coupe. Although some of these products invite head scratching—we're looking at you, 5- and 3-series GTs—others, like the X1 and X4, are sure to find some success. This 4-series GC should fall into the latter category, if only because it's far more attractive than it is redundant. Look for it to appear at the 2014 Geneva auto show.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com
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