BMW has revealed the new 6-series Gran Turismo ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show this September. Compared to its predecessor – the 5-series GT – the new GT is larger, lighter and more spacious than before.
Set to be produced at BMW’s Dingolfing plant in Germany, the new 6-series Gran Turismo heavily borrows elements from the latest 5 and 7-series. It is built on BMW’s latest CLAR (Cluster Architecture platform), which helps to endow it with weight savings of up to 150kg over equivalent 5-series GT derivatives through the use of a greater degree of aluminium and hot-formed, high-strength steel within its body structure.
While the standard suspension has rear air springs and automatic self-levelling, as with the 5-series and 7-series, buyers can specify a more advanced air suspension featuring air springs at the front and rear, together with variable damping control and active roll control. The 6-series Gran Turismo also offers a combination of optional four-wheel drive and active rear steering on variants at the top of the model range.
Like the 5-series GT, the new Gran Turismo has a 3,070mm wheelbase, but is 21mm lower and 87mm longer. The new model keeps its predecessor’s frameless doors and its large, liftback tailgate but the boot is 110 litres bigger than the 5 GT’s, at 610 litres with the 40:20:40 split rear seat up or 1,800 litres with it completely folded down.
Under the hood, the 6-series GT is offered with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, all paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
The petrol line-up includes an entry-level 630i powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit good for 262hp and 400Nm of torque. Further up the range sits a more potent 640i powered by a 345hp, 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. The 640i additionally gets the option of BMW’s xDrive four-wheel-drive system.
On the diesel front, the GT is only available as the 630d. Powering the diesel car is BMW’s 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine developing 270hp and 700Nm of torque. An entry-level 620d is also on the cards but not before 2018. BMW has also hinted at a performance-oriented M650 xDrive GT being on the cards.
The adoption of the 6-series name for a replacement of the 5 GT is in line with the German carmaker’s efforts to place greater emphasis on luxury at the upper end of its line-up. Our sister publication Autocar UK understands that the existing 6-series coupé, cabriolet and Gran Coupé will be phased out within the next two years in a move that will leave the new 6-series Gran Turismo as the sole 6-series model. Today’s 6-series coupé and cabriolet will be indirectly replaced by the upcoming 8-series coupé and cabriolet due in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The new 6-series is set to go on sale internationally towards the end of the year and while the automaker is yet to announce its plans for India, the new 6 could be headed to our shores sometime next year.
New BMW 6-series GT image gallery