F06 640d Gran Coupé Is The Ultimate GT? (Part 3)
Mark Williams takes a 640d
Gran Coupé for a spin to
see if it might turn out to be his ultimate Grand Tourer.
It looks elegant yet
imposing and goes down the road with a relaxed gait.
So, with a roundabout fast
approaching at the end of a particular stretch of dual-carriageway, I thumb the
drive control switch into Sport, and click the gear lever to the left on
approach, giving me control over the gears and engine braking. I then start to
squeeze the left pedal and click twice down to sixth. Hearing the faint
V8-esque rumble from up front and with the brakes nicely loaded up, I squeeze a
little more. Fine for road work, the big discs bite back and wash off speed
with disdain. I then click down to fourth and as the roundabout opens up in the
windscreen, I shift down into third before entering the fray.
There’s a choice of
three turbo engines, all with an eight-speed auto and stop-start as standard,
and 640d is set to make up at least 80 per cent of UK sales.
Moseying
round in third, I signal for the exit, then give the throttle a good prod as
the A40 once again opens up to reveal a gentle descent into the middle distance. The Gran Coupé feels like it
could do this all day, as I grab fourth, then fifth, the speedo inexorably
advancing northwards, that rumble from up front once again in evidence, and the
annoying Audi A4 which was filling my mirrors is now noticeably falling back. I
slide the lever back into 'D' as the speedo settles at 80mph and then realize
I'm surrounded by nothing. The accompanying traffic has been cast aside and
I've effortlessly sprinted ahead into open space.
The Gran Coupe weighs
around 70kg more than the equivalent two-door, but is still great to drive.
Arriving in Swansea, there are
appreciative comments and plaudits from family and friends who admire the
design and the interior. It's a flying visit though and I'm soon heading off
again, straight down the M4 this time then up the M5 before completing the loop
and heading on to the A40 via Birdlip and back home. Darkness is coming and the
interior is soon bathed in a soft ambient light, set off brilliantly by the
dashboard switching to a similar relaxing hue.
The A40 under darkness can
unpredictable, with vehicles suddenly appearing out of hidden dips. I'm relaxed
behind the Gran Coupé's wheel however and am content to glide along in serenity.
Darkness is coming and the interior is soon bathed in a
soft ambient light, set off brilliantly by the dashboard switching to a similar
relaxing hue.
All told, I covered 740 miles in
the Gran Coupé at an average of 39.2mpg. There was no back ache and
despite the time spent behind the wheel, there was no tiredness either. The
only faults I could identify, other than the already mentioned seat belt arrangement,
are the awful reflections in the windscreen due to the leather-covered dash and
the strange panel gaps visible around the point where the front bumper panel
meets the bonnet (a common affliction with many BMWs these days). Design items
not identifiable as faults as such include the updated sat-nav, which seems
reluctant to show true topographical 3D as easily as it once did (although
maybe I was just doing it wrong) and the aluminium interior trim, which looks
too cheap given the price. Considering the general quality of the experience
however, that's a bit like an art collector moaning at not having anywhere to
hang their latest Picasso.
If you're lucky enough to have
one of these, then please look after it because at some point over the next year
or so, once depreciation has done its thing, I'll be knocking on your door
looking for a used buy.
