BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe 2019 reviews: is it better than the coupe?

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The critics have delivered their verdicts on the four-door Gran Coupe version of BMW’s resurrected 8 Series grand tourer.

Officially unveiled in June following months of rumours and leaked images, the Gran Coupe sees the German carmaker once again adding an extra set of doors and a slightly higher roofline to its two-door coupe model.

That sets the new car apart from the firm’s saloons - the 3, 5 and 7 Series - which are built from the ground up to accommodate five occupants and sport the conventional four-door design.

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With sales now open, the critics have been behind the wheel to see whether the 8 Series is just as desirable with two extra doors:

Reviews

Car magazine says that, above all, a BMW must offer “agility, nimbleness, sharp handling, a sweet engine and overall driving pleasure” for it to appeal to the company’s loyal customers. The verdict: the 8 Series Gran Coupe has all of those traits “in abundance”.

Whether travelling over a rough stretch of road, cruising along a motorway or being through its paces on a racing circuit, the “quintessential impression” left by the Gran Coupe is one of “quantifiably enhanced involvement”, the magazine continues.

Evo agrees, saying that the car’s agility makes it feel considerably smaller “than its five-meter profile suggests”. And it’s not just the chassis that shines.

The Gran Coupe’s steering gives drivers a “fairly good idea of what the front tyres are doing” - though the wheel itself is “squidgy” and “overly-thick”, the magazine adds.

Meanwhile, the longer wheelbase opens up extra head and legroom for passengers in the back, although the Gran Coupe’s rear occupants will still be “held snugly as the driver in front chucks the car around”, according to Top Gear.

However, the car is often referred to as a “four plus one” as the fifth, rear-middle seat is somewhat cramped compared to those in other cars. “Headroom is tiny, and your legs have to splay outside the standard full-length rear centre console,” the news site reports.

At £69,340, the 8 Series Gran Coupe is “expensive”, costing £12,000 more than its “nearest competitor”, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, says Auto Express.

That said, there’s no denying that BMW’s commitment to making a more “practical” 8 Series that retains the “style and dynamics of the rakish two-door” has resulted in a “talented” four-door version of the grand tourer, the magazine concludes.

“BMW expects the Gran Coupe will outsell the Coupe and Convertible combined, and to be honest we can see why,” adds Top Gear. “It’s a more natural and less contradictory car than the Coupe.”

Price and release date

Orders are open now, with prices starting from £69,340.

Design and interior

The Gran Coupe is based on the current two-door 8 Series, and the two cars are almost identical in design.

Both feature the same large kidney-style grille, sculpted bonnet and angular air vents, along with a ducktail-esque spoiler moulded into the boot lid.

However, BMW has extended the wheelbase of its flagship grand tourer by 201mm to accommodate an extra set of doors, reports Auto Express. The longer wheelbase should open up more space inside, particularly for passengers in the back.

The roofline also extends further back, which should improve headroom for backseat passengers but may impact boot space.

The cabin, meanwhile, is a mirror image of that in the coupe version, meaning drivers get a 12.3in digital instrument panel and a 10.25in touchscreen infotainment display.

The only noticeable difference is that the centre console now stretches all the way back to the rear seats. There’s also a touchscreen panel that allows passengers in the rear to adjust the climate control system.

Engines and performance

As the Gran Coupe is based on the regular 8 Series, it comes as little surprise that the new model’s powertrains are identical to those found in the two-door car.

Autocar says entry-level 840d models will be available with a 3.0-litre diesel engine producing 316bhp and 501lb ft. There’s also a petrol version of the engine badged 840i, delivering 335bhp and 369lb ft.

Above them sits the current top-spec M850i model, which is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that delivers 532bhp and comes equipped with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the magazine adds.

A performance-focused M8 Gran Coupe is due to launch next year and is expected to feature the same 616bhp twin-turbo V8 engine as the current two-door M8 Competition.