BMW has a knack for showing off gorgeous concept cars and then never delivering on them. Cars like the 328 Hommage Concept and M1 Hommage Concept are two particularly annoying examples of stunning cars that should have been made but never were. However, it did deliver on a few and one such car was the BMW CS Concept, which eventually became the 6 Series Gran Coupe, easily one of the most beautiful BMWs of this century. It’s one of the closest things to a BMW concept come to life as we’ve ever seen and we think it should return, this time as an electric performance sedan.
The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is easily one of the most beloved Bimmers of the modern era. Not only did it look great, it had a unique interior (rare for BMW these days) and it drove fantastically. It was this odd sweet spot in a transitioning BMW lineup that looked modern but felt old-school. It had old-school BMW steering feel but new-school design and tech, along with four doors and five seats, making it one of the most unique and exciting packages of any BMW product ever. And despite technically having a successor, in the 8 Series Gran Coupe, BMW was never able to match that magic again. Which is why BMW needs to remake it, this time as an EV.
As good looking as the 8 Series Gran Coupe was, it has been sort of a dud. Its performance is impressive and it does look good—even if it isn’t quite as pretty as the 6 Series Gran Coupe—but its interior/luxury is lacking for its price point and its steering, ride, and handling are all a bit disappointing. It’s too numb and lacks any sort of driver engagement, which would make you think it’s more of a luxury car but its cabin is a bit too boring and its ride is a bit too stiff for that. So it ends but being this ‘tweener that doesn’t really work for anyone.
So if BMW does bring it back, it needs to be as a 6 Series Gran Coupe. What would be the difference between making it a 6er or an 8er? Cost. The 6 Series Gran Coupe was a sportier, more stylish 5 Series, whereas the 8 Series Gran Coupe seems to attempt being a sportier, more stylish 7 Series and it just doesn’t work. At 5 Series+ prices, the 6er GC just works better as a package.
BMW could bring the 6 Series Gran Coupe back on the Neue Klasse platform, making it entirely electric, and give it styling once again reminiscent of the gorgeous CS Concept for 2007. At the moment, all of BMW’s EVs seem rather sensible and boring, so it would be nice to see something more stylish, more exciting come from the blue and white Roundel to give us some hope for the future. A 6 Series Gran Coupe revival could be that car.
