The engineers at BMW headquarters, witnessing the releases of other “four-door coupes” like the Mercedes-Benz CLS550 and (more recently) Audi A7, must’ve felt the pressure to produce their own coupe+sedan. By the way: Aren’t coupes strictly outfitted with two doors, sedans with four? Apparently not, but digressing.

The 2013 BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe is an offshoot of the 6-Series actual coupe, but shares many of its underpinnings and design cues with the 5-Series and 7-Series sedans: Consider the Gran Coupe an intermediary to the Five and Seven, if you will. The Gran Coupe is offered up in 640i–sporting a 315 hp/330 lb-ft, 3.0L turbocharged I-6–and 650i, with a 445 hp/480 lb-ft 4.4L V8, versions. Both powerplants are mated to a ZF-derived 8-speed auto, and 0-60 times are approximately as follows: 5.3 seconds for the 640i and a scant 4.5 secs for the gas-guzzling V8.

Speaking of gas guzzling, the 640i clearly, if not predictably, touts a substantial advantage over its brawnier brother fuel economy-wise. The 640 earns a decent 22/30 EPA rating, while the thirsty V8 manages only 15 miles to the gallon in the city and 21 in mostly highway driving.

The interior can be summed up very concisely: Spacious and flawlessly constructed with only the most heavenly-feeling materials.

Although the 6er’s rivals are relatively few at this point, the field is certainly getting more crowded as the years whoosh by. Direct competitors include the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, Audi A7, and Porsche Panamera. Indirect, per se, competitors include BMW’s own 5-Series, the Mercedes E-Class (E550), and Jaguar XF.