Update1 New Photos – 6.22.14

These segment-busting coupes arrive in July or August to US dealers, with pricing from $43,000 as the 428i sDrive. The M Sport pack adds about $4,000 to the total – but is well worthwhile.

In the M Sport versus Luxury trim battle, M Sport wins the day for me – hands-down. It offers a far crisper exterior aesthetic, as well as better seats and generally a sportier steering wheel and better handling. It also ditches some of the standard wood trims for a more modern feel. Win, Win, Win.

2015 BMW 428i and 435i Gran Coupes

M SPORT TRIM

LUXURY TRIM

BMW Individual

The BMW Gran Coupe and Gran Turismo strategy is finally starting to make sense. It really comes down to sporty proportions in the GC’s versus the taller and more limo-like roominess of the GT’s.

There is still some inevitable overlap in the model lines – most notably with the 3GT versus this 4GC – but generally this idea lets all buyers have the best of all worlds.

Wearing the aggressive, low and wide styling of the new 435i and 428i two-doors, the Gran Coupes offer a huge wheelbase stretch for limo-like rear legroom and that huge top-hinged tailgate.

Overall, the focus of the 4GC is on performance, with a sharper and more handling-biased setup than the 328d Touring and especially versus the 335i GT (shown below).

Where the 3GT will focus much more on family uses, the 4GC is much more youthful. It will major on handling and curb appeal outside the hottest nightclubs — where the 3GT is more likely to be seen at morning school or daycare drop-offs.

The 428i will offer xDrive from launch when it arrives in early Summer 2014, but both 4GC’s are firmly rear-drive in their playful cornering balance.

The 428i pricing starts from about $43,000, while the potent and speedy turbo six-cylinder 435i GC will sticker closer to $48,000 as a base price.

The model strategy makes sense – with Luxury and M Sport trim lines to select from. The M Sport trim pack is mandatory for bringing some M4 stance and road presence, and is expected to add about $3,000 to the base prices list above.

The 435i Gran Coupe will launch in rear-drive only, but optional xDrive is also in the cards for later in the year.

Overall, a quite handsome, low-roof sports car with M4 style but room in back for real-life passengers and even a trunk full of groceries. BMW is smart to bring these variants to market.

Even if the GC and GT’s special features are appreciated only by a small niche market – BMW will be able to keep these buyers in the fold versus losing them to another brand’s crossovers or SUVs.

Even more than that, the 435i Gran Coupe is quite unique and appealing. It is excellent to see these models on American price lists — versus the A5 Sportback that is a Euro-exclusive… (for now.)

2015 BMW 4 series Gran Coupe – M Sport – NEW PHOTOS

2015 BMW 4 series Gran Coupe – M Sport

2015 BMW 4 series Gran Coupe – Interiors

2015 BMW 4 series Gran Coupe – Luxury