BMW’s seemingly not taking Tesla lightly since word from Automobile is that two new sedans…*ahem*…one sedan, and one “four-door coupe” are on the way to join BMW’s lineup for the first time ever.
First is the four-door coupe, which is a bounce off of some previous rumors about a new 9-Series large four-door coupe from BMW. It would be more or less based off of the 2014 Vision Future Concept with hints of the BMW Gran Lusso Coupe from Pininfarina.
The idea is to have the car be positioned within the market between the 7-Series and the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Talk about niche filling since there really isn’t a market for large four-doors with a cost of around $120,000 to start aside from some high-end Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7-Series variants. But the idea is to have a car that’s “above” those cars to begin with.
Part of this prestige will come from the engine, with choices ranging from a plug-in hybridized inline-six, a twin-turbo V8, or a top-spec V12 from the 760Li for a supposed “M960i/M9” model.
Though none of these would be available until 2020 at least.
But next, BMW seems to want to set their sights directly on Tesla Motors with a supposed i6 EV sedan. It will be the size of a 3-Series sedan with an arrival date set sometime around mid-2020. An entire new platform will be designed to support the car with lots of carbon fiber integrated within the construction. A choice of either two or four electric motors will be available to drive the wheels. BMW also supposedly will debut a new lithium-polymer battery back for the i6, boasting triple the energy capacity of today’s batteries, but at half the cost.
These two models will join a 1-Series replacement in 2018 with front-wheel drive, and an X2 crossover variant later on. A 2-Series Gran Coupe is also said to be in the works with BMW’s new front-wheel drive platform, also due in 2020.
– By: Chris Chin
Source: Automobile
Source: egmCarTech http://bit.ly/1S6mxXB
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