BMW showed the Gran Coupe Concept Car in 2010 as a response to the growing demand for 4 door coupe models, with Mercedes being successful with the CLS, and Audi showing the sportback concept which was set to be the new A7 model, and BMW having shown the CS concept a few year earlier buy foolishly deciding not to put the car into production, had left them years behind their key German rivals in this area.
The Gran Coupe concept sits between the 5 series and 7 series in size, with a saloon body and 4 door but a more curvaceous roofline. It is also an answer to cars such as the Jaguar XF and new XJ whose looks have made the recent new 5 & 7 series look very dull and derivative by comparison. Unfortunately the Gran Coupe is not quite as adventurous as the CS concept, but at least it is a step in the right direction for the brand.
BMW Gran Coupe Concept Front
BMW Gran Coupe Concept Car
BMW Gran Coupe Concept Rear
BMW showed the EfficientDynamics Concept Car in 2009, and it was designed for several purposes, firstly to be an outrageous looking show car, secondly to highlight the ‘EfficientDynamics’ range of production cars with better fuel economy, stop start technology and a range of eco friendly measures to make the production models greener, and finally, the concept was shown to give clues to a forthcoming BMW sports car that the brand wants to use to take some of the limelight away from the Audi R8, that has acted as a fantastic halo car for the Audi brand.
The concept car itself is a wonderful blend of surfaces that takes a lot of design cues from BMW’s earlier M1 Homage concept car, and power is supplied by a 3 cylinder diesel engine combined with 2 electric motors – one in each axle, which give a combined power of 356 hp, and a torque level of 590 lb/ft, with charge for the electric motors coming from a Lithium Polymer battery, which can be plugged in to recharge from a conventional power supply.
BMW EfficientDynamics Concept Front
BMW EfficientDynamics Concept Side
BMW EfficientDynamics Concept Rear
BMW EfficientDynamics Concept Interior
In 2008 BMW produced what was an Homage to its original iconic sportscar – the M1, to be shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a prestigious motoring event in Europe.
The concept car has the striking angular 70′s lines just like the Giugiaro and yet also features some design cues such as the front grill that can also be seen in the later Efficient Dynamics concept, and both cars hint towards BMW producing a competitor to the Audi R8 that has been a great halo car for the brand and a fantastic sales success for Audi.
BMW did not show an interior for the car or reveal exactly what engine or power-train it might use, it was purely a styling exercise.
BMW M1 Concept Front
BMW M1 Concept Side
BMW M1 Concept Rear
In 2008 BMW showed its GINA concept car – GINA was an acronym for: Geometry and functions In N Adaptations, and it was a concept conceived much earlier before the launch of the first generation BMW Z4, which showed the influence for its styling.
The GINA was truly out of the box thinking by BMW as it featured a flexible cloth waterproof exterior for the car, wrapped over a framework designed to make the edges and creases stand out, yet making the car incredibly light due to the lack of metal, and removing the need for separate panels – for example the doors and front wing are joined, allowing the fabric to fold and crease when the door is opened, then become taught again and regain shape once it is closed.
It was a truly remarkable idea – what it would mean in production for crash regulations is another matter, but it would have been great to see a limited run into production.
BMW GINA Concept Front
BMW GINA Concept Side
BMW GINA Concept Rear
In 2007 BMW showed the Concept CS car. It was a response to the Mercedes Benz CLS 4 door coupe that had been so successful, and also a way of invigorating the top end of the BMW range that had traditionally been seen as good drivers cars but rather dull and derivative to look at.
The Concept CS took the coupe style combined with the saloon car practicality that rivals like the Jaguar XF and Maserati Quattroporte possessed and produced a 7-series sized car that had sports car looks, and at the same time moved the brand away from the controversial Bangle era.
The most puzzling thing about the Concept CS was that it remained just a concept, despite being relatively production feasible and one of the best looking BMW’s for a generation.
BMW Concept CS Front
BMW Concept CS Side
BMW Concept CS Rear