2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe: a new breed of hatchback - Philly.com
Bayerische Motoren Werke has traditionally employed even numbers when identifying coupe models - except when it doesn't. Until recently, the coupe version of the 3 Series sedan had a 3 in its name. But when BMW redesigned the 3 Series for the 2014 model year, it created a 4 Series designation for the coupe and its convertible stablemate. Then, for 2015, it re-muddied the waters by introducing the 4 Series Gran Coupe model that I just tested. The Gran Coupe, it turns out, is not a coupe at all. Although the 4 Series cars utilize the same essential architecture as the 3 Series sedans, they are markedly different. The Gran Coupe is aggressively styled and about as arresting as a hatchback can get. The test car was a 428i Gran Coupe, which means it starts at $40,300 and is powered by a 2-liter, turbocharged, and direct-injected four that develops 240 horsepower and a hefty 255 pounds of torque. If you want to raise the ante by $4,500, you can get a 435i Gran Coupe, which extracts 300 horses from a 3-liter inline six. (The second and third digits in BMW's alphanumeric names used to signify engine size in liters. For me, the six's greater cost and thirst wouldn't be worth it. Driving the rear-drive 428i (also available with all-wheel-drive) was a pleasure on several levels. Source: www.philly.com
