Winds Of Change

The new BMW 6 GT, with its ra kish profile and high-quality cabin,is coming to take on Merc’s lon g-wheelbase E-class. Shapur Kotwal spends a day behind its wheel in Lisbon.

Sometimes, confusion is inevitable. First, in the ’70s came the original 6-series – the E24, that shark-nosed wonder – with its low-slung coupélike bodywork. It rocked. But then in the ’80s someone in BMW said “naaaah, the next 6-series should be called the 8-series”. So, BMW then launched the 8-series, which actually was a 6-series in all but name. But then again, in 2003, the company launched a new 6-series and dropped the 8-series. And, believe it or not, those virulent numerologists have struck again; the 2018 G14, which should have been called the 6-series, will in the future be called, you guessed it, the new 8-series. Phew!

So where does it leave this car, the new 6-series GT? It is long, wide and huge, built on a gargantuan wheelbase and it comes with a coupélike tight-fitting roof. What’s clear is that it isn’t really a 6-series or an 8-series. More a GT, in the 5 and 3 GT vein, it is slated to go up against the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E 350d in India – a car it will be competitively priced against.

What’s interesting is that the 6-series GT rides on the same 3,070mm wheelbase as the regular 7-series (the ‘L’ version sold in India is longer still) and is of the same width. Like both the GTs before it, this model comes with a flowing coupélike roof, frameless doors and a large, liftback or tailgate with a 610-litre capacity boot. And fold the 40:20:40 split rear seat down electrically and you get a massive 1,800 litres of luggage space.