BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Tries to Blend in on Autobahn

You see, BMW has steadily gotten better at making cars on FWD platforms, and the baby Gran Coupe will have knows all the tricks. We're talking about the M235i xDrive, which is what we have in this spy video.

Normally, you'd see this bad boy at the Nurburgring track. But a test prototype casually strolled past WalkoArt while he was driving down the autobahn. For reference, you can see a Skoda Octavia, which looks roughly the same length and width. The M235i powertrain has already been revealed, available on two BMW models and two MINIs.

It's a 2-liter turbo making 306 HP and 450 Nm of torque going to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic. It's basically a direct rival to the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4Matic, with 50 more torque but perhaps an inferior gearbox.

We feel that this is a niche that didn't need exploring. At this point, we're not even sure if the rear-wheel-drive 2 Series will survive past its first generation (the Gran Coupe is FWD). But if it's a luxury brand they're building, it should be more about SUVs, practical crossovers and groundbreaking technology, whereas this is an old idea. And it's not like the model is needed for China, as they already have the 1 Series sedan.

That hot model will cost at least €45,000, but there will be other, cheaper models. The 220d is probably going to be the most popular, but BMW also has entry-level units lined up, like the 1.5-liter 218i. Plug-in systems are also under development, but should arrive a year after the reveal of the 2er Gran Coupe.