Some would argue the 4 Series Gran Coupe is a redundant product by being nothing more than a 3 Series with a tailgate. However, BMW has crunched the numbers and has decided the more stylish alternative to the traditional sedan is worth keeping in the lineup. Although a full-fat M variant has been ruled out, you can get the model in the spicy M Performance version.
This M440i GC is a more recent build since it has the iDrive 8, which wasn’t the case when the second-generation when the G26 was launched a few years ago. We’re used to seeing full-fat M4s at full tilt on the Autobahn, so this not-quite-M model is a nice change of pace. It was taken on an unrestricted section of the German highway in the late hours of the day where the driver stretched the inline-six’s legs.
It should be noted that BMW sells the M440i in both rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations with a mild-hybrid setup. While the standard model does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in five seconds, its xDrive equivalent completes the task in 4.7 seconds. Flat out, both will do an electronically capped 155 mph (250 km/h). This M440i managed to go even faster, but modern speedometers tend to show a higher top speed than the real one.
BMW is working on a Life Cycle Impulse for the 4 Series lineup, expected to arrive at some point in 2024. Spy shots have revealed the headlights will get a new look, and these will likely be adopted by the purely electric i4 as well. Production of the 4 Series Gran Coupe with the LCI applied is believed to start in July 2024, with the model to bow out around mid-2028.
Seeing as how the 3 Series LCI has kept the six-cylinder M340i version, it should be the same story with the equivalent 4 Series models. Rumor has it the M440i will continue exclusively with xDrive by dropping the RWD variant, but nothing is official yet.
Source: STRADA / YouTube
