Say hello to the biggest, roomiest and comfiest 8 Series that BMW will ever make. Dubbed simply as the Gran Coupé, it is essentially a four-door, five-seater version of the 8 Series Coupé that debuted last year. A few months later, the convertible 8 Series broke cover and jaws dropped all over the world again. For those who were waiting for the M derivatives got their prayers answered only earlier this month.

In terms of looks, the 8 Series Gran Coupé looks almost identical to the 8 Series Coupé. However, it is 231mm longer, 30mm wider and 61mm taller and rides on a wheelbase that is a whopping 201mm longer. With that extra real estate all around, the new model offers more headroom in both the front and rear. Thanks to generously sized door apertures, ingress and egress for passengers will be a doddle. BMW also claims that the 8 Series Gran Coupé offers more shoulder room and legroom for rear-seat passengers. Compared to the Coupé, the Gran Coupé is nearly 70kg heavier.

As you’d expect, the list of standard and optional features, including driver assistance systems, is more or less the same as the one available with the 8 Series Coupé. However, there are some features which BMW will offer exclusively with the four-door 8 Series such as a four-zone climate automatic climate control and electric sun blinds for rear side windows and the rear window. Some of the other creature comforts include a 440-litre boot, 40:20:40 split rear seat, ambient lighting, BMW Live Cockpit Professional and electrically operated sports seats.

At the time of launch, BMW will offer the 8 Series Gran Coupé in four variants – 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive and 840d xDrive. Both 840i siblings will be powered by a 3.0-litre, turbocharged 6-cylinder engine which puts out 340PS/500Nm. That’s enough power for the rear-wheel-drive derivative to claim a 0-100kmph time of 5.2 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds slower than the 840i xDrive. Then there’s the M850i xDrive variant, which will hide a 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 capable of producing 530PS/750Nm. BMW claims a 0-100kmph time of 3.9 seconds.

If you want a diesel-powered 8 Series Gran Coupé, you will have to settle for the 840d xDrive. It will house a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder turbocharged engine generating 320PS/680Nm. In this spec, the car can hit 100kmph from a standstill in 5.2 seconds. In all variants, transmission duties will be handled by an 8-speed automatic unit and the top-speed will be electronically limited to 250kmph.

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé will make its world premiere at the inaugural BMW Group #NEXTGen event in Munich. Its worldwide market launch is slated for September this year. Once launched, it will compete with the likes of the Bentley Flying Spur, Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide S.