Set for a full unveil later this month at Italy’s famed Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept represents the first cooperative effort between the two distinguished automotive organizations. Based on these preview images, this sleek 2-door fastback appears to share a good bit of design philosophy with the striking BMW 8 Series, a vehicle that was produced in modest numbers from 1989-1999. Save for BMW’s observations that the Gran Lusso Coupe reflects "a new automotive personality brimming with character and ready to join the high-end luxury class," there’s no real assurance that it will serve as the pattern for a direct successor to that premium GT model. However, it would neatly fill a currently vacant slot in the house lineup.
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Beyond what’s visible, BMW says the Gran Lusso Coupe embodies a host of the automaker’s typical power cues, including a long hood, short overhangs, a rear-shifted greenhouse and aggressive side-body contours. It’s a bit less forthcoming about the car’s V12 engine, although it would most likely be some variation on the existing twin-turbo 6.0-liter unit that produces 536 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque in the 2013 BMW 760Li. The unseen interior is even more of a mystery; with BMW merely asserting that it represents a "consummate blend of contemporary elegance and luxury" that displays a new take BMW’s signature driver-centric orientation courtesy of some unique Pininfarina design influences. We’ll have more next week from the shores of Lake Como.
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