tonight’s – All about car

BMW’s new 2 Series Gran Coupé is due to be revealed later tonight, but official images have been leaked online to spoil the show. The new shots show the four-door Mercedes-Benz CLA rival’s exterior styling in full, with a distinct visual difference compared to the larger 3 Series and new 1 Series. While the front-end is recognisable from the 2 Series’ hatchback sibling, the rear-end shape appears to be inspired by the firm’s latest coupe SUV, the BMW X4, with similar tail-lights and tailgate shape. The need to accommodate two conventional front-hinged rear doors and sufficient rear seat leg room is said to be behind the decision to give the new car a wheelbase that’s halfway between the 2690mm span of the 2 Series Coupé and the 2810mm of the 3 Series saloon. Inside, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will sport a new interior layout that’s also set to be adopted by the successors to today’s 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible, which are due in 2020. The turbocharged three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines of the 2 Series Gran Coupé will mirror those of the existing line-up. On the petrol side of the range, expect a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine in the 218i, 181bhp and 242bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units in the 220i and 225i, with a more potent version in the M235i. Among the diesels will be 148bhp, 187bhp and 221bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines in the 218d, 220d and 225d respectively. Like its two-door siblings, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will offer a choice of a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, with xDrive four-wheel drive available as an option. However, the latter will be offered in combination with only a limited range of engines. The highlight of the new line-up, though, will be the M2 Gran Coupé. This model will use the same 365bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine as its highly lauded two-door sibling. It will be offered with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Although it’s still early days, that engine – designated S55B30 – is expected to provide the M2 Gran Coupé with similar performance to the M2, which has an official 0-62mph time of 4.4sec in manual form and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The 2 Series Gran Coupé will be produced alongside the 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible at BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany. A plug-in hybrid model is also mooted. This is expected to use BMW’s turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor mounted within the forward section of a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. With a lithium ion battery pack positioned beneath the floor of the boot, the hybrid set-up is intended to provide the 225e with an electric-only driving range of up to 31
Origin: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe leaked ahead of tonight’s reveal

BMW is set to pull the covers off its new X6 late this evening, but what look like press images of the coupé-SUV have leaked out already. Published first on Instagram before a number of BMW fan sites picked them up, the images show the new X6 will continue the design theme of the last-generation model, but with detail changes mirroring the rest of the firm’s now fully up-to-date X line-up. The front end gets a more aggressive interpretation of BMW’s SUV face, while the roofline tapers and slopes down at the rear in true coupé style. At the back, the stretched LED tail-lights are heavily inspired by the X4. Details, as well as the interior, remain under wraps, but we know that much of the car’s mechanical make-up, engines and technology will be borrowed from its X5 sibling. Production will remain at BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where prototypes are already being built for testing. X6 prototypes have previously been spotted on the same outing as a flagship X6 M, which will use the M5’s 4.4-litre V8 for an anticipated output of 600bhp or more. The X6 range will kick off with xDrive30d and xDrive40d variants, although a greater petrol-powered offering is expected. xDrive40i, 50i and 45e versions will make up the rest of the range, with the notable addition of the plug-in hybrid. M Performance M50d and M50i variants are also planned as BMW proliferates its M sub-brand, although the M50i petrol might not be offered in Europe, as it’s geared towards the US market. The M50d will be powered by a quad-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine producing more than 400bhp. Like the X5, the new X6 will be based on BMW’s CLAR platform, with double wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension. Air suspension will be an option. Inside, the new X6 will be almost identical to the X5, with BMW’s new seventh-generation iDrive infotainment system featuring. Expect a slightly lower driving position for a sportier feel, alongside reduced space for rear-seat
Origin: New BMW X6 leaks ahead of tonight’s official reveal