They say life is all about choices, and some bright sparks at BMW have definitely been paying close attention to fulfilling that adage to consumers. The 2000s saw an expansion from an unfettered trio of product lines (3, 5 and 7) and the occasional oddity to a lineup that now spans seven numerical model ranges and an ever-growing host of variants and sub-variants within that deck.
Diversity is of course the operating word, all very cleverly done. The previous 3 Series ran sedan, convertible and coupe (as well as touring) in the same family, but the coupe and convertible forms of the new 3 have spun off into the 4 Series, the F32 and F33 respectively. Still simplistic enough, even in the delineation and doors, the 3 having four and the 4 having two.
You'd think it would all end there, or with something like the F34 3 Series Gran Turismo. But when you've got the platform, why not spread the cheer even further? So do we come to a four-door (or five-door, if you will) version of a two-door version of a four-door car. Loopy as that descriptor sounds, it's all measured, really.
The advent of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, dictated by the success of its larger 6 Series Gran Coupe sibling, comes very much as a response to something like the Audi A5 Sportback, late as it may be. The game never ends, naturally, and while undeniably practical, the five-door 3 GT is hardly the sort of car to make the Ingolstadt kid sweat, looks-wise. This one finally does the trick, and rather neatly at that.
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