derBayerische November December 2022 - 38

2 0 2 2 B M W 4 3 0 i G R A N C O U P E
and GTD teams mount such a comeback
following a very discouraging
24 Hours of Daytona is no surprise.
The 4 Series chassis is wonderful,
providing an ideal platform for winning
balance of performance competitions
on a twisty racetrack. (By the
way, while the BMWs did not place,
it's clear that both teams will soon
have podium finishes.)
A surprise March snowstorm
did reduce our time behind the
wheel, but it should be no surprise
that we (by which I mean four
American sized-adults) enjoyed our
time in the 430i Gran Coupe.
While the 430i Gran Coupe has
■ My 1987 Shelby Lancer started my attraction to the " Gran Coupe " design.
What also works well are the
derided the 4 Series as nothing more
than a marketing move, the recent
launch of the distinctly designed
second generation proves that the 4
Series has established its own unique
popular and profitable place in the
market. By the way, the new generation
4 Gran Coupe retained its rear
hatchback.
In our review of the 2021 BMW
440i coupe, we stated our view of this
new bold design:
" ... our initial reaction to our M440i
evaluation vehicle is best summed up
through the continuation of the aforementioned
soliloquy (from the
Disney film Ratatouille):
'But there are times when a
critic truly risks something, and that
is in the discovery and defense of the
new. The world is often unkind to
new talent, new creations, and the
new needs friends'
To the new BMW 4 Series - we
are your friend. "
When approaching the all new
2022 BMW 430i Gran Coupe, one is
immediately struck by the vehicle's
undeniably unique presence. The
bold front design works very well
with the Gran Coupe's proportions.
38
new red M Sport calipers with our
test vehicle's black-sapphire metallic
exterior. In fact, with the optional
" shadow line " package and the
standard adaptive LED headlights,
the 2022 430 Gran Coupe projects a
unique, upscale, sporty, sophisticated,
business-like image. And the
rear hatchback opens high and wide
to reveal a cargo area that easily
swallows 16.6 cubic feet of cargo,
increasing to almost 46 cubic feet
with the rear seats folded. That's very
competitive with today's compact
SUVs.
As with the new 2 Series coupe,
the 4 Gran Coupe uses the old style
" flush " exterior door handle design.
In fact, seeing the new 4 Gran Coupe
next to the i4 shows that they share
many of their exterior panels. These
vehicles demonstrate the wisdom
and the potential of the BMW Cluster
Architecture (CLAR) platform. It also
shows the benefits to both vehicles
Since the i4 all-electric sedan
had to be spacious to compete with
cars like the Tesla 3 and Polestar 2,
the extra size became a key feature for
the 4 Series Gran Coupe. The new
Gran Coupe is 5.9 inches longer, 2.1
inches taller and an inch wider than
its predecessor and rides a 1.8-inch
longer wheelbase. Those extra inches
make for much more interior
room, particularly in the back seat
and cargo area.
Since BMW has a welldeserved
reputation for producing
the Ultimate Driving Machine, some
(especially the " me like car, me drive
fast " buff book hucksters) may prefer
the 440i Gran Coupe over the 430i
Gran Coupe. And while we thoroughly
enjoyed the M440i Coupe
with its standard all-wheel drive
coupled with a silky-smooth 3.0-liter,
turbocharged, 382 horsepower, 369
foot pounds of torque in-line sixcylinder
engine, we were eager to
experience the rear wheel drive, 2.0
liter four-cylinder model. For 2022,
the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine's
performance has been increased to
255 horsepower and 290 foot
pounds of torque - a 4 horsepower
and 36 foot-pound increase over the
previous version.
As I write this review, I'm watching
the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Watching both the BMW GTD-Pro
a larger interior than the 440i Gran
Coupe, the exterior dimensions are
nearly identical. So it's no surprise
that both vehicles have very similar
driving characteristics. For our
region, the 430i Gran Coupe is
perfect - it has the performance,
responsive handling, room and
smooth ride and it achieves great fuel
economy for commuting, weekend
activity, and family " big-box warehouse "
shopping duties, while
having the balanced performance to
take the vehicle on the track, to
autocross, or on twisty back roads.
The 2022 430i Gran Coupe's
base MSRP is a little over $45,000.
Our well-equipped evaluation vehicle
(almost every option except for the
ventilated front seats and laser lights,
has an MSRP of $56,300. Expect to
pay $13,000 more for a similarly
equipped 440i Gran Coupe, but you'll
have standard all-wheel drive as well
as the outstanding 3.0-liter turbocharged
inline six-cylinder engine.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe is a
sophisticated performance luxury
sedan that performs well as an
Ultimate Driving Machine, as a
commuter vehicle, and (thanks to its
rear hatchback) as a family vehicle.
It's made for itself a profitable niche
in an SUV-dominated market in its
outstanding second generation.
Hmm. A four-door sports
sedan with a rear hatchback that
sells well. Maybe this time I got
it right.
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derBayerische November December 2022

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