BMW is making a major break with tradition by naming the coupe version of the current 3 Series saloon a 4 Series. The new two-door coupe, which was revealed this week, gains a distinctively slinky, low-slung body that is said to benefit from a number of clever aerodynamic tweaks to maximise performance while minimising fuel consumption and emissions.
The car that BMW has shown, which will go on public display at the Detroit motor show in January, is officially still a concept, but in all but a very few details this is the final version we will see in dealerships in 2013. There will also be a four-door coupe spin-off, in the mould of the 6 Series Gran Coupe, which, along with the Touring, convertible and forthcoming hatchback GT versions, will bring the number of 3 Series spin-offs to six. Of course, cynics might suggest that distancing the coupe slightly from the saloon and linking it to the bigger 6 Series means that the price can reflect the more expensive coupe than the family car.