2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe Will Debut at Shanghai Auto Show

We were impressed with the athletic elegance of the new BMW 6 Series, which made its debut at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Although the coupe version has not been revealed yet, it’s safe to say we pretty much know how the 2012 model will look like. However, until now we couldn't have been sure when the car will make its official world debut .

According to a recent AutoWeek.nl article, the new BMW coupe will be shown at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show this April. The car’s exterior will be based on the Concept 6-Series Coupe that was unveiled at last year’s Paris Auto Show, a car that looked almost production-ready. The interior of the car will remain largely the same, with the exception of the fixed roof. The model will offer a sophisticated four-seater configuration, which will surely look familiar to current BMW fans, offering the elegantly flat, free-standing Control Display of the iDrive operating system, supplied as standard.

The engine lineup will be carried over from the Convertible. This means that the 650i Coupe should come with a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that churns out 407 horsepower and 443 pound-feet (601 Nm) of torque, while the 640i will offer 320 horsepower and 332 pound-feet (450 Nm) of torque from a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder unit. Rumors have been circulating of a twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 that will churn out 550 hp in the M6.

Pricing for the 650i Coupe should be lower than the $91,375 (€67,000) sticker of the 650i Convertible, while the 640i Coupe will be even lower. Both the Coupe and the new Convertible are scheduled to go on sale this spring.