2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe gets early unveiling ahead of Shanghai

Head designer Karim Habib tells Autoblog that he drew most of his inspiration from BMW's iconic 3.0 CS produced in the late 60s and early 70s – particularly the elongated wheelbase, endless hood and upright, sharknose grille that just so happens to conform to the EU's pedestrian impact standards. The fascia benefits from full LED headlamps and triple-element foglamps (optional on both the coupe and cabrio), along with lower, wider kidney grilles that – when compared to the 7 Series' vertical slats – come off as less pinstripe-like and more aggressive; toothy, even.

Underneath that expansive hood lies BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, producing 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque – identical to its drop-top sibling. An eight-speed automatic gearbox shuttles power to the rear wheels, allowing the coupe to hit 100 hph in 4.8 seconds before topping out at the electronically limited top speed of 250 hph.

According to BMW officials, the cabrio was introduced before the coupe because it makes up 60% of 6 Series volume in the U.S., the 6er's largest market. BMW hasn't released an official curb weight for the coupe, but it has confirmed that it will be lighter than its 4,500-pound convertible brethren. Sales are set to begin this Fall and should command slightly less than the cab's $90,000 point of entry.