BMW M6 Gran Coupe due in 2012

The BMW M6 Gran Coupe is expected to hit showrooms later this year.

At the launch of the M6 Coupe, BMW insiders revealed to What Car? that a four-door version based on the 6 Series Gran Coupe is due.

It will get a similar makeover to the M6 Coupe's, with flared wheelarches, bespoke alloy wheels and door mirrors, and more aggressive-looking bumpers. The M6 Gran Coupe will have a full-length carbonfibre roof, to save weight.

The new M6 Gran Coupe will use the same 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine as the M5 and M6; it develops 552bhp and 501 lb/ft of torque. Expect a 0-60mph time of around four seconds and a top speed that's just shy of 190mph.

The M6 Gran Coupe also gets a seven-speed M DCT twin-clutch gearbox, stiffer front suspension struts, a bespoke limited-slip differential and a rear subframe bolted directly to the body.

Additionally, there'll be a hydraulic steering rack, instead of the electro-mechanical steering used by lesser 6 Series Gran Coupe models. The price is yet to be confirmed, but we estimate it will cost around 105,000.

BMW sources also confirmed that the next M3 due in early 2014 will be considerably lighter than the current car and come with a carbonfibre roof. It'll also have a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, in place of the current M3's V8.

Pete Tullin