BMW launches Rs. 1.8 cr-M6 gran coupe in India

German luxury car maker BMW on Thursday launched its most expensive car in India, the M6 gran coupe, at ₹ 1.75 crore.

Essentially a performance oriented version of the 6 series coupe, the M6 is powered by a twin turbocharged 4.4-litre petrol engine that develops peak power of 560 PS and torque of 680 NM. Competition is in the form of the Audi RS7 (₹ 1.3 crore), Mercedes CLS63 AMG (₹ 1.2 crore) and the Jaguar XKR-S (₹ 1.3 crore).

BMW also offers a competition package that raises the power to 575 PS, making the M6 gran coupe capable of 0-100 kph in 4.2 seconds. A standard Porsche 911 Carrera does it in 4.8 seconds.

BMW said it would launch at least three other M series models — M3, M4 and M5 — in India this year. The company led the Indian luxury market till 2012 but lost out to Audi and Mercedes in sales last year.

"It is not a cheap car but we are not looking at volumes with the M6. In fact this year, we are not looking at volumes at all," said Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW India. "Our cars are priced higher than our competitors but they also have a bigger profile. Volumes are not a priority this year, profitability is."

BMW would also launch the new X5 sports utility vehicle and its first hybrid sportscar i8 later this year. The i8 is expected to be priced at over ₹ 2 crore, and will take over the mantle as the most expected Beemer from the M6.