BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe spied testing in colorful camouflage

Most automakers go to great lengths to hide and disguise prototype vehicles. They use all manner of camouflage and cladding to try and hide what the final product will look like. Hell, Ford put this Bronco prototype under the bodywork of a Chevy Colorado just to keep us off the trail. BMW has apparently taken a different tactic, embracing the fact that there will be spy photos and wrapping their prototypes in colorful camouflage and slapping the model name right along the side, just beneath a giant QR code. So here, take a look at the upcoming, front-wheel drive BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. 

Like other Gran Coupe models before it, the 2 Series adds a pair of doors to a coupe. The same method has been applied to the 4, 6 and 8 Series models. It’s handsome, even if it does lose some of the classic BMW proportions. Based on these photos, we expect the new model to be about the size of the E46 BMW 3 Series from the early 2000s. That would put it about in line with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which is roughly the same size as the W203 C-Class. 

The front-wheel drive model will likely drop the current 2 Series’ wonderful turbocharged inline-six in favor of a turbocharged inline-four. We wouldn’t rule out the turbocharged inline-three from the Mini Cooper making its way over, too, though that might be too small for the American market. Expect a high-output version of the 2 Series to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz A- and CLA-Class, especially the new A35 AMG. We have our fingers crossed for an all-new M2, but we’d recommend picking the current one up now if you’re in the market. 

What the 2 Series Gran Coupe means for the 1 Series sedan is uncertain, but expect to see the new 2 Series this fall at the 2019 LA Auto Show.