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BMW will create a hole in its lineup for a rear-wheel drive 2 Series Gran Coupe

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BMW’s lineup seems to add a new model every few weeks, yet apparently there are new gaps to be filled after each addition.

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that BMW will work its Gran Coupe styling down the line to its new 2 Series in the next few years. A new report suggests the German automaker is plotting a 2 Series Gran Coupe for release in mid-2018.

For those of you who were upset that the traditionally rear-wheel drive marque had gone front-wheel drive with new models like the 1 Series and 2 Series Active Tourer, fear not, for the 2 Series Gran Coupe will be rear-wheel drive, with the possibility of an X-Drive all-wheel drive variant down the road.

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Why another Gran Coupe, you might ask? I don’t have a great answer for you, except that BMW has used the Gran Coupes: 4 and 6 Series to parlay sportier and more upscale versions of the models upon which they are based.

Where things get confusing with BMW is that, for example, the 4 Series Gran Coupe is intended to be a more stylized version of the 3 Series sedan, not the 4 Series Coupe. Same goes for the 6 Series Gran Coupe, which in effect is a more attractive and aggressive version of the 5 Series, not the 6 Series Coupe.

By that logic, a 2 Series Gran Coupe will be the hotter cousin to the upcoming front-wheel drive 1 Series sedan. From that perspective, I can respect the new addition, though as has been the case lately, the 2 Series Gran Coupe will rob sales from both the 1 Series, like the 4 Series Gran Coupe has stolen sales from the 3 Series.

Perhaps BMW’s outlook is that it all stays in the family, sales-wise. BMW does still produce some of the better driver’s cars in their respective — yet ever expanding — classes, but at what point do buyers become so confused that they look elsewhere?

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