BMW has many different types of high-end car, but there is one sector that has eluded it – the four-door coupe market that Mercedes has had sewn up with the CLS since 2004. Finally though, those for whom the 5-Series is not stylish enough and the 7-Series is too dour have a sleek new option from BMW: the four-door, five-seat 6-Series Gran Coupe.

It’s a very stylish car, BMW choosing to go for pretty elegance rather than at first wilfully odd (Audi A7 Sportback), uglier-than-the-first- one (CLS MkII) or just plain ugly (Porsche Panamera). Of the storming engine range, the 313bhp 640d has most on-paper appeal, although the allure of the storming M6 Gran Coupe can’t be denied.