About the headline---if you're from Amazon, or representing Jeremy Clarkson, I don't need that kind of aggravation. Take it as a compliment and move along. I come not to fight intellectual property battles but to recommend the acquisition of some intellectual property.
That, of course, would be the 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe---a thinking person's performance car. Regular readers will remember that last fall, I reviewed the two-door version, the M440i xDrive Coupe, and loved it. Sometimes, though, life requires not two, but four doors.
When those four doors have the same sweet BMW inline 24-valve six-cylinder making 382 horsepower aided by a 48v electric motor (what's called a mild hybrid) that kicks in before the turbos spool up, it's a wonderful thing that involves getting to 60 from a standard start in a tick over four seconds and thoroughly livable EPA fuel economy estimates of 22 miles per gallon city, 29 highway.
xDrive is BMW-speak for all-wheel-drive, so that power gets laid down on the pavement from every corner of the car. The M440i gets an M Sport suspension, an eight-speed automatic transmission with selectable drive modes and an M Sport differential.
Why "Gran Coupe" instead of "sedan"? That becomes obvious when you open the trunk and find there isn't one---the Gran Coupe is a hatchback with some significant cargo space behind the rear seats.
Beyond that, it's BMW's stock in trade, supportive seats done exceptionally tastefully and with high-quality materials (some extra-cost) throughout the cabin. The base price of the 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe is $58,200. That buys Ash Grey wood trim, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless charging and BMW's Live Cockpit Pro with navigation.
The extra-cost options are usually a significant chunk of the price of premium European cars, but the M440i xDrive Gran Coupe's add-ons came in at just $10,725---$1,500 for the Tanzanite Blue II metallic paint, $1,450 for the Cognac Vernasca leather interior, $1,700 for the Drivers Assistance Pro Package, $700 for the Parking Assistance Package, $1,750 for the Premium Package (heated steering wheel, heated front seats, ambient lighting and head-up display, $2,400 for the Cooling & High Performance Tire Package (including bicolor 19-inch M wheels, $350 for the SensaTec dashboard and $875 for an upgraded Harman Kardon surround sound audio system.
So, with $995 destination charge, the as-tested price of the 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe is $69,920.
And if that doesn't seem like a thoroughly reasonable price, then drive the M440i xDrive. As with the very first BMWs I drove many years ago, these cars have a way of justifying their price with every turn in the road.
