The Melbourne Red example spied would appear to be the M235i, distinguished by its quad exhaust pipes and sportier wheels. It seems the rear end retains its awkward design, with its high trunk line, slim taillights, and bulky bumpers. The interior benefits from a new steering wheel design and BMW’s new Curved Display.

Despite the familiar styling, it would seem the baby Gran Coupe is an entirely new model. Like the new 1 Series, the 2GC will reportedly skip the facelift and dive straight into a new generation.

The current 1 Series and 2 Series GC are based on the UKL2 platform. We anticipate the replacement models will ride on a heavily revised version of this architecture, similar to the one used by the latest BMW X1 and X2.

We expect the 2 Series Gran Coupe to get several under-the-skin updates. While it’s a competent premium commuter car, the high-end M235i doesn’t meet expectations, with handling and dynamics unbefitting of a BMW.