BMW CS

BMW has taken the wraps off the CS Concept — a new "four-door-coupe" designed to tackle the Mercedes CLS, Porsche Panamera, and Maserati Quattroporte. The car is likely a preview of the recently rumored 8-Series revival, or alternatively a four-door 6-Series. Either way, it points to BMW's future design direction for the company as a whole.

The debut of the CS Concept follows a report by German car magazine Auto Zeitung that claimed BMW would launch a four-door coupe using the 8-Series designation, starting with a new 850i.

In June 2006, Germany's Auto Bild ran a cover story on BMW's planned rival to the Mercedes CLS. The magazine claimed the vehicle was the next-generation 6-series, which it says will be offered in two- and four-door variants under the same nameplate.

The car's dimensions add fuel to the 8-Series argument. The CS is 200.8 inches long and 78 inches wide — compared to the 7-Series sedan's 198.4 inches of length and 74.9-inch width. The CS is also extremely low — just 53.5 inches high compared to the 7-Series' 58.7 inches. The CS is even shorter than the low slung Mercedes CLS, which is 54.7 inches tall.