For more than 20 years, BMW's most visible coupe was sold as the 3-series. This made lots of sense, as the car is and always has been based on the 3-series sedan. Meanwhile, Audi launched the A4-based A5 coupe, and Mercedes-Benz was brazen enough to come up with a C-class–based coupe and badge it as an E-class. With the 4-series, which is scheduled to hit dealerships later this summer, BMW is following the competition’s lead in creating a unique moniker for many of its body styles. We suspect that the decision was not an easy one, as there are few nameplates in the business that possess as much recognition and brand equity as 3-series.

The Concept 4-series Coupe at the 2013 Detroit auto show provided the thinnest veil imaginable, and the production car remains reasonably close both to its predecessor and to the current 3-series sedan. Its proportions, however, have changed, but for the better. The 4-series is significantly lower and wider than the outgoing 3-series coupe, and also slightly longer in overall length and wheelbase. The new shape is strikingly beautiful, but it makes the 4-series a substantially larger car. Despite its added girth, BMW says its new coupe is as much as 100 pounds lighter than the last-gen two-door 3-series.

At launch, the 4-series comes with two proven engines: the 240-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four in the 428i and the 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six in the 435i. These are the same engines offered in the 3-series, where we were more than satisfied with their performances. A stop-start system is standard on both models. BMW says that 0–60 will take 5.0 seconds in the 435i when equipped with the standard eight-speed automatic; opting for the no-cost-option six-speed manual adds three-tenths to the time. The 428i needs 5.7 seconds to do the deed, according to the manufacturer, regardless of transmission choice. BMW offers its xDrive all-wheel-drive system as a $2000 option for both models, but it is available on the four-cylinder car only when the automatic transmission is specified.

Beginning with the parameters and components of the 3-series, the chassis of the 4-series has been significantly reworked, BMW says, for added agility. The center of gravity is lower than on any other BMW today, the front section of the car has been stiffened, and the steering and front suspension has been tweaked to generate significantly more direct responses to steering input, as BMW says—a tacit admission that there was room to improve upon the steering of the 3-series.

The 4-series offers three trim levels past the base car: the conservatively styled Luxury, the mid-level Sport, and the full-athlete M Sport. (The contemporarily styled Modern trim level won’t come stateside, which is a bit of a shame.) A gluttony of high-tech gadgetry is available, although most of it is optional. The collection of gizmos includes the latest and greatest in telematics and connectivity, a handwriting-recognizing touch pad on top of the iDrive knob, and full LED headlights. The trunk can by opened by a wave of a foot underneath the bumper if the operator’s hands are full; it’s a practical—if not necessarily graceful—way to open the luggage compartment.

Pricewise, the 4-series lands slightly north of the outgoing 3-series coupe. The 428i starts at $41,425, while the 328i coupe rang the register at a mere $39,625—and it came with a naturally aspirated straight-six rather than a force-fed four-banger. The 435i is priced at $46,925, up from the predecessor's $46,025. But, hey, having a 4 at the beginning of the badge should impress the neighbors. Down the road, we’ll be treated to a 4-series cabriolet and a four-door 4-series Gran Coupe. Those models will join this new 4-series as well as the 3-series, the 3-series Sports Wagon, and the 3-series Gran Turismo. Maybe the 4-series nomenclature isn’t all that bad after all; without it, we may have been confused by all of BMW’s new variants.

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