The spy shots you see above are not of a BMW 3 Series Coupe. Of course, that's just because the German automaker has apparently decided that coupes and convertibles deserve their own numerical distinction, one step higher than their sedan siblings.

While we've seen the upcoming BMW 4 Series in both convertible and coupe shapes before, this is the first time the car has been spotted by our European spy shooters without BMW's trademark swirly camouflage – all the better to spot details like the sloping fastback roofline and fender vents. Sadly, the fascia is masked, but we'd expect to see some stylized kidney grilles and stretched headlamps beneath.

We're told that this is not an M model but rather a 435i or 440i fitted with BMW's Sport Line body kit along with 19-inch M Sport wheels. A higher-performance M4 version is also in the offing. Take in all the details in the image gallery above, paying special attention to the horrible Sport badges that we pray don't make it into production. Expect to see the 2014 4 Series Coupe make its official debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.