12 May 2011
New car report; BMW's sassy six
The air is pretty thin up there in quarter of a million dollar open top Grand Touring car territory, but despite this being a very small market segment, BMW has aspirations to find homes for around 20 new 650i Convertibles in the next 12 months.
In keeping with BMW’s current numeric befuddlement the 650i is not a 5.0 litre 6 series as the designation would once have dictated, but is a 6 Series powered by a turbocharged 4.4 litre V8 powerplant.
Capable of sprinting from zero to the open road legal speed limit in five seconds flat, which seems even quicker with the wind in your hair. Consuming 10.7L/100km of high octane gas, the 650i emits 249g/km of CO2.
We’ve driven other BMW models fitted with this tried and tested 300kW/600Nm powerplant, and like the others, this one drives the rear wheels through a silky smooth 8 speed sports automatic transmission with Steptronic function and is one of the most well matched engine/transmission combinations there is.
This is the only powertrain available in our market, and BMW execs tell us that there are no plans to bring the six cylinder 630i, available in other markets, to our shores.
Convertible first, Coupe later
Unusually, the Convertible has been released several months ahead of the Coupe, which we are likely to see in the fourth quarter of 2011. An all new car, the latest F12 6 Series continues the styling theme of its E64 predecessor, and like its predecessor, it’s long, low and sleek with a long bonnet and well balanced proportions.
The styling does tend to polarise opinion though, and comment we received during our time with the 650i was at either end of the spectrum. While many people loved the look of the new open top 6, not everybody did, but there were no fence-sitters.
Based on the latest F10 5 Series platform, (one of, if not the best on the planet currently), the 6 Series feels a big car for a 2+2 and given the limited rear leg room, we suspect that the rear seats will rarely be occupied.
Technically speaking, the new 6 Series is up there with the best of them. Extensive use of lightweight materials such as aluminium and composite plastics for body panels do their bit to shed weight.
In keeping with BMW’s EfficientDynamics programme, brake energy regeneration works its magic to reduce power-sapping drag from the engine under acceleration.
With all the features we’ve come to expect of a high-end German luxury sports car, standard equipment includes comfort access, head up display, a rear view camera, park assistant, navigation, voice control, TV, adaptive headlights, soft close doors, and a myriad of other high-tech electronic gadgets and gizmos.
Speed limit info displayed on windscreen
Among other things, such as speed, navigation info etc, using cameras to read local speed limit signs, the head up display projects the speed limit onto the windscreen no matter where you are, so there’s no excuse for not knowing what speed zone you’re travelling in.
Priced from $248,500, our test car had a sticker price of $262,500 courtesy of options totalling $14,000, which included integral active steering, lane departure warning, lane change warning, a wind deflector and a leather dash/instrument panel which did add even more class to the already classy cabin.
Quiet, refined, grunty and comfortable, the 6 Series a luxury tourer with some sporty and performance attributes. It can be chucked around if you feel that way inclined, but a car of these proportions doesn’t really inspire you to do so.
The Karmann designed and produced soft top is as tight as a drum and despite the obvious ragtop visuals, during one of the worst downpours we’ve experienced in a long time, one passenger asked if it was a convertible, such is the weather tightness and absence of wind noise.
The 650i certainly turns heads and performance is impressive, but then for this sort of coin you’d expect all that. There’s no question, the 6 Series is a serious motor car, but maybe it’s just a bit too serious for some tastes and lacking the all-out excitement of some open top Grand Tourers.
If comfortable open top cruising, opulence and refined power are the attributes that spin your wheels, the new BMW 650i Convertible will be right up your alley.