2011 BMW 6 Series Convertible review
2011 BMW 6 Series Convertible
By Bob Hume, 28th June 2011
This is the brand new 6 Series Convertible and it replaces a car that was great to start with, so BMW had been presented with a major challenge from the offset. I first drove the new car on some of Southern Spain's best roads; including the breathtaking mountains near Casares Ronda near Granada.
This is a convertible grand tourer, so its basic design rationale is obvious: to provide fine aesthetics, supreme comfort, blistering performance and the most impressive handling dynamics possible. However, all modern car designers know that there are constraining factors like cost and efficiency demands.
New BMW 6 Series Convertible
The new car is both wider and longer, yet without a shadow of a doubt looks miles better than the car that it's replacing; especially with the roof down. It has evolved into a much sleeker form than the angular Chris Bangle-inspired one that we've become used to: smoother lines along the flank link a less shark-like nose to a much more pert behind. Interestingly, the new car retains a fabric roof but with a much less 'challenging' design than the previous one possessed.
Getting behind the wheel is a pleasant experience; taking a second to bask in the opulence, I quickly realised that the cabin of this car is probably the best in its class. Front seats are superb - comfortable and supportive and there is enough room in the rear for passengers, albeit not very large ones. Every surface is gracefully moulded and beautifully finished with top quality materials and BMW has placed a firm emphasis on ergonomics, creating a driver-orientated centre panel.
There are two engines on offer in two models: the 640i and 650i. The 650i is my car of choice; powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8, it produces a sudden and satisfying release of 320bhp and will propel the car from a standing start to 62mph in a ballistic 5 seconds. There is no manual gearbox option; instead there is a quick and seamless auto-sequential item with eight gears - auto selection is incredibly. The emmissions rating is impressively low at 249g/km.
New 2011 BMW 6 Series Convertible
The six-cylinder powered 640i, whilst quite a bit tamer is still a Hell of a car. It achieves the 0 to 62 sprint in 5.7 seconds but is capable of 35.8mpg and a CO2 rating of 185g/km.
BMW was very keen indeed to tell me about chassis development and actually is just about as neutral as that of any car I’ve ever driven. Overcook it in a corner without the drivers’ aids and you'll get a touch of easily-managed oversteer. The standard Dynamic Drive Control system allows the driver to sharpen steering, throttle response and gearchanges and has four settings from Comfort to Sport+.
On-road dynamics are simply fantastic: BMW had set us a route to follow but I ignored it. Turning the sat nav off, I drove myself up a big Spanish mountain and when I decided that I was hopelessly lost, I programmed the route guidance with the name of the nice hotel I was staying in and followed the directions at the highest speed possible on a very entertaining piece of tarmac.
New BMW 6 Series Convertible
There is an incredibly good connection with the road with no understeer or bodyroll whatsoever and it's also surprisingly nimble for such a big car. Traction and grip combine with sharp and accurate steering to produce a close to perfect driving experience. Brakes are hugely effective, in an almost brutal way.
BMW has produced a great-looking, comfortable and fast convertible GT that also handles amazingly well. It has achieved all this within strict emissions regulations, cost restrictions and has still managed to produce probably the best car in its class.
That challenge I mentioned earlier? It was met, then annihilated.
640i SE costs £65,680 while the V8 twin-turbo 650i will set you back £73,430
