BMW's continual effort in making cars more cosseting to be in stretches now to its flagship coupe'
The BMW 6-series was always a special car, not in the sense that it was a hoot to drive, but for the fact that it properly represented a grand touring coupe for the blue and white propeller marquee.
BMW has had quite a long history with luxury 2+2 coupes. It even once trespassed super GT territory with the 8-series during the gestation period of the first and second generation 6-series in the 1990s, but it was deemed a little too excessive in size and price, explaining its demise.
This is why the 6-series today is probably the perfect thesis of a luxury GT, because it sits below Mercedes-Benz's gargantuan CL-class, with more sensible dimensions and prices, has a more distinct history and is practically in a class of its own.
The 6-series is basically unrivalled because it doesn't really have a true competitor at the moment when you consider its price, position and body silhouette. The Merc CLS? Nah, that's a sleek-looking saloon that BMW will helplessly find a solution for next year (see sidebar at below right).
The boot swallows a decent amount of luggage.
When it comes to a classic coupe _ two doors with a three-box profile _ the only credible rivals for the 6-series are the Jaguar XK and Maserati GranTurismo.
But like how you would find out in the 6-series Convertible story at the right of this page, the 6-series Coupe has one distinctive point over those two aforementioned players: a downsized six-cylinder engine, to additionally bring the price to a range those two are incapable of competing in.
When the 6-series goes on sale in Thailand towards the end of the year, BMW Thailand is hoping to price the 640i Coupe below 9 million baht. Don't forget that cabrios are usually more expensive to build, which is why the 640i Convertible costs 9.499 million baht.
So for 6-series fans, practically no shopping is required. And one of the best things the new 6-series boasts over its predecessor is design. Unlike the gawky-looking second-gen model, the latest one has got a resolved appearance, including a shark nose and a wide hip line.
These two particular elements truly help give the Six a new-found appearance of machismo, dynamism and
tidiness. While other details like the 19-inch wheels and LED front and rear lamps play a supporting role.
Hop into the 6-series and the sensation continues. Like the exterior, the interior returns with more inspiration: driver-oriented fascia, high quality trim and, a first for BMW, a large multi-function monitor that looks like a flat-screen TV adorning the cabin.
As the 6-series has grown in all necessary dimensions, it's a proper 2+2 coupe. There's plenty of space up front and ample of it in the rear _ provided that titans are not seated up front. The car that probably matches the Six closely in size is the GranTurismo.
The Six's boot is quite practical, too, with BMW showing to the media that three golf or travel bags can fit behind. Because of all these aspects pertaining to space, the 6-series is quite a big car, both on the kerbside and on the move.
To put it bluntly, the Six feels big to steer. Even when you try to raise the driver's seat to an unusually high stance, you can feel the vast amount of metal in front of you. At the instant, you know this car is luxury GT and not the sporting type one would have come to expect from a BMW.
Front LED lights play both form and function, and the same goes for the rear ones.
But that's really the point of the 6-series, so it's no surprise the car has massive levels of driving comfort and cruising refinement. In fact, most new BMWs are moving in this direction today, that is, appealing to real-world customers needing something like, err, a Mercedes.
If it's outright handling finesse you're after, then the XK still remains the car of choice. The GranTurismo may lack the XK's litheness, but it feels slightly more entertaining, if a little rough, over the 6-series.
Normally, you would be able to find the optional active suspension consisting of comfort, normal and sport (and sport-plus to partially loosen intervention of the stability control system) in BMWs. Now in the 6-series (also as an option) you can additionally get _ blimey, in a BMW _ comfort-plus to really make the ride soothing at city speeds.
And because of the increased dimensions, notably the tracks of the car, grip at high speeds is never short _ even when you use all of your guts on unrestricted parts of the German autobahn and still in comfort-plus mode.
The 320hp motor is all you’ll need for Thai roads.
You now start to wonder how cars have become so well-engineered these days, even when road conditions are becoming so congested that there's practically no place in the real world where you would be able to exploit such a planted chassis.
Nevertheless, sport mode could prove to be useful on high-speed undulating roads like those in Thailand. The driving trials of the Six were held in Germany where roads are normally as smooth as on a snooker table, so to speak.
And don't get fooled by the downsized engine in the 6-series. It may not have eight cylinders like in its intended rivals, but the use of turbo helps the 640i achieve similar performance.
There's plenty of shove, be it during acceleration, overtaking in the mid-ranges or when blasting down the autobahn. The responsiveness is also nearly peerless, thanks to the brand's impeccable eight-speed automatic torque-convertor gearbox.
And for the first time, BMW has equipped the new Eco Pro mode (which comes together with Comfort-plus) into the 6-series to slacken throttle and air-con operation for reduced fuel consumption _ just like what many imported Japanese cars feature in Thailand.
It’s no surprise that the car has massive levels of driving comfort and cruising refinement.
BMW has announced two other engine variants for the 6-series, although they're most likely not to be considered for the Thai market.
One is the 650i, whose bi-turbo 4.4-litre V8, though superb, would prove too excessive in performance for Thai roads. Also, its price would nudge near the 15 million baht CL500 from Mercedes.
The other is the 640d in which its diesel-turbo has been optimised from the 3.0-litre engine block still used in other applications, like the X6 35d, 535d and 335d, sold in Europe. Despite a fantastic balance between performance and fuel consumption (see graphic), Thailand's slow advancement of clean diesel technology hampers its availability.
But the 640i is really enough for Thai customers, given that it has more than enough oomph, decent economy and, crucially, a competitive edge over all rivals.
Which means that, in the end, the 640i in Coupe form should be a satisfying car for both fans and buyers who don't want to spend more than 10 million baht for a GT cruiser. Other brands should heed to this price bracket in Thailand.
The Gran Coupe´ is BMW’s riposte to Merc CLS.
NEXT PROGRAMME
A sleek, four-door saloon is set to become the third body silhouette in the BMW 6-series model range after the Convertible and Coupe{aac}.
Showcased in the 2009 Gran Coupe{aac} concept, the segment-diversifying car would provide BMW an answer to Mercedes-Benz's popular CLS.
BMW has confirmed that the CLS-chasing Bimmer would go on sale next year.
Obvious engines for the Six saloon include the existing turbocharged six- and eight-pots of the 640d, 640i and 650i.
Now that the CLS has already downsized with turbo'd four-cylinder variants, BMW is reportedly looking at a similar approach with its new twin-turbo 2.0-litre inline-four petrol engine.
Now used in the X1 xDrive28i and Z4 sDrive28i in Europe, the 245hp motor could potentially power a 6-series badged 628i.
In theory, there could also be a milder 200hp-plus badged 623i and 184hp 620i, with the latter one first announced for the X1 SUV called sDrive20i.
But these two engines are most likely to be ruled out due to reasons of marketing. The 6-series is placed above the 5-series, so it shouldn't move too far down the engine (and price) rank.
The 520i/523i are more likely candidates later in the Five's lifecycle.
The entire grand touring coupe´ family poses for a photo.
LOOKING BACK
BMW has had a long history with grand touring coupe{aac}s starting from the 2800CS of the 1960s and E9 3.0CS/CSi. The following two-doors got to wear the 6-series badge.
The first Six was the E24 designed to replace the E9. It was produced between 1976-1989 and saw a 628i sitting on the bottom of the range.
The second 6-series was the E63/64 (coupe{aac}/convertible) made from 2003-2010. Its styling, particularly with the meek front end, stirred controversy thanks to then designer Chris Bangle.
The new F12/13 hopes to cool the debate with more predictable yet bold lines. Expect an M6 high-performance variant to be revived within two years running the M5's 560hp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic drivetrain.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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