Redesigned last year, the BMW 6 Series comes with either an inline-six or V-8 engine and is offered in coupe and soft-top convertible variants, both of which seat four. The Jaguar XK is the 6 Series’ most direct competitor, but you might cross-shop the car against a Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe or cabriolet, too.
The 650i’s twin-turbo V-8 is now rated at 445 horsepower and 480 pounds-feet of torque, and the engine features fuel-saving stop-start technology and BMW’s Eco Pro setting.
The 6 Series maintains a short front overhang and low-slung appearance. BMW says the design was inspired by the natural motion of waves.
The convertible’s fully automatic soft-top has what BMW describes as a flying-buttress design in which the top trails behind a vertical rear window, maintaining a coupe-like roofline. The top, which can be operated at the touch of a button at speeds up to 25 mph, comes in black or beige. Exterior features include:
- 18-inch wheels standard; 19- or 20-inch wheels available
- Standard adaptive xenon headlamps
- Standard glass sunroof with power-sliding sunshade
- Available adaptive LED headlights
The interior has a 2+2 seating configuration with small rear seats. Trunk volume in the coupe is about 30 percent more than the convertible with its top up; with the top down, the convertible loses another 14 percent. Interior features include:
- Power-adjustable seats
- Optional ventilated and massaging front seats
- Standard iDrive with a 10.2-inch high-resolution screen and navigation
- Available heated steering wheel
- Available Bang & Olufsen premium stereo
The 640i is powered by a 315-horsepower, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine while the 650i gets a 445-hp, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. Mechanical features include:
- Eight-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles
- Rear-wheel drive for 640i
- Rear- or all-wheel drive for 650i
Both the coupe and convertible have front airbags plus side-impact airbags built into the front seats. Safety features include:
- Antilock brakes
- Electronic stability system
- Pop-up roll bars in convertible
- Backup camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Available parallel-parking assist
- Available surround-view system
- Available blind spot warning system
- Available lane departure warning system with frontal collision warning
- Available night vision with pedestrian detection