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First a disclaimer, I was stationary for half the time I spent with the new BMW 650i.
But that's no reflection of the way it drives. Rather, the noise it makes is so totally goofy smile-inducing, that it could?ve handled like a shopping trolley with three stuck wheels and it wouldn't really have mattered. This therefore makes it very, very difficult to leave an enclosed carpark without an engine blip or three. Dozen.
A 650i engine blip goes something like this, "Vrooaaarrrrooooom" after which the engine settles into a bassy, "brururrumm, bruruururuumm, brumblembrum, brumrum, brumbrumbrum" sort of idle. The most vocally talented of V8's make a throaty gurgle as you come off the throttle, almost like they're breathing air in through a snorkel that's half submerged in water.
Also, this particular 650i is a cabriolet, and really, the main function of the roof is to act as volume control for the orchestra under the bonnet.
The engine in question is new to the 6 Series range. It's a 4.8-litre V8 that develops 367bhp, and it also pulls duty in the 750Li. As before, the V8 features BMW's trick Valvetronic inlet valve lift control system. This is meant to do away with a conventional throttle butterfly, essentially a round disc fixed in the intake piping that swings to either restrict or open up the airflow to the engine.
Why you can do without a conventional throttle butterfly is the same as why you don't strangle yourself when you don't need to breathe hard. Instead you take shallower breaths. In a similar fashion, the engine?s "breathing" is regulated by inlet valve lift, a more efficient method.
BMW hasn't fiddled with the 6's avant garde looks, probably a wise move as the design has matured really very well. Lines that used to be discordant and awkward when the car was first introduced now look anything but. On the inside, very small tweaks have been made, most notably the addition of a start / stop button for the ignition, as well as a keyless entry option. It's still a very luxurious place to be, too, with acres of plush leather covering virtually everything, and a terrific LOGIC7 sound system.
You also get a cool heads-up display. You can set it to show a variety of information but the road speed option is probably best. Having a ghostly km/h reading floating in front of the windscreen might seem distracting, but in a car that can hit the ton from standstill in 5.7 seconds, the heads-up display can be driving licence-saving.
Our test car came with bags of kit, some of the options that come standard with the 650i are Dynamic Drive and Active Steering. Dynamic Drive basically consists of active anti-roll bars, that help to keep the body flat and level during cornering. Active Steering amplifies or attenuates steering inputs depending on speed. The latter system is linked to the 650i's stability control programme, and can even apply corrective steering lock in emergency situations.
You might think that all that tech would make for a soulless drive but we?re talking about a BMW, and this means that you can shut down all the electronic safety aids with a push of a button. If you?re just pottering around, the 6 is very cosseting, roof up or down. The engine revs almost as eagerly as one of BMW?s fantastic six-cylinder engines, and the seemingly limitless power and torque available mean instant, superbly gratifying, overtaking punch.
With stability and traction control both disabled, and with a light rain lubricating the surface of a large, empty trailer park, the 650i gives full rein to your inner child. It's not so much the ease with which the big Beemer wags its tail, but rather the idea of something as large and otherwise stately as the 650i being put through the hooligan gauntlet that holds so much appeal. Oh and did I mention that it?s a convertible?
Verdict
The 6 is a brute in a very stylish suit, now with even more muscle
NEED TO KNOW
Model BMW 650i Cabriolet (A)
Engine Type 4,779cc, 32v V8
Max Power 367bhp at 6,300rpm
Max Torque 490Nm at 3,400rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top Speed 250km/h
0-100 km/h 5.7 seconds
Price $375,000 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 100,000km
Contact Performance Motors at 6319-0100
SIMILAR CARS WE HAVE DRIVEN
Maserati Spyder (A) $380,000 with COE
The Spyder's 390bhp V8 makes it the most powerful here, the unit is also Ferrari-derived so you can imagine the kind of noise it makes.
Mercedes-Benz SL500 (A) $458,888 including COE
The pricey, but gorgeous SL500 has just been given a mid-life facelift. It also gets a new engine, a monster 381bhp 5.0-litre V8.
But that's no reflection of the way it drives. Rather, the noise it makes is so totally goofy smile-inducing, that it could?ve handled like a shopping trolley with three stuck wheels and it wouldn't really have mattered. This therefore makes it very, very difficult to leave an enclosed carpark without an engine blip or three. Dozen.
A 650i engine blip goes something like this, "Vrooaaarrrrooooom" after which the engine settles into a bassy, "brururrumm, bruruururuumm, brumblembrum, brumrum, brumbrumbrum" sort of idle. The most vocally talented of V8's make a throaty gurgle as you come off the throttle, almost like they're breathing air in through a snorkel that's half submerged in water.
Also, this particular 650i is a cabriolet, and really, the main function of the roof is to act as volume control for the orchestra under the bonnet.
The engine in question is new to the 6 Series range. It's a 4.8-litre V8 that develops 367bhp, and it also pulls duty in the 750Li. As before, the V8 features BMW's trick Valvetronic inlet valve lift control system. This is meant to do away with a conventional throttle butterfly, essentially a round disc fixed in the intake piping that swings to either restrict or open up the airflow to the engine.
Why you can do without a conventional throttle butterfly is the same as why you don't strangle yourself when you don't need to breathe hard. Instead you take shallower breaths. In a similar fashion, the engine?s "breathing" is regulated by inlet valve lift, a more efficient method.
BMW hasn't fiddled with the 6's avant garde looks, probably a wise move as the design has matured really very well. Lines that used to be discordant and awkward when the car was first introduced now look anything but. On the inside, very small tweaks have been made, most notably the addition of a start / stop button for the ignition, as well as a keyless entry option. It's still a very luxurious place to be, too, with acres of plush leather covering virtually everything, and a terrific LOGIC7 sound system.
You also get a cool heads-up display. You can set it to show a variety of information but the road speed option is probably best. Having a ghostly km/h reading floating in front of the windscreen might seem distracting, but in a car that can hit the ton from standstill in 5.7 seconds, the heads-up display can be driving licence-saving.
Our test car came with bags of kit, some of the options that come standard with the 650i are Dynamic Drive and Active Steering. Dynamic Drive basically consists of active anti-roll bars, that help to keep the body flat and level during cornering. Active Steering amplifies or attenuates steering inputs depending on speed. The latter system is linked to the 650i's stability control programme, and can even apply corrective steering lock in emergency situations.
You might think that all that tech would make for a soulless drive but we?re talking about a BMW, and this means that you can shut down all the electronic safety aids with a push of a button. If you?re just pottering around, the 6 is very cosseting, roof up or down. The engine revs almost as eagerly as one of BMW?s fantastic six-cylinder engines, and the seemingly limitless power and torque available mean instant, superbly gratifying, overtaking punch.
With stability and traction control both disabled, and with a light rain lubricating the surface of a large, empty trailer park, the 650i gives full rein to your inner child. It's not so much the ease with which the big Beemer wags its tail, but rather the idea of something as large and otherwise stately as the 650i being put through the hooligan gauntlet that holds so much appeal. Oh and did I mention that it?s a convertible?
- Looks, power, noise, ability to go sideways
- Price, refuelling costs from constant blipping of the engine alone
Verdict
The 6 is a brute in a very stylish suit, now with even more muscleNEED TO KNOW
Model BMW 650i Cabriolet (A)Engine Type 4,779cc, 32v V8
Max Power 367bhp at 6,300rpm
Max Torque 490Nm at 3,400rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top Speed 250km/h
0-100 km/h 5.7 seconds
Price $375,000 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 100,000km
Contact Performance Motors at 6319-0100
SIMILAR CARS WE HAVE DRIVEN
Maserati Spyder (A) $380,000 with COEThe Spyder's 390bhp V8 makes it the most powerful here, the unit is also Ferrari-derived so you can imagine the kind of noise it makes.
Mercedes-Benz SL500 (A) $458,888 including COE
The pricey, but gorgeous SL500 has just been given a mid-life facelift. It also gets a new engine, a monster 381bhp 5.0-litre V8.
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