ABSOLUTE MOTORING
Although the styling of the 6 Series Coupe has divided opinion, it’s surely impossible to grouse about the stunning convertible model. Andy Enright reports on the latest revised models
Open for the new year I
n theory it‘s easy to dislike big convertibles. They’re brash, showy, fuel guzzling tributes to propping up an overinflated ego, yet at the same time it’s impossible not to warm to their sheer brass neck. The BMW 6 Series Convertible is a case in point. You’ll need to be very comfortable with the notion of being stared at and although you may well achieve this and a good deal more cheaply by leaving home in the morning bereft of clothes, you wouldn’t relish the prospect of 155mph with your bits blowing in the breeze. The 6 Series Convertible makes exhibitionism seem wholly acceptable. The hood mechanism isn’t of the currently fashionable folding hard top variety, instead being a more conventional fabric affair capable of disappearing from view in less than 20 seconds. The best part about the hood is that it’s operable with the car moving at speeds of up to 20mph. Much quicker than that and aerodynamics would plant your hood onto the windscreen of the car behind but it’s nevertheless very impressive to be able to drop the hood while on the move. Six hydraulic cylinders guide the ragtop into place without significantly compromising luggage space – a major issue with folding hard topped cars. All 6-series convertibles are available in Edition Sport trim which focuses around improved handling. All 6-series convertibles are available in Edition Sport trim which focuses around improved handling. This is the facelifted 6-Series but you’d really have to eyeball one parked alongside the original car to pinpoint the changes. For the record, the headlamps have the LED technology that is so popular amongst the premium marques at the moment. It takes the form of a thin row of lights above the main projectors. More obvious is the redesigned front valance that accommodates differently shaped air intakes and at the back the bumper has been tweaked it increase the impression of width. Other than that, the grille is fractionally larger and the rear light clusters have been tweaked. “It’s a car that will brighten even the greyest of days….” The convertible retains the coupe model’s near 50:50 weight distribution and the car’s contours are preserved with C-pillar style fins. Many soft-top cars look a million dollars with the roof down but around a hundred with the soft top in place. The 6 Series also features a retractable glass windows and noise insulating polyurethane foam sandwiched between the rubberised outer membrane and the inner hood fabric. The designers have done their best to minimise wind noise and a quick trip
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through a car wash will show that water ingress just isn’t worth worrying about. The shape of the car directs airflow away from the passenger compartment and at speeds of over 100mph, front passengers will encounter very little in the way of turbulence. With the roof in place, the boot offers a generous 350 litres of space and 300 when it’s folded. Manufacturers love to measure capacity in terms of golf bags (target market) and this boot is capable of carrying two. Priced from £55,495, the 6 Series Convertible is currently available with two mainstream petrol engines and both are mighty pieces of work, now made more powerful yet more efficient through BMW’s clever EfficientDynamics technology. The 630i now packs a 272bhp six-cylinder unit capable of 060mph in around six seconds and yet this is the affordable face of 6-Series Convertible ownership with a very reasonable combined fuel consumption figure of 34.0mpg. Even the 4.8-litre V8 650i Convertible manages 22.4mpg, up 7% on the previous version. Yet it wafts to sixty in 5.5s. BMW offer a sports package on all convertible and coupe BMW 6-series models that enhances the driving dynamics and adds a sportier look to the car. This includes a contoured bonnet, 19-inch light alloy wheels and anti-roll stabilisation for improved handling. A brushed aluminium interior and extended lighting complete the look. Arguably the 6 Series Convertible to have however, is the 635d diesel version. Yes, you read that right. Diesel engines don’t traditionally sit well in luxury convertibles but this 3.0-litre twin-turbo isn’t a traditional diesel. It’s slightly slower on the 0-60mph measure than the 630i but the engine’s crushing peak torque of 580Nm is served up from just 1,750rpm, making it devastatingly fast in real world conditions. The 635d’s surging acceleration has more in common with that of the range-topping 650i. Ring its neck and a supercar-esque 6.6-second 0-60mph sprint can be extracted. It would bludgeon through the 155mph barrier too, if the artificial limiter were not on guard. Yet it will record 39.2mpg on the combined cycle. BMW plan to import just 1,000 convertibles a year, so unless you live in Alderley Edge or Guildford, it’s unlikely they’ll become common currency. For those of us unable to stretch to one, that is a shame. It’s a car that will brighten even the greyest of days.
ABSOLUTE
B0110_070 Motoring Jan 2010.indd1 1
16/12/09 12:47:34