Sometimes just that extra nanosecond of warning can make for a safer and more enjoyable drive. This one screaming feature is set amid fascinating details all but invisible in print. We found little need to shift into the manual mode, however, because it always selected the right gear automatically. Active Roll Stabilization dramatically reduces body roll in cornering. The coupe has a larger trunk 13 cubic feet than the convertible 12.
The 32-valve V8 benefits from Valvetronic variable valve timing and variable lift; breathing is controlled entirely by the valves. Bristling with the latest in technology, they are based on the superb new 5 Series chassis but are not simply two-door versions of the sedans. A big knob mounted on the center console controls navigation, the audio system, climate controls, and other secondary functions. The suspension is tuned to minimize undesirable behavior when lifting off the gas while cornering, braking hard, or accelerating hard. The roofline of the convertible is nearly identical to that of the coupe, and the soft top looks great when it's up. On a mountain road it's absolutely joyful.
The suspension is straight 5-series: a strut braced by two spindly aluminum links in front and beefy cast-aluminum lower control arms in back assisted by a pair of lateral links on each side, all mounted to a tubular aluminum crossmember. From the rear, however, the new 6 Series cannot be identified as readily. The latter juts out from the deep 13-cubic-foot trunk like the Rock of Gibraltar, which is not far from the southern Spanish town of Málaga, where the 645 was unveiled to automotive writers. Family ties to the big 745i sedan lurk in the oversize grille kidneys, the smoothly groomed flanks, the single thin swage line along the side, and the boxy trunklid. The Steptronic automatic is smooth in normal driving and very responsive for spirited driving. Flung at reckless speeds up the winding roads of Andalusia, the 645Ci is serenely stable and solid. Its coupes and convertibles date back to the late 1930s, however.
The Convertible is remarkably quiet with the top up, nearly as quiet as the coupe. It pounces on corners, tracks flat through the apexes, and devours the straights with a burly snarl from the V-8. Drive the 645Ci past the limit of the tires and the Dynamic Stability Control and other active safety systems kick in, allowing the car to motor around the corner without undue drama. The greenhouse is set back from the hood, observed by the relatively long distance from the trailing edge of the wheel well to the leading edge of the door. We have no reason to doubt that.
The 645Ci arrives as a large two-plus-two coupe hosting four adults in a luxurious and spacious cabin wired with technology up the yin-yang. Inside, the plastic, metal, and leather converge in lush geometric shapes set in organic sweeps of curves and humps. A bull market can't be far behind. Gooseneck hinges are employed, but are shielded from the inside cargo bay, eliminating concerns of crushing things. . The 645Ci coupe and 645Ci convertible models are essentially hard top and soft top versions of the same car.
This car makes you want to risk getting a ticket every day of the week. Though launched as 2004 models, the new 6 Series cars are for all practical purposes 2005 models. In fact, a 645Ci with the automatic is nearly as quick as a well-driven 645Ci with the manual. That was quickly followed by a specially built 328 coupe that won the prestigious Mille Miglia in 1940. It's also an efficient powerplant, so energy is not wasted but is instead channeled into fuel-efficient power. I also show the engine and the details of it, start it up and see how it sounds during acceleration.
Yet you're rewarded with immediate response whenever you press down on the accelerator. But they also were heavy, with no real rear legroom, and expensive. The coupe and convertible drew lots of attention when we drove them around Beverly Hills and they looked right at home pulling up to the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. This car immediately becomes and extension of the driver, smoothly and flawlessly executing his or her wishes. Surely this is the work of optimists. Handling is precise, with a superb self-centering feel to the steering. The 6 Series comes standard with adaptive headlamps that aim toward the inside of a corner as the steering wheel is turned.
Attention, Wall Street: The latest economic forecast comes from Munich, and this one definitely points up. Driving these cars is a joy. Now, a decade later comes this new line of 6 Series cars. As mentioned, the power rear windscreen can be lowered even when the top is up, though we didn't find it significantly added to air circulation. How about 0-to-60 in a -estimated 5. The turn signals are located above the headlamps allowing the headlamps to be moved farther around the corners to the sides of the car.
Press the button on the remote and the trunk lid pops open fully, nice when you're running through the rain with an armload of groceries. The springs and shocks are firmer than on the 545i, but not as firm as those on the 545i sport package, which are quite firm; and the 6 Series cars ride lower than the 5 Series. They started with the beautiful 1938 327 Coupe with sweeping fenders and available two-tone paint. All the driver has to do is aim the 645 and it goes there. The big knob doesn't move diagonally as in the 7 Series cars, which may simplify things, but we recommend sitting in the driveway with the owner's manual to master this system. Always poised, it is easy to drive smoothly and quickly. That's more horsepower than the old 8 Series' 5.
The new 645Ci is a Grand Touring coupe. Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. When viewed from overhead, the front corners look rounded giving the 6 Series a shark nose. The convertible is heavier and about a half-second slower. Engine, Storage capacity, Brakes, Buttons and so on will be shown. Various functions can be selected by sliding the big knob left or right, forward or aft, then turning it like a knob to work through menus displayed on a monitor on the center stack. It laps up freeway kilometers at triple-digit speeds, the suspension digesting ripples and dips so thoroughly that the body remains almost inert.