BMW's top-of-the-line coupe has always been among the firm�s most highly desirable cars. However, things kind of went downhill after the first 6-series, the E24. The 1990s saw the excess of the 8-series, which launched with a V-12�and the accompanying astronomical price�and therefore walked away from much of the 6-series customer base. Then came the E63 6-series, which virtually defined the �Bangle Butt,� perhaps the industry's most obnoxious posterior.
That's history now. Longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, the new 6-series is sleek and beautiful in a timeless way. From the aggressive shark nose down the sculpted body sides, past the Hofmeister-kinked C-pillar and all the way to the wide, low rear, the 6 boasts near-perfect proportions. It is finally a worthy aesthetic successor of the first-generation 6. Inside, it features a beautifully sculpted dashboard and center console, a tremendous departure from the strange mixture of baroque proportions and sober surface treatments that defined its predecessor's interior.
Eat it, World: U.S. Only Market to Get a Manual
Just as in the 6-series convertible, power comes from BMW�s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, which makes its usual 400 hp. (Europe also will get a a 315-hp inline-six under the hood of the 640i, as well as a possible 640d powered by a 3.0-liter diesel inline-six.) Most markets will get only a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual will also be available in the U.S. BMW says that the 0-to-60 dash will take just 4.8 seconds, and the artificial ceiling is set at 155 mph. Fuel-economy figures won�t be released until later this year, but don�t expect the 6 to be a miser. With that same engine and eight-speed auto, the 5-series is rated by the EPA for 17 mpg city/25 highway. The manual drops the 5�s ratings to just 15/22.
The 6-series portfolio is not complete yet. An M6 is coming, and will pack a version of the 650i�s turbocharged V-8 making around 600 hp. And there will be a four-door 6 as well, which will compete with the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
Pricing for the coupe has not been announced yet, but should stay close to that of the outgoing model, which started at $79,325. We�d be OK with even a moderate price increase: When was the last time you could, with a straight face, praise a new BMW for its timeless beauty?
That's history now. Longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, the new 6-series is sleek and beautiful in a timeless way. From the aggressive shark nose down the sculpted body sides, past the Hofmeister-kinked C-pillar and all the way to the wide, low rear, the 6 boasts near-perfect proportions. It is finally a worthy aesthetic successor of the first-generation 6. Inside, it features a beautifully sculpted dashboard and center console, a tremendous departure from the strange mixture of baroque proportions and sober surface treatments that defined its predecessor's interior.
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Just as in the 6-series convertible, power comes from BMW�s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, which makes its usual 400 hp. (Europe also will get a a 315-hp inline-six under the hood of the 640i, as well as a possible 640d powered by a 3.0-liter diesel inline-six.) Most markets will get only a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual will also be available in the U.S. BMW says that the 0-to-60 dash will take just 4.8 seconds, and the artificial ceiling is set at 155 mph. Fuel-economy figures won�t be released until later this year, but don�t expect the 6 to be a miser. With that same engine and eight-speed auto, the 5-series is rated by the EPA for 17 mpg city/25 highway. The manual drops the 5�s ratings to just 15/22.
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Pricing for the coupe has not been announced yet, but should stay close to that of the outgoing model, which started at $79,325. We�d be OK with even a moderate price increase: When was the last time you could, with a straight face, praise a new BMW for its timeless beauty?
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