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2005 BMW 6 Series Luxury Sports Coupe and Convertible
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Exterior
BMW designs are always controversial, and always gorgeous. There are few production vehicles as sensuous, and finely detailed, as BMW products. This is certainly true for the new 6 Series. The car is gorgeous, especially from the front.
The coupe shape is inherently elegant. In the 6 Series, the shape is sleek, long, and low. The line from the hood to the rear deck is nearly parallel to the ground, with a matching ridge running from the front wheel, to the back. The roofline is also long and low, positioning the driver in the middle of the vehicle. The 6 Series is devoid of cladding, but has numerous chrome details -- like the impressive bird-of-prey eye headlight clusters -- that make it shine.
The rear deck has a similar shape to the new 5 and 7 Series models. It is purposefully simple, which improves airflow over the car, reduces drag, and increases trunk space. It is the most controversial feature of the vehicle. That said, the new 6 Series is elegant, and hot. It turns heads.
The convertible maintains the same profile as the coupe. When the top is retracted the car’s shoulder-line is nearly flat. The rear window is made of glass and is fully retractable. When the top is up, the window is nearly vertical, positioned at the back of the passenger compartment. When the roof is down, the window rises back up to serve as a wind baffle for the rear passengers.
The downside of this configuration is that the car has a small rear window. The 6 convertible has significant blind spots when the top is up. But you would never drive it that way would you?
This car is breathtaking.
Interior
The interior is lovely. The dash is clean, and nicely fitted. The driver’s cowl contains the tach, and speedometer. A second cowl to the right holds the screen for the iDrive system. Below the screen are the HVAC vents, and their manual controls. The center console houses the transmission selector, and the mouse for iDrive.
iDrive is the system BMW uses to control the entertainment, climate, audio, and navitgation systems. Move the mouse in different directions, and press to make selections. The information is displayed in the screen. iDrive is a good idea, but despite improvements, the software is buggy, and slow, thus distracting. It is our least favorite feature in any BMW.
There are both wood, and aluminum, accents in the dash and doors. They are nicely executed, and luxurious.
The seats are solid, and hold you in place on twisting roads. The standard 12-way, adjustable seats can be replaced by optional 14-way, adjustable, sports seats. The rear seat is tiny, comfortable for perhaps a poodle, or a baby in a safety seat. But it is not sufficient for an adult, unless the ride is very short. Otherwise the 6 Series is roomy and comfortable for a driver and front passenger of any size.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK has 4 inches more legroom than the 6 Series coupe, or convertible, making it a slightly more practical choice. The 6 Series, however, has 1.7 inches more legroom than the Lexus SC 430 (can you imagine that?). And, it is much more fun to drive.
Opt for the addition of the Harmon Kardon Logic 7 sound system. It literally turns the chassis into a speaker cabinet.
Performance
The new 6 Series comes standard with a powerful, and smooth, 4.4-liter V8 engine that produces 325-horsepower, and 330 lb-ft of torque. It is likely that other engines will be introduced later.
There are three transmission options; manual, fully-automatic, and a Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG.) Audi is the only other automaker selling a luxury coupe with a V8 engine, and a manual transmission.
The SMG transmission can be driven either in the automatic, or manual, modes using shift paddles on the steering wheel, or a lever on the center console. It is the same SMG transmission BMW puts in the Z4 roadster. The SMG eliminates the manual transmission’s clutch pedal. It has the best attributes of both the manual and automatic transmissions, and the paddle shifters are a blast. There is no reason to purchase the automatic. The SMG is the way to go.
