BMW 6-SERIES
BMW’s 6-series range is the quirkiest member of the BMW family – a luxury convertible, four-door coupe and ‘Gran Turismo’.
With the recent announcement of the upcoming BMW 8-series, the 6-series range has undergone a bit of a change. It used to be the case that the 6-series was the coupe off-shoot of the 5-series saloon, but now the 6 is available as either a convertible, a ‘Gran Coupe’, or a ‘Gran Turismo’. The old two-door coupe has been dropped entirely.
‘Gran Coupe’ is BMW’s special name for a four-door, fastback style coupe, but it’s the Gran Turismo model that’s particularly interesting. This unusual body style is unique to BMW and it combines various elements to make a car that’s a little bit of everything wrapped into one. It has a big boot, lots of rear passenger space and a slightly raised ride. As the name suggests, it’s intended as a versatile car for distance driving and doesn’t inherit the sporty dynamics that BMW is famous for. This is a relaxing cruiser with practicality on the mind – even if you can lease it with some powerful engine options.
All BMW 6-series models come with an 8-speed automatic gearbox that BMW deploys across its range. It’s one of the finest automatic boxes on the market and pairs particularly well with the more powerful engines available in the luxurious 6. There’s one diesel and two petrol options to choose from – the ‘40i’ is a turbocharged 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine with 316bhp. The more powerful ‘50i’ is a creamy 4.4-litre V8 turbo producing 444bhp. These two are likely to be the favoured engines for Synergy’s performance engine aficionados, but there’s also a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo diesel that doesn’t hold back with a strong 309bhp output.
Being a luxury car, the 6-series comes packed with an assortment of gadgets and equipment. Climate and adaptive cruise control, digital cockpit, full leather upholstery, electric and heated seats as well as BMW excellent ‘iDrive’ infotainment system with professional navigation are all standard on M-Sport models and above. Optional extras on hand are rather special too, night-vision, a heads-up display, premium audio systems, and even digital TV preparation are all boxes that can be ticked on the 6-series.
A strong-performing but highly practical car in GT form, a sleek coupe in Gran Coupe and a stylish, deeply luxurious cruiser in convertible form, the BMW 6-series is a diverse but deeply impressive machine.