BMW 645ci Reviews

Their heads snapped around to check out BMW's latest hero car, the E63 645Ci.As they walked across the intersection, they were transfixed by the brawny coupe and completely missed the bikini-clad babes walking the other way.Only a Monaro seems to attract more attention from onlookers.But the 645Ci is not just a show pony. It has the goods.Try 245kW of 4.4-litre V8 power with 450Nm of low-down pull for a start.Then transfer that through BMW's dynamic drive system, with traction and stability control bells and whistles.It's potent but it's also controllable with good safety features.I drove one in a few parade stages of the Targa Tasmania rally last year and could not fault it.This time, I had the BMW on a far more sedate parade on the boulevards of the Sunshine Coast and I still could not fault it.Well, perhaps the clutch is a little heavy for slow traffic.But that Monaro-esque ``varoomph'' from the twin-exhaust more than makes up for it.At slow parade speeds, the steering is ultra-light. In fact, it takes a little getting used to, but it's an absolute joy to park.As you push the slightly doughy accelerator, the steering ties down and becomes almost ponderous at highway speeds.On the highway, the BMW is quiet and comfortable, even for rear passengers. Not many coupes have this much headroom in the back.Highways and boulevard parades may be fine for poseurs, but they are not very exciting for driving enthusiasts.So when I heard on the radio that the Bruce Highway was closed because of an accident, I headed inland for a fun detour around the Mt Mee district.Here the hero car really shows its prowess, sprinting effortlessly up the steep grades and stepping delicately around the ridges thanks to its 50/50 weight distribution.Weight has been kept down to 1620kg (1615kg manual) with the use of aluminium in the chassis, doors, bonnet and the roof of the coupe, while the bulbous boot is plastic.Options include 19-inch wheels ($2200-$3200) over the standard 18-inch alloys, a $4500 active cruise control system that keeps it a designated distance from vehicles in front, climate glass ($600), 13-speaker Logic7 sound system ($1700), universal remote control ($500), ski bag ($750), heated steering wheel ($470) and a no-cost manual gearbox.Another featured option is head-up display ($3000).This shows important information on the windscreen so drivers do not have to divert their eyes from the road.It displays speed, cruise-set speed, distance set from the vehicle in front in active cruise mode, basic navigation warnings such as the next turn, and warnings such as brake wear and low tyre pressure.If the car has a puncture or a slow leak, not only will the vehicle sense the accompanying wheel speed anomaly, but run-flat technology will allow the 645Ci to continue on the tyre for 150km at 80km/h.I didn't test the system myself, but I have watched ebullient BBC motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson slash the tyres, then drive a BMW with run-flat technology on a racetrack at ridiculous, licence-losing speeds.They worked just fine.And if you get a puncture more than 150km from a BMW dealer, you can always fit a standard tyre.The 6 Series also shares 7 and 5 Series technology such as speed-variable active steering, adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights which turn up to 15deg around a corner to improve lighting distance, and LED brake lights with brake force display.This is a system common to many new BMWs which displays a brighter glow when you apply the brakes in a panic, alerting drivers behind. LEDs also last longer than bulbs.The cabin features luxurious soft "pearl" leather (available in black, beige or reed) and wood trim (pearl gloss, or dark or light birch grain).Standard features include six airbags, satellite navigation, voice-recognition iDrive, in-car hands-free phone, six-stacker CD, park distance alert and an electric glass sunroof in the coupe.It's my favourite car. A driver's car, yet also a comfortable passenger car, even for a coupe. Now if only I'd had the convertible at Mooloolaba, I might have been able to attract the attention of those bikini babes as well. Or maybe not.

The Ci is actually $203 grand.It's ridiculous to contemplate really, spending that much on a car, but driving the BMW 645Ci seems to justify the outlay.Here is a stunning looking two door coupe with glorious performance, great handling and every luxury known to man – well almost.A 7-Series coupe for want of a better description, the Ci offers a level of driving pleasure few other cars can deliver. It is not the fastest, quickest, best handling or riding but is damn close on all scores. It is certainly right up there in technology and luxury terms.Line it up against something from the HSV stable and the local hotrod will be seriously tested in a straight line and around corners. But the Big Beemer does it all with such poise, such control. It's awesome.I was fortunate to drive the six speed manual version of which will be a rarity here as most buyers (me too if I had the dosh) would go for the six speed auto. There is no price differential between the two.The manual is a sweet shifter, has a light clutch and closely spaced ratios.But driving in heavy traffic is annoying (in any manual).The Ci feels like a big car and plenty of people said it looks heavy but it isn't really, just a bit over 1600kg, and that's why one of the reasons why it goes so well.The engine is a 4.4L, multi cam, multi valve V8 with variable valve control. It produces 245kW/450Nm of torque. It's used in 5-Series and 7-Series.Fuel consumption can average around 12L/100km if you are conservative with the throttle but it's too easy to revel in this car's performance. Acceleration is rapid with the 0-100kmh sprint passing in about 5.3 seconds.And BMW has engineered a super sound into the exhaust. That is just more temptation.As usual, electronic systems abound and they control just about every dynamic function of the car. Some can be switched off but electronics still retain the upper hand.It doesn't matter in a car like this.The lavish four person interior provides fully- bombed luxury and has a new (simplified) version of the i-Drive system for the in-car stuff like entertain- ment, satnav, and TV.Of particular interest are the adaptive bi-xenon headlights and Active steering that provides kart-like response at low speed and sports sedan feel at high speed.Convenience features include a glass sunroof, park distance control all round and a multi-function steering wheel. If only mainstream cars were so good.Next century perhaps.

But thankfully it's never brash or brutal, though some people find price tags of $203,000 and $220,000, coupe and convertible, about as brutal as it gets in new-car showrooms.The Six is a great drive with plenty of appeal and a welcome comeback car in a BMW line-up that seems to be expanding all the time.This one has been revived, after a strong run through the '80s, to take a top-end charge at everything from Jaguar's XKR to the Porsche 911 and the latest Bentley Continental GT. Oh, and Benz's CLK and CL coupes.It's a big job for a big car that looks a lot like a two-door 7-Series limo, but it's also a sign BMW is serious about filling every slot in the prestige world.It believes it should have a car for every prestige and luxury buyer, from its latest baby car -- the 1-Series compact that comes to Australia next month -- to the 7-Series limousine and the Six.The 645Ci coupe is a four-person coupe based on the mechanical package of the mid-sized 5-Series sedan, but it picks up the fulsome 4.4-litre V8 from the Seven.The engine has Bi-Vans valvetronic control to liberate 245kW of power, the chassis has run-flat tyres with pressure warning, there is dynamic stability and traction control as well as dynamic brake control and cornering brake control, and the cabin is padded with airbags.BMW has gone all-out with active steering, aluminium for the bonnet and rear suspension, thermoplastic front guards and adaptive xenon headlamps that can see around corners.It is all built up as a Grand Touring package for people who are likely to use their Six for weekends away or holiday trips, though it will also bumble along in traffic with the same sort of cosseting cabin as the Seven.BMW Australia isn't predicting big sales for the car, about 20 a month, but knows it can bang a big drum with a car that turns heads and gets people thinking about the brand.ON THE ROADBMW Australia says you will have to be quick, and wealthy, to get one of the 120 Sixes allocated Down Under this year.It is trying to get more, but believes the 645 will be a sellout for 2004 with strong demand already for 2005. What makes the car special is its bold look and performance that matches the promise in the two-door body and long list of technology and equipment.We drove it as a six-speed manual coupe, even if most will be delivered as a convertible with six-speed auto and touch-change sports shift.We also had one in the test fleet for back-to-back running with a Porsche. The 911 was the superseded model, but the difference between the cars was obvious.The BMW is a more everyday car, happy to run to the shops or carry four adults on medium-range trips, and the Porsche is the fun machine.The Six is more practical and surprisingly enjoyable, and the 911 is a car that takes driving.Lined up against its other rivals, the BMW is well ahead of the Jaguar on cabin space and quality and has a much newer design.The Six is more involving to drive than a Benz CL, though the German rival is one of our all-time favourites, and roomier and better equipped than a CLK.The Bentley? It's $379,995, which puts it into another class.These cars are all just dream machines for nearly all Australians, but the 645 is a car that delivers on most of the promises.It will blast to 100km/h in just on six seconds, doing it with a proud V8 soundtrack.It can do 200km/h for hours on German autobahns and makes no fuss about long-distance running in Australia.The ride is plush and well controlled and it is enjoyable to push along a twisty road.The luxury gear is great, though we cannot resist another swipe at the complicated iDrive computer control after driving the latest Audi A8L this week, with its much simpler and more logical MMI for control of functions such as the sound system and satnav.The Six is not as sharp as a Porsche, but more taut than a Jaguar, with the effortless poise that will appeal to people with a $200,000-plus shopping trolley.It is tough to park with little visibility, which is why the car comes with parking radar, but that was about the only complaint.Some people will find it frivolous, costly or too aggressive, but that's all personal stuff.We rate it just about equal with Benz's CL, thanks to its price advantage, and just behind the 911 because a Porsche is more exciting. This is about as good as it gets from BMW.THE BOTTOM LINETHE bold new Six is a car for people who enjoy, and can afford, the finer things in life.

If you had to nominate a car badge in need of an image polish BMW probably wouldn't be near the top of your list. Chances are it wouldn't make it on to the list.Yet BMW's Australian boss, Franz Sauter, has nominated image as the raison d'etre of the latest 645Ci coupe and convertible."While the 6 Series will not be the biggest-volume seller, it is very important to BMW and the image of the company," Sauter said at the recent Australian launch of the luxuriously sporting model."It is a car we are happy with and proud of."There is little room for argument that the 645Ci is a premium product – yet at $203,000 for the coupe and $220,000 for the convertible the biggest issue appears to be availability, not affordability."We are going to get closer to 120 than 200 this year," says John Kananghinis, BMW Australia's general manager of marketing and communications.He says that while there were no natural competitors for the latest BMW – "there are some who are as sporty but do not have the luxury, and others who have the luxury but are not as sporty" – early indications were for conquests from a wide range of brands."We have had inquires from 7 Series owners – to add to their garage – from Porsche owners, XK8s, Maserati, the odd Benz...but not too many of those.""There is a bit of a Holden-Falcon thing in that area. Both sets of owners have a very high level of loyalty for their badges."BMW's history is littered with sporty, luxurious coupes since before World War II. It has been during the past 25 years that the 6 Series became synonymous with luxury and performance in a two-door package.From the arrival of the 635CSi in the mid-'70s through to the quirky 850 and 845Ci in the early '90s, the luxury coupe was a staple.The latest 6 Series comes with a high level of specification but the options list is sparse.A six-speed manual to replace the slick six-speed ZF auto is a no-cost option, 19-inch alloys in a choice of styles are $2200 or $3200 extra, climate comfort glass ($600), the premium Logic7 sound system ($1760), active cruise control ($4500) and head-up display ($3000) will be available from late this year.Standard fare includes the clever adaptive steering launched on the 5 Series, dynamic drive control, dynamic traction control with a higher slip threshold and dynamic drive, which uses a pair of active anti-roll bars to almost eliminate body roll.Also on the menu are active (road-following) Bi-Xenon headlights, six airbags, run-flat tyres, dynamic stability control, supremely comfortable heated sports seats, TV, SatNav, voice-recognition iDrive, plus an entire grab-bag of luxury bits.How it drivesIt was enough to make a driver weak at the knees. The prospect of punting the 645Ci coupe and convertible through some Targa Tasmania stages was the stuff of dreams.The reality was a harmless toodle behind a pace car over the legendary Sideling, which didn't give the Bimmer much of a chance to shine. As slippery as the stage was in the morning drizzle, the BMW coupe was so far inside its comfort zone you could almost feel it blush. Too much more of that and you could imagine the squadron of 645s packing it in and going home.Fortunately, that was the entree and when the cars were back on an open road their true colours burst through like a rainbow.The coupe, a stand-out choice, is magnificent. Forget that it has complex and efficient electronic driver-modifying technology – it allows the heart behind the wheel to race.Not that the convertible is poor, it's just not up to its hard-top sibling. There was a surprising amount of scuttle shake. While the chassis never threatened anything untoward, it did make the ride less comfortable.Powered by the 4.4-litre V8, from the 7 Series – though allowed much more character and voice – the 6 feels the business.BMW claims 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds. More impressive, in a real-life application, is the huge amount of urge on tap through the mid-range. Most of the available 450Nm of torque is there from 2500rpm and the acceleration when overtaking is comforting.While there is a six-speed manual available it would be difficult to put a convincing argument as to why you couldn't be happy with the standard six-speed ZF auto.The twin active rollbars' ability to settle body roll and keep the 645 even is amazing.Throw in the active steering and it's like straightening out the bends. The sports seats are supportive and well bolstered while keeping important controls in reach.Vision across the long bonnet is good, a little restricted out the rear in the coupe and very restricted in the convertible.For all its athleticism, the 645 is a grand tourer of the old school – and isn't that nice.

Rarely do you read a searching "road test" of just about any other product or service.But BMW Australia set new standards in launching its stunning new 645Ci last week by arranging for motoring writers to drive Coupe and Convertible models in no less than Australia's world standard tarmac rally, Targa Tasmania.Okay, so it was in the Touring class and not full-on Competition but none-the-less this exercise allowed the nuts behind the wheel to test the ballsy Bimmer over the roads and conditions for which Targa is famous.I was privileged to be the third car away at the start in downtown Launceston and drove the first two Targa stages, interspersed with transport (on open, not closed, roads) sections as well as an unforgettable sprint up Poatina mountain.But first the bits and pieces – The 645Ci shares BMW's 7- Series 4.4-litre V8 which is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (or a six-speed manual as a no cost option) along with the latest electronic chassis controls.This has been packaged with the safety features and creature comforts come to be expected of BMWs top range and cloaked in a wickedly shaped body to which designer supremo Chris Bangle put his signature.The Coupe, which I also got to drive, accepts four passengers no worries and boasts a 450-litre boot – big enough for two golf bags and a full-size suitcase, which general manager marketing and communications John Kananghinis assured was very important in the relevant $200,000 market."It (the ability to take a set of golf clubs) is crucial, he said. "It can make or break a sale. The Coupe sells for $203,000 and the Convertible $220,000.According to BMW, the V8 pumps out 245kW at 6100rpm matched with 450Nm of torque from just 3700rpm, "providing a deep and exhilarating power band."The athletic V8 is not only a resoundingly satisfying powerhouse but it has a conscience, too. It sips fuel at the rate of just 10.9-litres/100km on the combined cycle, the blurb said."The Coupe with auto races to 100km/h from rest in 5.8 seconds, charges from 80-120km/h in fourth gear in 5.1 seconds and is electronically limited to a top speed of 250 km/h."The Convertible reaches 100km/h in 6.2 seconds and completes the 80-120km/h overtaking surge in 5.5 seconds in fourth and is also electronically governed to 250km/h."A twin chamber exhaust system liberates a rich, deep rumble at full throttle that races to a calmer burble at slower speeds.No hyperbole, this – Out in the real world of Tasmanian back roads, over the dips and creases, along the straight bits and through the 90-degree corners and snaking esses, the 645Ci showed BMW practised what it preached.And, yes, that bass V8 note bouncing off roadside cuttings and canyon walls is indeed music to the ear.In summary, the 645Ci boasts the largest brakes in its class and perfect (50/50) weight distribution that invokes handling to kill for.Add on Active Steering for go kart-like low speed traction, Traction Control to allow a higher slip threshold and Dynamic Drive which all but eliminates body roll when cornering, and you really have the dynamics that deliver top performance with optimum control.To coin the contemporary vernacular – Awesome!