BMW 6 Series 2007 Review

No one at BMW is waiting for the new year to get a start on diets, resolutions or new models.

Next year will be huge for the German brand, which is finalising plans for a range of new diesel engines and will have new models including the M3 sedan, so it rushed its newest update through before Christmas.

The latest 6-Series gets some subtle design changes and a new six-speed sports automatic transmission with paddles in place of a traditional gear lever.

The result is a quicker 0-100km/h for both the 6-Series coupe and convertible, dropping the hardtop to 5.2 seconds and the open-air model to 5.6, without any changes to the car's 270kW V8 engine.

On the design side, the 650i gets some minor tweaking.

There are new sporty side skirts, a lower contour edge, newly designed light clusters and wider bars in the front spoiler, for more character without a loss of glamour.

The biggest design change to the 6-Series is at the rear, which has a revised boot lid and is more concave underneath the rear spoiler.

But the changes do not come cheap. The 2008-model 6-Series now starts at $212,000 for the coupe and $228,800 for the convertible.

Hit the road and you instantly notice the 6-Series is a big, heavy car.

But as the price suggests, it has all the performance you would expect from a two-door luxury sports car, with great control on winding roads, responsive and agile handling, and a strong feel through the steering.

The new transmission, which is also available now as an option on the 5-Series, makes the drive even sharper, whether uphill or on long, straight roads.

The 6-Series still has run-flat tyres, which can get a little noisy, but now drives on newly designed 18-inch light-alloy double-spoke wheels, with 19-inches available as an option.

Other additions include soft-close electrically assisted doors, cruise control with brake function, as well as a USB/audio interface, which means you can now connect your iPod and control it with ease through i-Drive.

The soft-top comes with what BMW calls SunReflective Technology on the leather seats and interior.

A jet fighter-style head-up display remains standard on the 6-Series, with the speed reflected on to the windscreen in front of you, which is useful and not distracting.

One significant safety improvement is the recently developed active headrests, which in rear-end collisions direct the head restraints to automatically move closer to the occupants.

Fuel consumption is rated at 11.1 litres and 11.7 litres for 100km, but on a 280km run we averaged about 13 litres in the coupe and 15 litres in the convertible.

Though the sportier M6 models miss out on the basic design changes and the new transmission, they get the new features, raising the price by $3000.

So the M6 coupe is now $279,400 and the M6 convertible $299,000.

The update also brings several new exterior and interior colour options to the entire 6-Series range.

Despite the hefty price, you can still dip into the optional equipment list for the 6-Series and the choices now include a lane-change warning system, Stop&Go functioning on the cruise control, BMW Night Vision and a premium sound system.

INSIDE VIEW

BMW 6 SERIES

PRICES 650i Coupe $212,000, Convertible $228,800, M6 Coupe $279,400, Convertible $299,000

ENGINE 4.8-litre V8

OUTPUT 270kW/490Nm

TRANSMISSION six-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive

CONSUMPTION Coupe 11.1 litres/100km, convertible 11.7 litres/100km