Instrumented Test
From the July 2013 Issue of Car and Driver
TESTED
We’d guess that few people climb into a BMW 5-series and say to themselves, “You know, I like it. I just wish it had less space inside.” Nonetheless: wish granted. The 6-series Gran Coupe, built on the same architecture as the 5, down to its shared 116.9-inch wheelbase, is very much a 5-series with 0.8 inch less rear legroom and 1.3 inches less rear headroom. If this presents a problem, maybe you need to associate with shorter people.
Because the 650i GC’s silhouette is the sort of sultry form that seizes onlookers’ attention until they walk into a street sign or fall down a manhole. Inside or out, the car has nary a bad angle or misdirected cue.
As lovely as its design is, the GC’s 4.4-liter engine is just as endearing. In M-car applications, higher boost pressure can make it feel a bit peaky. Here, the V-8 exhibits hardly any build and zero perceptible taper in its torque delivery. Flooring the 650i’s accelerator is like throwing open the valve on a fire hose of thrust. With 445 horsepower at 6400 rpm and its 480 pound-feet of torque lasting from 2000 to 4500 rpm, the mill tosses the 650i to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
For a four-wheel-drive car, the 650i displays phenomenal balance. The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT rubber has the stick of Spiderman’s web, helping us hit 0.93 g on the skidpad with minimal understeer. After a recent spate of disappointments with 5- and 6-series steering, we were pleased to find this Gran Coupe’s steering wheel quivering and twitching with feedback as we went down the road. While the rest of the cars in this family have gone to electrically assisted steering, that setup’s packaging constraints mean that four-wheel-drive GCs cling to a hydraulic system. It is a joy. Immediate and delightfully weighted, the steering transmits surface changes and grip levels to the driver’s palms with refreshing, invigorating clarity.
On the other hand, the high-strung steering is so quick and alive that it influences tracking; lose focus for a second, and you can end up on the shoulder or in the oncoming lane. And the 20-inch wheels and low-profile, run-flat tires communicate every last bump and divot not only to the steering wheel but also to the seats. We doubt that sacrificing an inch of wheel diameter would negatively affect the appearance of the car, but whatever benefit it would yield in terms of ride and usability is almost certainly worth it.
The concept of worth is an important one for the Gran Coupe—important because you’ll probably want to ignore it. This example’s base price of $91,095 makes it not only $25,200 more expensive than a mechanically identical 550i xDrive but $400 pricier than a 750i xDrive. While those accustomed to paying for cosmetic surgery might not balk at that premium, to us it seems like an awfully high price for beauty.
