Road Test: Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP

Price as tested: €47,640

+ Handling, performance, styling, seats, noise, fun
– Hard ride, impractical
= Small car, massive fun

News: Rolls-Royce gets teasy...

Fresh off the back of a record year for sales in 2012, and celebrating its tenth anniversary of being under BMW ownership, Rolls-Royce is dropping a few hints about its all-new model, due to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in a few weeks' time.


Well, make that a very few hints. There is as yet no official word on what type of car this will be, only that it will be "the most dynamic and powerful model in Rolls-Royce's history" and that it will revive a name first used by Rolls in 1938... the Wraith.

Cool name, and it's a model that could break the Rolls mould. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, confirmed the news at the company’s World Dealer Conference in London this morning.

“Rolls-Royce Wraith will draw superlatives when it is unveiled in Geneva,” he explained to representatives of the 100-strong global dealer network. “Expect the boldest design, the most dramatic performance and the most powerful Rolls-Royce that has ever played host to the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. We will present a model whose starting point is luxury, refinement and exclusivity, traits that have made Rolls-Royce the world’s pinnacle luxury good for the last 108 years. This is a car not only defined by a timeless elegance, but one that encapsulates a sense of power, style and drama."

Now, it would be easy to assume that the Wraith will simply be another spin-off from the existing Phantom or Ghost architecture, and it's well known that Rolls has both coupe and convertible versions of the Ghost in the pipeline. Or, it could be something more significant. A replacement for the Phantom, perhaps? Or possibly even a sportier, more affordable (by Rolls standards at any rate) rival to Bentley's big-selling Continental GT? Or, horror of horrors, Rolls' first SUV?

We'll be getting further teaser images and updates between now and the car's official unveiling at Geneva, so we'll keep you posted.

News: Hyundai's going for BMW's throat (in the US only for now...)

 

It's the Detroit Motor Show next week, and you can expect to be seeing all sorts of gorgeous machinery that we just can't have on this side of the Atlantic over the next few days. 

Chief amongst them will be this; the Hyundai HCD-14 concept car, which Hyundai is teasing us with this blacked-out image of. It's a preview of the replacement for Hyundai's Genesis saloon, a US-only model that combines a rear-drive chassis with a 4.6-litre V8 engine and BMW-rivalling interior and dynamics. What a shame we don't get them here...

No word yet on drivetrains or anything else, but the Not Wanted Here sticker could be peeled off at some stage. Hyundai in Europe is keen to grab some of the US's premium halo models for itself and there's a faint chance that this big, sexy saloon could make it to this side of the water at some stage in its lifetime. Here's hoping.

Meanwhile, Hyundai's growth in the UK market looks to be stalling, not because of any problems with the cars or the sales network, but because the UK head office can't get enough cars to meet demand. According to Autocar magazine this morning, extra demand from the US, China and Asia has Hyundai's Korean and European factories working flat out and there's just not enough capacity in the system to make cars to expand sales in the UK. There are more than a few European car makers who'd love to have that problem... 

Road Test: BMW 640d Gran Coupe

Price as tested: €120,033

+ Gorgeous, balanced chassis, mighty engine, comfort, economy, noise
– Nothing much
= Makes you feel like Batman. No higher recommendation.


Much as I foolishly did when I first drove the new BMW 6 Series convertible, I came to the Gran Coupe with some unfortunate preconceptions. Too big. Too bloated. Too much of a plutocrat barge for this day and age. A €100k car in 2012 Ireland? C'mon, that's like €30k more than Audi asks for the A7 or Mercedes wants for a CLS. Etc etc. And so on.But, just as I did with the cabrio, I (spoiler alert) came away utterly loving the car. Which just goes to prove two things. One, never underestimate BMW and, two, review the car on the road, not the car in your head...

So, what is a Gran Coupe? Well, it's the latest in a burgeoning line of car makers either adding extra doors to existing two-door coupes or chopping the rooflines of existing saloons to create saloon-coupe hybrids. The idea is to create cars with the looks and panache of coupes with most of the easy-access practicality of saloons. Thus the afforementioned CLS and A7 but also the A5 Sportback, the Volkswagen CC and sundry others currently in development.

In the specific case of the Gran Coupe, BMW has taken the standard 6 Series shell, given it a 113mm wheelbase stretch (taking to just beyond the 5-metre long mark) and crammed in a couple of extra doors. The result is a long, low wide chop-top that manages to avoid looking like a 6 Series that's turned back, Cinderalla-at-midnight-style, into a 5 Series and is frankly, pretty gorgeous. Especially in the black of our test car, which in true Father Ted fashion, wasn't actually black at all but instead very, very, very, very, very dark blue. It's gorgeous and I'm going to shut up now and just let you go and look at the photos.

Done? Good, then I'll continue...

Behind the sharks-nose grille and lights likes the 40d diesel engine, actually a 3.0-litre straight-six with twin sequential turbos – a development of the engine we've been familiar with for many years in the 535d and the old 635d. Now, it comes with some interesting  figures. 313bhp is a good start but 630Nm of torque is even better again and those are combined with a 5-odd-secs 0-100kmh, claimed 50mpg fuel economy and 148g/km of Co2. That is frankly a remarkable set of figures and proof once again that BMW's chief engine designer is actually a Mr. Potter, a youthful man with glasses who displays his diploma from Hogwarts with quiet pride.

It's a truly stunning engine to be in control of, so much so that it eclipses the more headline-grabbing 560bhp petrol V8 from the M5 in my mind. Power arrives in a near-silent rush from below 1,500rpm, shunting the 630d forward in a manner that suggests that the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe express has derailed and smacked you, silently, up the backside. The engine only makes you aurally aware of it at higher rpm, where instead of a diesel rattle, you get a creamy, slightly rough-edged snarl. It's lovely. And addictive. Rather like cream itself.

As for economy, well almost needless to say we couldn't match BMW's claimed figure but our average, which hovered in the mid-sevens in terms of litres burned per 100km traveled (a solid 45mpg-ish) still seemed pretty good, and if we also failed to match BMW's claimed touring range of 1,300km, then a solid 8-900km still seems achievable.

Inside, in spite of the Gran Coupe's extra length, the cabin still feels intimate and tight fitting. The dash and centre console seem to bulge and swoop almost organically around the driver, allowing you to settle deep within the car, wheel pointing straight at your chest. The standard leather trim is gorgeous and inviting and the seats prove endlessly comfortable, something the old-shape 6 Series missed out on.

In the back, while it's not surprisingly not as commodious as a 5 Series, the Gran Coupe is absolutely fine for both head and legroom and unless you're the star player for your local basketball team, you should be able to get very comfy. That practicality is backed up by a 460-litre boot which should be adequate for most purposes.

To drive, that stretch in the wheelbase seems only to have improved the dynamics relative to the standard 6 coupe. Not that the standard car is lacking in any sense but just that the Gran Coupe seems to give you a wider range of options. Selecting comfort from the little toggle switch by the gear selector for the excellent 8-speed automatic transmission seems to be the best option for Irish roads. Sport is fine and won't knock your fillings out, but Comfort just gives you that extra little sense of flex that turns tackling an Irish back road from a chore to a delight. In spite of its size, the Gran Coupe can be cornered on a pin and placed to within millimetres of your desired trajectory. The steering, in any of the four modes, is always a little bit wooly and artificial feeling (something not helped by BMW's continuing insistence on fitting its M-Sport specced cars with fat, over-stuffed steering wheel rims) but the reactions of the chassis itself are wonderfully well balanced and its these that you learn to exploit, and never mind the faintly disappointing steering.

I had expected many things of the Gran Coupe, few of them good. Given the massive extra expense it asks buyers to stretch too relative to an Audi A7 or Mercedes CLS, I was certain ahead of the fact that BMW was overstretching itself, and I remain convinced that the Mercedes actually has the better sorted chassis. But the Gran Coupe, thanks in no small part to its wonderful engine, is actually a star performer and goes so far to justifying its lofty six-figure price tag that you almost begin to forgive the expense. Fabulous to drive, irrepressibly grunty and bewitching to look at, it may be a niche within a niche but that's a niche I'd happily squeeze myself into.

Actually, on a final note, the best drive I had in the Gran Coupe was not up some twisting coast road (although I did do that and it was fabulous) but a gentle 50-60km pootle to my local cinema and back. The Dark Knight Rises, the new Batman film was on, and comic book nut that I am I simply couldn't resist. Coming back out after nearly three hours of Bat-tastic Batmanery and plipping the lock on the low, dark, glowering Gran Coupe felt just perfect, and for the briefest of moments, I was Bruce Wayne. And that might just be the moment at which the Gran Coupe's price tag begins to look worth it...



BMW 640d Gran Coupe M-Sport
Price as tested: €120,033
Price range: €97,110 to €131,520
Capacity: 2,993cc
Power: 313bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Top speed: 250kmh
0-100kmh: 5.4sec
Economy: 5.6l-100km (50.4mpg)
CO2 emissions: 148g/km
Road Tax Band: C €330
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Mercedes-Benz SL500

Price as tested: €170,000

+ Awesome engine, comfort, quality, refinement, image
– Soft-ish chassis, size, chintzy cabin
= Expect it to be sporting and you’ll be disappointed. Expect it to be an SL           and it’s perfect.

So, the questions that has to be asked is; is the Mercedes SL actually a sports car? Has it ever been?
The original gullwing 300SL was certainly sporty, in fact a race car in all but name and some creature comforts. But the “pagoda roof” SL that followed was much more about grand touring (GT) comfiness and the models that followed were not what you’d call trackday specials. Yes, you could have the mental AMG versions of the last-generation SL, which were sharp to drive and blisteringly quick but actually, truly sporting? Hmmmmm... You see, sporting has to do with being light, agile, fast to change direction. Bludgeoning power is all well and good, but if you have too much mass then you’re just not in the sporting ballpark.

Now with this new model, the SL has a chance to reclaim a touch of its birthright. It’s certainly light now, at least lighter, thanks to an aluminium body and chassis that cuts its kerb weight by as much as 140kg. That allows it to be laughably efficient, with our 4.7-litre V8 test car rated at an average fuel consumption figure of 9.1-litres per 100km.

The more popular 3.5-litre V6 version can manage about 6.2l/100km, according to Mercedes. A stop-start system and class-leading aerodynamics play their parts, but the new SL is proof that if you want to be efficient, lose weight.

But sporting? Now that could prove a harder cheque for the SL to cash. For the past 60 years, SLs have been more Rodeo Drive than Nurburgring, and glancing at this new one’s folding metal roof and sybaritic interior, you instantly suspect more of the same.

And that’s precisely what you get here, at first. The SL is hushed and refined and even roof down at 120km/h, conversation is possible at normal volumes. The big V8 is all but silent, the ride pillowy soft and the sheer width and size of the thing, weight loss notwithstanding, dissuades you from pushing it too hard, especially on narrow roads.

Light, slightly distant steering doesn’t help and you soon rest deeply into the ample seats, happy to drive across continents in a single leap and not too bothered about what time you get there at. A classically inclined grand tourer then.

Except, if you have ticked the options box marked Active Body Control (ABC), there is another side to the SL. It’s not quite Jekyll and Hyde, more Jekyll and Hyde’s mildly annoyed brother, but there is some fun to be had. The ABC system tightens up the suspension, not to the point of harshness, but to a tauter setting than the default “comfort” allows.

Flick the gearbox (a seven-speed dual-clutch affair) into sport and let the V8 have its head, and a bit of a hot rod emerges. The twin turbos take a big gulp each and unleash the full 435bhp and 700Nm of torque on the rear wheels. There will be a roar, a snarl and, as it hardens to a NASCAR-esque bellow, you suddenly find yourself rocketing up the road.

Find some tight corners and . . . well, it doesn’t actually change very much. Yes, there is more control on offer, but the steering and body-roll soon make it amply clear that they don’t really like to be hustled and that, if you want that sort of thing, you should really probably wait for the tweaked SL63 AMG when that arrives later in the year.

It’s not that it won’t do the fast cornering stuff, it just finds it all rather tiresome, like an elegantly-dressed uncle forced into a game of backyard tag rugby.

Better to sit back and enjoy the comfort. Our car came in the delightfully tacky combo of pearlescent white paint and full red leather interior, but the default plain black cabin with silver coachwork should look significantly more subtle and suitable.

A shame that the main dials look a little aftermarket, but the glass roof panel (which reacts at the touch of a button like a pair of Reactolite sunglasses), the astonishing stereo with front-mounted bass speaker, and the heating, cooling and neck-warming seats should keep you distracted.

As for the styling, well, we’re really not sure. Mercedes cars these days often look rather over-egged and complicated, yet age and mellow beautifully as the years pass. Given that the new SL doesn’t look radically different to the old one, we’d say that’s likely to be the case once again. But it does look just a touch ordinary for a car with a six-figure price tag, with none of the drama or presence of the SLS AMG or the nigh-on perfect elegance of the W113 ‘Pagoda Roof’ SL.

Use it as intended, as a classy and effortless tourer and the new SL, especially with that mighty V8 engine, is as close to peerless as you will find. Expect it to be a sports car? You’ll be disappointed.

Facts & Figures

Mercedes-Benz SL500
Price: €170,000 (approx)
Range price: €130,000 to €170,000 (approx)
Capacity: 4,663cc
Power: 435bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 250kmh
0-100kmh: 4.6sec
Economy: 9.1-100km (31.0mpg)
CO2 emissions: 212g/km
Tax Band: F. €1,129 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: BMW M5

Prices as tested: €137,637

+ Powwwwwweerrrrrrr!!!!!!
– Actually, a bit too much power
= Utterly brilliant, but 90% of its grunt is unusable on public roads


Whatever happens in the next few paragraphs, be in no doubt that this M5 represents a new high watermark in the development of the searingly hot sports saloon. For BMW to have created a car that can pump 560bhp out through the back wheels, yet return 30mpg on a long run and be as comfortable as a conventional 520d is little short of a titanic achievement.

Ever since the eighties, when the original M535i made its tentative debut, the idea of shoehorning a BMW Motorsport GmBH engine into a plain-jane four door has been as appealing as the adding of salt and vinegar to chips. Thundering saloons, usually with big V8 engines, had previously been a speciality of American, Italian and even Australian marques, but with the original straight-six M535i (the first M5 wouldn’t arrive for another generation) the Germans perfected the concept. Understatedly cool, blisteringly fast, totally practical. A recipe as tasty as any of Nigella’s.

And now, we are here, thirty years on, at the F10 M5. On the outside, even net of the bulging arches, the dark grey 20” alloys wrapped in Michelin’s 235-40 (front) and 295-35 (rear) Pilot tyres and the four howitzer exhausts, the casual eye could easily mistake this car for a humble 188bhp 520d, if one with a few sport exterior add-ons.

The cockpit gives away equally few clues. Only the stubby selector for the seven-speed M-DCT twin-clutch gearbox gives the game away that this isn’t some specced-up fleet car, although the sumptuous dove grey leather sports seats and the tri-colour stitching on the steering wheel are dead giveaways to the initiated.

Under the familiar 5 Series bonnet lies an initially familiar engine. BMW has been making V8 petrol engines of 4.4-litre capacity for many a year now. But none like this. Breathing compressed air from two massive turbochargers, this bent eight makes 560bhp and an almost comical 680Nm of torque at just 1,500rpm. Turbos are a bit of a new departure for BMW M. The last M5, the E60, had an ultra-high revving 5.0-litre V10, which sounded like a diesel at tickover but yelled like an F1 car at high speeds. This new V8, thanks to its turbos, is at once more accessible and also far, far more devastating. I have never, in my long and sainted life as a motoring writer, driven an engine with such reserves of ferocity. As soon as you fire it up, it settles into a deep, calm and resonant woofle. Blip the throttle a bit and, in spite of the masking effect of the turbos, there is a brief NASCAR-style growl. Get out on the road, hook up a low gear and nail it, and it evolves into the deep-chested bellow of a mid-eighties Group C Le Mans racer. Some of the sound is, astonishingly, digitally synthesised and pumped into the cockpit through the radio speaker, but at no point could my cloth ears detect any difference between the real sound and the fake one.

And it packs a Rocky balboa punch. Where previous M engines had to be revved to give their all, this one wallops you in the back virtually from tickover. At anything more than quarter throttle, there’s enough forward motion to dispatch all but the fastest of flowing traffic. 0-100kmh is quoted as 4.3secs. It feels quicker.

Really nail the throttle to the carpet, and you’d better be on an airfield, a race track or an Autobahn. The legal motorway limit is left behind before the top of second gear, as the M-DCT box does its frankly incredible job of shifting like a proper race car when you’re attacking, or slushing like an auto when you’re not. The ripple fire of revs as the ‘box blips the throttle on manual downshifts is enough to have herds of roadside cattle running for cover.

Handling? Brilliant, frankly, but with one major caveat which we’ll come to in a moment. The steering, like the gearbox and suspension, has three settings; Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. In the two lower modes, it’s light and easy, with reasonable feel. Select Sport Plus and it weights up nicely, with lots of proper feedback and information coming up through the chunky leather rim. As good as the best hydraulic systems? No, but still better than most others. The best setting for Irish roads is to have the suspension and gearbox/throttle response set to comfort and the steering to Sport Plus. Believe me, you don’t need to have the engine set to maximum attack if you want to make good progress.

The caveat? It’s too powerful. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it’s true. On a wet road, even with the stability control switched on, the laws of physics conclude that 560bhp is too much for even those fat rear tyres to handle and if it’s raining heavily, full throttle is deeply inadvisable, as the M5 will suddenly snap ferociously sideways on you.

And even in the dry, it’s too much. There just isn’t enough road in the country or lunacy in this driver to make full use of the M5’s prodigious talents. Any more than a couple of seconds at full effort and you may as well just stop at the next Garda station and hand in your licence. You have to drive it with the reticence of a saint to avoid getting into trouble, and if you have to do that, what’s the point?

I love the M5. It is a glorious statement of what a modern car maker can do when its finest minds are focused on a project. It is more powerful, more efficient and more brilliant to drive than any single one of its rivals. But unless you have about 60km of Autobahn between you and work, or you own your own racetrack, it is all a bit sadly pointless. A €70k 535d with the M-Sport styling pack will provide much of the M5’s thrills for literally half the cost and without quite the same licence losing ability.


Facts & Figures

BMW M5
Price as tested: €137,637
Range price: €43,530 to €134,430
Capacity: 4,395cc
Power: 560bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Top speed: 250kmh
0-100kmh: 4.3secs
Economy: 9.9/100km (28.5mpg)
CO2 emissions: 232g/km
Tax Band: G. €2,258 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Mini Coupe John Cooper Works

Price as tested: €36,440

+ Lots of fun, cracking engine, image
– Not any better to drive than the hatch, but less practical. Not pretty
= For those who crave something different. The rest of us should stick with the hatch

You would have to question the wisdom of taking a Mini and actually making it less practical, but with the new Mini Coupe, that's exactly what has been done The rear seats are gone, the roofline has been chopped by about 52mm. The whole car appears to have been sucked, as if from an under-floor Dyson, down onto its wheels. Distinctive and aggressive it most certainly is. Pretty or attractive? Hmmm. Not so sure there. The roofline, which is meant to ape the style of a baseball cap being worn backwards (honestly), is awkward and moving the Mini away from its traditional two-box profile to a saloon-like three-box outline hasn't, to these eyes, been an especially successful operation.

So what then is the point of the Mini Coupe? If coupes are purchased mostly because of their looks, then its role in life looks a little precarious. And considering that the Mini hatch, with its tiny rear seats and small boot, is effectively already really a 2+2 coupe, then the case for a bespoke two-seater is looking ever more tenuous.

Perhaps this is Mini, and BMW, marking out its territory. After all, Mini admits that it's not the first to produce a chopped-top version; the likes of Marcos and Broadspeed got there first back in the sixties. Maybe then Mini is producing a Mini coupe largely because it doesn't want any other independent coachbuilder to beat it to the punch...

The serious intent behind the Coupe is of course to take the Mini's already engaging chassis and distill it a touch, purify it so that its responses are even sharper and more enjoyable for a committed driver. And in this aspect, the Coupe succeeds, albeit to a level that will most likely pass unnoticed by a majority of its drivers.

The dampers have been firmed up, the springs are a touch stiffer and the anti-roll bars are thicker and more resistive. In terms of the construction of the car, the Coupe uses the same basic chassis as the Mini hatch, but with the underfloor panels from the Mini Convertible, which add greatly to the body's stiffness, but bring with them a 25kg weight penalty. That stubby rear boot deck incorporates an electrically powered rear wing that extends at speeds above 80kmh and can add, claims Mini, a useful 40kg of rear downforce at high speeds.

Certainly, there's no lack of stability, always a worry when you see car makers adding in extending spoilers and wings. With the chance to give the speedometer a thorough exercise on the Autobhans near Munich, we can report that the Mini Coupe sits rock solid and stable at speeds up to and above 170kmh. Not perhaps the most useful piece of news for irish buyers, but reassuring nonetheless.

Find a slower, twisting stretch of road and the Coupe responds with the alacrity that we have come to expect of the Mini brand. The electric power steering, as on most every other car fitted with such a system, robs the driver of pure road feel, but it's weighted in a pleasingly hefty manner, and there's no doubting the speed and accuracy with which the Coupe can be pointed into an apex. No doubting either that there is grip and poise aplenty when you do so, and proper enjoyment and fun to be had. Far from being over-grippy and "on-rails" the Coupe feels alive and adjustable. On the test track it can even be coaxed into a gentle four-wheel-drive, if you disable the electronic safety systems, although we'd never advise doing such a thing on the public road.

And it's that gap between on-track antics and road driving that shows up the biggest chink in the Mini Coupe's armour. On a closed circuit, with the benefit of run-off and no oncoming traffic, you can really stretch the chassis' ability and feel that extra stiffness and responsiveness. It is there, and it is quite brilliant. On the road though, restricted by speed limits and sanity, there's just not enough of a difference between the driving experience of the Coupe and an equivalent Mini hatch to warrant the extra money, and the reduction in practicality. A Cooper S hatch, day-to-day, will be just as enjoyable to drive as a Cooper S Coupe, will be around E3,000 cheaper and still have back seats for when you need them. True, the Coupe's 280-litre boot trumps even that of the Clubman estate, but personally we tend to fill our seats more than our boots.

The engine range is probably the true star of the show though. In John Cooper Works form, the Mini's 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine is putting out 211bhp and 26Nm of torque. A 0-100kmh time of 6.4secs doesn't sound all that exciting, but it's the torque, and the way the Cooper S Works pulls hard in high gears that really makes this not just the outstanding engine of the Mini Coupe range, but one of the most outstanding engines we've ever sat behind. Most, of course, will buy a standard 122bhp Cooper Coupe, and with a sub-10sec 0-100kmh time, and 127g/km emissions, that's probably not a bad performance compromise for Irish conditions. Most surprising, especially on the track, was the 143bhp Cooper SD diesel. 143bhp doesn't sound like much, but with 305Nm of torque, the SD really flies, and in the hands of Mini ace rally driver Rauno Aa    ltonen (he of sixties Monte Carlo rally fame) proved that yes, you can opposite-lock a front-drive diesel hatch. The range is rounded out by the 184bhp Cooper S, which remarkably is actually a Band B car in tax terms, with emissions of just 136g/km. All engines, except that of the John Cooper Works, can be optionally fitted with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Prices range from €23.410 for a Cooper Coupe to €27,790 for a Cooper S, €28,410 for a Cooper SD and €36,440 for the range-topping John Cooper Works Coupe. Those prices don't represent a massive excess over the price charged for a standard hatchback but still, there remains the niggling doubt that you're not actually gaining all that much for your money.

For the dedicated motoring fashionista, who also fancies themselves as a bit of a handy driver, a Mini Coupe might just make sense. For the rest of us, the hatch is a far better prospect, and in real terms, every bit as invigorating to drive. Next year's very pretty Roadster convertible may tip the balance in favour of a two-seat Mini, but for now, we prefer to still be able to get two elephants in the front, and two in the back.

Facts & Figures

Mini Coupe John Cooper Works
Price as tested: €36,440
Price range: €23,410 to €36,440
Capacity: 1,598cc
Power: 211bhp
Torque: 280Nm
Top speed: 240kmh
0-100kmh: 6.4sec
Economy: 7.1l-100km (39.7mpg)
CO2 emissions: 165g/km
Road Tax Band: D €447
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: BMW 640i SE Convertible

Price as tested: €116,991

In brief: Really quite exceptional. Lacks the pin-sharpness of say, a 911, but smooth, agile, beautiful and with a toweringly brilliant engine.


God, I did not want to like this car. Fate just seemed to be shoveling barriers to me liking it in the way as I went to collect it. First off, with a few notable exceptions, I don’t like convertibles. I’m a coupe man, and that’s an end of it. I also have a natural Marxist aversion to cars with six-figure price tags. I know the bill for such technological mastery has to be paid, and if I had the wherewithal, I’m certain it’s a price I’d be happy to pay. But I don’t, so I’m bolshy about it.

Finally, as I set off from home and flicked on the radio, there was Depression FM (formerly RTE Radio 1) informing us all of the doom laden live register figures and further plummets in growth and consumer sentiment. Just what kind of attitude was I supposed then, to take to a €100k Beemer with no roof?

I guess that it’s the biggest compliment possible to the 640i Convertible that not only did it win me over, it did so within seconds. Sucking my Marxist ideals straight out of its open roof, it took just one hefty prod of the throttle and a quick listen to that gorgeous, creamy-smooth snarl to have me desperately assaying my kid’s college funds.

As we’ve started with the engine, let’s start with the engine. The 640i does not use a V8, despite being so close in badge to the old 645i. Instead, it uses the 3.0-litre straight-six turbo that’s found, in slightly detuned form, in the 335i. The headline figures are 320bhp and 450Nm of torque. No, scratch that. The headline figures are the 185g/km Co2 figure (for a 3.0-litre engine, let’s not forget...) and a combined fuel economy figure of 7.9-litres per 100km. Don’t believe it? You can. In spite of my leaden right foot and in spite of keeping the aircon blasting on muggy, showery August days, we averaged 8.9-litres per 100km over a week’s motoring. Now that, folks, is how you do engine.

Tied into the excellent 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, it’s little short of a wonder. It reduces motorway slip roads to snarling, roaring 1/4 mile drags, yet it’s whisper-quiet and tractable around town. And it pulls like a mule from low rpm in a high gear. The only downside is that the Sport mapping of the gearbox still doesn’t give you total manual control when using the (wonderfully tactile) steering wheel paddles. The computer, infuriatingly, still overrides you if it thinks you’re wrong. Which it will. A lot.

And the body it’s wrapped around isn’t half bad either. The old 6 Series, distinctive though it was, always looked a bit blocky and lumpy. This one, although probably quieter in looks, is also cleaner, sharper and much more elegant. Much of that is doubtless down to BMW’s decision to eschew a folding steel roof and stick with good old fashioned fabric. So, no big arse needed to hide all the gubbins that go with a folding steel roof, and no obvious loss of comfort within the cabin either, thanks to exceptional levels of refinement and insulation. Plus, you get that lovely camping sound of raindrops on the canvas above your head. Security worries? Well yes, someone could stick a knife through your roof, but hey, they can just as easily shove a brick through the window of a folding steel roof cabrio...

In the cabin, though, you’d better be prepared for a couple of disappointments. The fit and finish is, frankly, wonderful (note; this is not one of the disappointments). From the way the outer edges of the centre console loop out and over the passenger’s knees to the crisp, clear, beautiful instruments this is a fabulous motoring interior. But for one major flaw which is the driving position. For a start, the steering and pedals are offset to the right by at least two inches. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’ll be enough to trigger bad back syndrome in more than a few of us.

Secondly, the seats just aren’t supportive enough if you have them set low down in the car (surely the correct location in a convertible) yet if you raise them up, then you feel perched up and exposed. And if you’re tall, your head will be above the windscreen header.

Still, it is spacious. Sufficiently so that I was able to take the entire family (wife and two small kids plus various bags, baby seats and etcetera) out for a lovely day’s driving and avoiding showers. If those seated in the front are prepared to sacrifice a little legroom then the rear seats suddenly become adequate. The boot, hampered slightly by the need to save space for the roof to fold into it, seems small compared with the massive space you got in the old 6, but you can still pack sufficient in. BMW reckons you can get a set of golf clubs in there, which is fine if you like golf, but seeing as I hate it, I’ll just point out that you can’t get a three-wheel Phil & Teds buggy in.

I’ve saved the best bit for last. The way the 640i drives. It could have just been a big, jelly-ish thing for the American market. All squishy suspension and no deportment. Or it could have been a stiff-springed Kommandant of the Autobahn Aggressors Klub, with astonishing precision but bricks for dampers. In fact, it treads neatly between these two paths, riding with firm-edged comfort, steering with unerring precisions (and better weighting at the wheel rim in Normal rather than Sport mode). Toggling between Normal and Sport does firm things up and theoretically improves the handling but the need for extra bump absorption on twisty Irish roads means you’re better off in Normal. Besides, this is not a gung-ho sports car, even if it can play that game when asked. It’s more a precision Corniche attack weapon, ideal for an exactly timed, laser-guided sprint along the Amalfi coast before arriving at your villa just in time for Martinis. Or just bombing down the coast road between Ballyvaughan and Lehinch. Whatever. Mary Poppins-like, it’s practically perfect in every way.

So then, Unemployment. US debt downgrades. Consumer sentiment. Eurozone crisis. Gay Byrne running for Prez. Marxist ideals. You can make them all go away with a 6 Series Convertible.


Facts & Figures

BMW 640i SE Convertible
Price as tested: €116,991
Price range: €97,480 to €133,040
Capacity: 2,979cc
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Top speed: 250kmh
0-100kmh: 5.7sec
Economy: 7.9l-100km (54.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 185g/km
Road Tax Band: E €630
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested