Cape Town, South Africa—As air travel across North America continues to be thwarted by an evil “Snowpolocalypse” of sorts, I’m here in another land, losing the battle against the sun—my skin unfortified by a proper SPF agent. Don’t worry about me, though; I’ll manage through it with the help of these curvy, coastal roads and BMW’s new twin-turbo 6 Series Convertible.
For BMW, South Africa is more than just a warm backdrop for its newest drop top. It is home to the company’s Rosslyn plant (near Pretoria), the first BMW production plant outside of Germany, which produces around 46,000 3 Series models a year and the majority of the company’s right-hand-drive models. The 650i Convertibles we’re driving here are right-handers, although I’ve been assured it’s the $91,375 lefty versions we’ll be receiving stateside early this May.
The new 650i makes use of BMW’s terrific 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, which sees action in everything from the 5 and 7 Series saloons to the X5/X6 behemoths. Engine thrust peaks at 402 bhp and 443 lb.-ft. of torque, channeled through a new paddle-shift-equipped ZF 8-speed automatic. The transmission shifts as quickly as expected, but are timed to coincide (while in sport mode) with exhaust pulses to create a pleasant pop as the car accelerates.
Although the 650i has grown by a tiny measure (2.9 in. longer, 1.5 in wider) it feels noticeably roomier inside and positively massive on these non-U.S. spec roads—the incessant reminders from the lane guidance system indicating such. Even so, the 650i’s chassis dynamics and square set of 245-width summer tires allow for impressive agility on these skinny bends at speed. BMW states that overall static torsional stiffness of the chassis has been improved by 50 percent, with mean body strength up 29 percent, which amounts to a near flex-free, top-down driving experience. Drive Dynamic Control comes standard, adjusting throttle response, steering, transmission shifting and stability-control threshold to suit your demands at the touch of a button. Adding the Adaptive Drive option (which our test cars had) will extend this control to the dampers and active anti-roll bars as well as add a “Comfort” setting to the chassis modes. As on the 5 and 7 Series, you can also specify Integral Active Steering (also fitted to our cars) that adds a speed-variable steering ratio and a rear axle that can dial in up to 2.5 degrees of steering. Of note, rear-steer-equipped 650is have a 1.6-ft tighter minimum turning circle (rear wheels turned opposite of front), while providing an increase in high-speed stability (rear wheels turned same direction as front). I was originally a skeptic, but it’s a feature I really came to appreciate.
Top down is still the 650i’s most flattering configuration, especially with its livelier front end, low-slung beltline and athletic haunches. But the designers have also managed to achieve a new level of soft-top sleekness, should you need protection from the elements. The canvas is pulled back far and taut, maintaining the curvature of a fixed roof that eventually terminates in a “fin” architecture mid-trunk. It takes 19 seconds to lower the top and 24 seconds to raise it, and you can perform either action standing up to 5 feet away (with the remote key) or on the road at up 25 mph.
A pretty exterior, however, means little if it’s not complemented by a pleasant interior—the place you’ll spend most of your time. And this 6 Series succeeds with a more driver-oriented layout that pushes the boundaries of typical German design. Contrast stitching ties the leather-bound cockpit together as much as it highlights the lateral asymmetry. The latest Head-Up Display—the best thing to happen to navigation systems—projects in full color and comes as a perfect upgrade to the navigation system, which looks like a small HD flat screen half submerged in the center of the dash—in a good way that is.
With all the bases apparently covered, it’ll only be a few months until BMW finds out if it has hit a home run with this new 6. Frankly, I’d be surprised if fans of the previous 6 don’t immediately take to the new car. We’re excited to get one here in the U.S. to see how it stacks up dynamically on our test track and our appropriately-sized roads. And this time we’ll remember the sunscreen.