The hearts of sports car aficionados with an eye for beauty and a thirst for luxury and innovative technology will beat a little faster with the arrival of the new BMW 6 Series Coupe. The third generation of the top-class Coupe sees premium carmaker BMW adding another intoxicating chapter to its decades-long tradition in the production of exclusive dream cars. The new BMW 6 Series Coupe impresses with its irresistible design and inspires with even sharper driving dynamics than its predecessor, noticeably optimised comfort levels and extra space.
Its unmistakable design language gives the new BMW 6 Series Coupe an aura of athletic elegance. The sweeping bonnet, short front overhang and set-back passenger compartment team up with a 74-millimetre increase in body length over its predecessor and a 75-millimetre longer wheelbase to create the hallmark proportions of a BMW Coupe. Meanwhile, the extra width of the new car - it is now 39 millimetres wider thanks to its increased track width - makes for an exceptionally powerful stance that emphasises its impressive roadholding. All of which ensures that observers are struck by the car's dynamic forward-surging presence and promise of majestic driving ability the moment they set eyes on it. The faithful reflection of the car's character in its exterior styling is given particular appeal by the lines running along the full length of the body and its harmoniously curved surfaces. The inspiration for these design features was the natural movement of waves. In the same way as water is parted by an object in flowing water, the car body's shaping lines fan out from the BMW badge on the bonnet to both sides of the body.
The innovations in the new BMW 6 Series Coupe also extend to light technology, in the shape of Adaptive LED Headlights. Their bright white light provides an extremely intense and evenly spread illumination of the road. This technology is unparalleled in the segment and also allows the beam of the headlights to follow the progression of corners. Customers can also order their Coupe with optional LED foglamps.
Other features that set the new car apart from its rivals are the BMW ConnectedDrive driver assistance systems and mobility services. The rear-view camera, Surround View, Parking Assistant, BMW Night Vision with pedestrian recognition, Speed Limit Info, Lane Departure Warning System and Lane Change Warning System are joined on the list of available equipment items by the new generation of the BMW Head-Up-Display. The latest incarnation of the system uses a full spectrum of colours to display the information projected onto the windscreen. The BMW iDrive control system, meanwhile, is included as standard in the BMW 6 Series Coupe as an operating portal for the navigation, communications and infotainment functions. Its Control Display comes in the form of a fixed, freestanding flatscreen, which adds an extra exclusive flourish to the generously sized and luxurious interior. Elsewhere, the optional Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System lays on a feast of aural pleasure seldom experienced inside a car.
The new BMW 6 Series Coupe heralds the arrival of an exceptionally sporty and exclusive 2+2-seater in the premium segment of top-class Coupes. The new model's extra length and width over its predecessor model combine with its 5-millimetre lower height to produce a strikingly low-set and powerful design. The new interpretation of the traditional BMW Coupe proportions is embellished by lines and surfaces inspired by the movement of waves. Flowing lines and harmonious curves create a feeling of athletic grace, complemented by extremely classy and eye-catching design features which underline the opulent character and elegant appearance of the two-door BMW.
The expressive front end is dominated by the large and slightly forward-slanting BMW kidney grille. The grille emphasises the car's sporting pedigree with a broad, flat design, and creates a visual connection with the engine nestling behind. The kidney grille slats, angled slightly towards the top, lend additional emphasis to the front end's "shark nose" character. The contour lines of the bonnet converge towards the kidney grille, forming a V-shape which is continued by the contours of the headlights, kidney and wide air intake to give a road-focused look. High-quality chrome elements and the LED units of the optional foglamps positioned in front of them guide the eye to the muscular wheel arches.
Adaptive LED Headlights
The new BMW 6 Series Coupe is equipped with bi-xenon headlights as standard. An accentuating trim element cuts across the top of the hallmark BMW twin round headlights to produce the intent look familiar from other BMW models. The optional Adaptive LED Headlights provide a fresh take on this established feature. The Adaptive LED Headlights for low beam and high beam contain LED light rings for the parking lights and daytime running lights, which are levelled off at the lower edge and overlapped at their top edge by an accent light - also featuring LEDs. The result is a stunning, distinctively BMW showcase for the innovative light technology below the surface. In addition, they also generate the low beam and high beam light from the two light rings. The light sources here are horizontal LED ribs positioned in the centre of the light rings. The brand's hallmark twin round headlight look is therefore expressed even more strikingly not only with the daytime running lights switched on, but also when the headlights are activated in the dark.
However, the Adaptive LED Headlights are about more than just looking good; they also ensure the driver can see well. Their bright white light provides an intense and even illumination of the road ahead. From a colour perspective, the light comes much closer to natural daylight than that created by conventional halogen or xenon headlights, lending even reflective objects far greater contrast. The cornering element of the Adaptive LED Headlights is also tailored to the car's speed, steering angle and yaw rate, allowing the pivot of the headlights to adapt automatically to the line of the corner. Meanwhile, a light source positioned specially in the headlight housing generates the cornering light which, at low speeds, ensures illumination of the road surface in the direction the car is turning. LED technology is also deployed for the direction indicators, each of which consists of eight LED units arranged in a row underneath the light rings. As well as enhancing visibility in the dark, the Adaptive LED Headlights thus also significantly improve the signalling effect of the car's lights.
Side view: elegant roofline, powerfully curved surfaces
Tightly curved surfaces and character lines stretching the full length of the body define the side view of the BMW 6 Series Coupe. The forward-slanting BMW kidney grille is particularly clear from this angle. Despite its smooth curves and innovative pedestrian protection measures, the long bonnet still has a flat appearance. Its contour lines fan out wide and extend towards the rear. In combination with the car's typical Coupe proportions, this creates a particularly elegant, elongated silhouette.
The exterior design has been inspired by waves with clearly defined lines and volume formed around an object in flowing water. This gives the new BMW 6 Series Coupe a naturally powerful and sporty edge. The typical BMW swage line extends out from behind the front wheel arch, takes in the sporty gill feature and extends dynamically along the flank of the car to the rear. In so doing, it stretches the new BMW 6 Series Coupe visually and lends it a dynamic yet elegant allure. The door handles are integrated precisely into the swage line. A further character line emerges from the swell of the front wheel arch, before dropping down between the gill and the door and then levelling out towards the rear, its path replicating a forward-surging wave. The door sill line underneath it and an additional crease give the lower edge of the body a light and sporty appearance.
The roofline of the new BMW 6 Series Coupe also swoops in an elegant, flat progression into the tail. It comes across as especially svelte when viewed from the side, creating a contrast typical of BMW Coupes between the powerful body and light passenger compartment. Doors with frameless windows underline this impression. The chromed side window border emphasises the "counter-swing" at the foot of the C-pillar (known as the Hofmeister kink) with its particularly tight line.
Rear view: striking indications of dynamic and secure roadholding
From the rear, the new BMW 6 Series Coupe exudes power, athleticism and solidity. Bulging wheel arches accentuate the wide track of the new car, offering a hint of its impressive roadholding. Added to which, horizontal lines and the broadening impression of the car's shape as you follow it towards the rear paint a clear picture of the sporting performance waiting to be unlocked. The slightly concave lower section of the boot lid generates light and shade effects which lend an extra lightness to the rear of the car. The edges of the boot lid and the licence plate surround create a V-shape, which - similarly to the front of the car - steers the eye towards the road. The exhaust tailpipes are positioned on either side of a diffusor-style apron. On the BMW 650i Coupe they are trapezoidal in shape while on the BMW 640i Coupe they are circular.
The two-part rear light clusters display the customary BMW L-shape in a particularly wide rendition that extends far into the boot lid, while the swage line that flows into the rear lights forges a harmonious link between the side and the rear of the car. Inside the rear light clusters, two LED-powered light strips generate the familiar BMW night-time look, an effect that is reinforced by the L-shaped lower light unit. The direction indicators and brake lights are also LED-powered. The wide additional brake light is located in the upper edge of the boot lid.
Interior: driver-oriented cockpit, exclusive ambience
The driver-oriented cockpit layout familiar from BMW models down the years and a dynamic forward-surging movement define the design of the interior. The centre section of the instrument panel - including the Control Display, the central air vent and the controls for the audio system and climate control - is angled slightly towards the driver. The gearshift lever is located on a surface that opens out towards the driver and is set lower than the front passenger side of the centre console. This structure is repeated in the central section of the instrument panel, further enhancing the driver-focused feel. The fluent transition between the centre console and instrument panel can be accentuated with optional stitching in contrasting colour for the leather surfaces.
The horizontal structuring of the instrument panel is accentuated by an electroplated strip on the driver's side of the cabin. This is extended into the front- passenger side in the form of a subtle crease in the glove compartment. Meanwhile, powerfully taut waistline surfaces - which are carried forward into the instrument panel - embody the feeling of dynamic forward movement inside the cabin. The decorative surface of the instrument panel extends into the centre console with an elegant, slightly curving sweep to lend the front-passenger side an exclusive allure.
The rear seats also provide their passengers with a very pleasant level of touring comfort thanks to their individual-seat character and greater shoulder and elbowroom compared with the outgoing model. In addition, there is also more headroom for all the passengers, despite the reduced overall height of the car. The rear seat backrests can be specified as an option with a through-loading facility for a ski bag, allowing two pairs of skis to be transported in comfort. The luggage area can accommodate 460 litres (16.24 cu. ft) of luggage, which means that the BMW 6 Series Coupe can carry three 46-inch golf bags or two medium-sized hard-shell cases plus a flight case.