2016 BMW 650i Coupe
By traditional size and body-style classification, the BMW 6-series is now an outlier—it’s bigger than all the two-door luxury coupes, save the even larger, more expensive S-class coupe from Mercedes-Benz. In the mid-size luxury segment, sales instead tilt toward fast-roofed four-doors exemplified by the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Audi A7—even within the 6-series range, the Gran Coupe four-door handily outsells the two-door and the convertible put together. You’ll search in vain for a like-size, two-door analog to this BMW 650i at the Audi, Lexus, Jaguar, Infiniti, or Cadillac stores.
For 2016, BMW gives the 6 adaptive LED headlights, a grille with one fewer bar in each of the signature kidneys, tweaks to the tail design that emphasize its width, and a dressier interior with handsome two-tone leather treatments. Those midterm updates on the already pretty two-door aren’t enough to send us to the test track. But, aha, the twin-turbo V-8 now puts out 445 horsepower, 45 more than it had when we tested the then-new 2012 edition. The power bump came in 2013 while all eyes were on the M6.
More power is always welcome, but the V-8’s output wasn’t among the few nits we had to pick with the 2012 car. Some of those negatives remain on this 2016 model—and on recent BMWs generally: We’re not fans of the obtuse shifter for the standard eight-speed automatic (the dual-clutch seven-speed automatic and manual six-speed alternatives are now reserved for the M6); the electrically assisted steering doesn’t measure up to the high standards of tactile feedback that once defined BMW; and the soft, luxury-car handling might bother us less if the sight of the roundel didn’t set our expectations so high. None of that negates the reality that the 650i delivers a combination of style, performance, and elegance that’s propelling sales well beyond Munich’s mild expectations.
Runs Hard, Stops Hard
At 4.1 seconds, this car was 0.4 second quicker to 60 mph than was the 2012 version, and it got through the quarter-mile in 12.6 at 113 mph. That’s moving the needle. At the test track, we noted that the standard launch-control feature that usually outperforms human beings didn’t do so. Managing it all manually gave us acceleration times 0.2 to 0.3 second quicker.
MICHAEL SIMARI
The 650i’s run-flat Dunlop tires limited the top end to 129 mph; 155 mph is available on cars with sportier rubber. Braking from 70 mph in 158 feet is autobahn-worthy performance, and cornering at 0.89 g, while decent, lends perspective to our subjective impressions of softness. The healthy amount of understeer noted on the skidpad was easily countered by power-induced oversteer. Intervention from electronic assistants is gentle and customizable, so it’s easy to adjust your line through a curve with the gas pedal.
This rear-drive coupe’s balance makes the strongest argument for the BMW over, say, an Audi A7 with Quattro, especially when the road gets interesting and the driver dials up Sport mode. Dynamic Damper Control comes standard, as does the drive-mode selector that offers a choice of five preset personalities (Eco Pro, Comfort+, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+). Further tuning to individual tastes is available through the familiar iDrive interface’s car-settings menu accessible on the big center screen, but all the adjustments can vary only the weight of the steering—none add any feel. Tuning out the body roll and relatively lazy turn-in by dialing up the Sport settings brings out some ride harshness, but then this car lacked the $2500 Adaptive Drive suspension option.
Many Toys, But Not All
The iDrive controls on the console now include a touchpad upon which a moving finger may “write.” Alternative activities to keep a driver’s digits dancing include a new suite of apps for the infotainment system, assuming the customer is wise enough to have ticked the “smartphone integration” option box ($200). Leading us to ponder what potential 6-series buyer would say, “No, I don’t want that.”
That one item stands out because the list of standard and optional equipment on this car made a lot more sense, otherwise, than did the one we encountered in 2012. This car was, generally speaking, more lightly equipped (no M Sport or Driver Assistance Plus packages), although now that the current 6-series has got a few years on it, BMW is keeping the car competitive by shoehorning in more standard content. A few former added-cost features—heated multi-contour seats, for instance—are now included at no charge, so the value proposition improves despite the expected base-price inflation. Still, there might be a market for a phone app that would help shoppers navigate BMW’s complex options list.
MICHAEL SIMARI
For instance, heated seats are standard, but there’s a $400 Cold Weather package (heated steering wheel and a ski bag for the pass-through in the center of the back seat). The tested car had that and also the $1400 Black Accent package that brings “Fineline Brown” wood trim, 20-inch wheels, ambient lighting, LED fog lamps, and darkened exterior trim; the cabin also had $650 worth of Ceramic Controls that puts shiny black stuff on the console. It looked good next to the handsomely executed cognac/black nappa leather. But that was it for the add-ons, bringing the bottom line to $91,500, or $15,000 less than the example tested in 2012. That older car also was more than 120 pounds heavier than this one’s 4247 pounds, another cost to consider when going wild on the options list.
This 650i comes across as more of a luxury GT than a sports coupe, and that’s largely down to its size and mass, not its performance. Customers choosing cars this large seem to want better rear-seat access than you get with only two doors, and those who want only two-doors typically are looking for a smaller, nimbler chassis. The Infiniti Q60 rides on a similar wheelbase to this 650i, but it’s nine inches shorter and at least one class down in power and price, at the large end of a still-thriving group of two-doors that includes BMW’s own 4-series, the Mercedes-Benz E-class coupe, the Audi A5, the Lexus RC, and the Cadillac ATS. The 650i offers a little more rear-seat and cargo space and more power than do most of these smaller cars (excluding the AMG, S, and V performance models), in keeping with its emphasis on comfort and style over agility. It’s a bit of a throwback to personal luxury coupes that have gone away, although there’s talk of upcoming contenders like the Lexus LC. For now, though, the 650i is nearly as attractive as the two-door S-class or BMW’s i8 but far less expensive than either. It’s sitting in a sweet spot, all alone.
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Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE AS TESTED: $91,500 (base price: $88,850)
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 268 cu in, 4395 cc
Power: 445 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 480 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.4 in
Length: 192.8 in
Width: 74.6 in Height: 53.9 in
Passenger volume: 87 cu ft
Cargo volume: 13 cu ft
Curb weight: 4247 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.1 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.8 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 14.2 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 5.3 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 2.7 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 3.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 113 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 129 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpg
C/D observed: 19 mpg
