LAUNCHED: BMW'S SIZZLING 6 SERIES CONVERTIBLE

While admiring the lines carved all over the all-new BMW 6 Series Convertible down in the Western Cape, my eyes were caught unawares by another 6 Series Convertible parked right next to it. Said car was the old-generation but to the naked eye it looked brand spanking new. For this I’d like to credit the genius of Chris Bangle, for without him who knows what kind of sausage printing machine BMW would be today.

Concave and convex lines may not have been invented by the Bangle per se, but he did spring them to the fore with the old car and of course, others. To me what stood out during those five minutes of observation, is how enduring his design language has become. By all accounts the old car could very well have gone on for another three or more years.

Not that the new 6 Series Convertible (codenamed F12) can’t hold its own. On the contrary, the car, designed under Bangle before he left, is a beautiful, complex thing. Lines are not elegant in the classic sense. It has challenges, smooth curves, kinks, those concave / convex shapes running from front to rear. The front grille is not as imposing as that of the 7 Series, choosing instead to slant down. That anaconda look is still prominent, but much more fluid now. We see LED daytime running lights underlining those headlights.

Side views are characterised by an arrow shooting from front fender to back, branching off to the bottom as it shoots parallel towards the rear as well. The back is probably where most excitement is to be found. It’s also probably the one most of us will live to constantly see on the roads. L-shaped brake lights – the stuff of all BMWs, with LED technology, look like sideways peace signs. The fin-shaped light canvass roof opens in 19 seconds and closes in 24. Of course it can be operated at up to 40km/h, which can be quite useful if you are caught by a sudden downpour while on the road. The roof is available in three different colours sure to match whatever body paint one fancies.

I have no doubt this is one of the most beautiful convertibles on the market today. Never boring, always challenging. Never dull, always inviting.

So are the engines. At launch we were only able to drive the 650i Convertible, which is powered by BMW’s 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 petrol. Maximum thrust is set at 300kW achieved between 5500rpm and 6400rpm. Peak torque is 600Nm on call between 1750rpm and 4500rpm. Responsive to the cause is an 8-speed automatic gearbox with driving programmes to suit every occasion. Feel like cruising? No problem, push the button towards Normal. Want to test the bends? Scroll to Sport+ and get sorted.

Keeping in mind the dimensions of the 6 Series Convertible as a Gran Turismo (GT) type of car, not an outright sports car, handling was of the hair-raising variety. My co-driver and I could gobble up twisty passes without feeling at all in danger of losing our grip on the big barge and melting metal against mountain rock. Safety nets are very much part of this reason, and include Dynamic Stability Control, Electric Power Steering, Dynamic Traction Control and Active Steering.

A smaller engine displacing 3.0-litres, strapping a turbo in the side, is a second and last model being offered. For now. It kicks out a nice 235kW at 5800rpm and maximum torque of 450Nm between 1300rpm and 4500rpm. Said model is called the 640i Convertible.

Posh and spicy is the interior’s theme, which features a one flowing, curving line from the dashboard to the centre console. It’s reminiscent of a river streaming down a valley towards a large lake. Incidentally designers were partly inspired by water life when creating the car. Comforting leather seats provide ample support to all four passengers, rear of which have been given extra legroom. That said, above-average to taller passengers will not last long in that space. Better if the roof is down.

Decked out on the dashboard of our unit was a massive permanently fixed 26cm colour screen visually accessing things like satellite navigation, radio, CD changer, Bluetooth, USB music devices, fuel usage information and so on. All that through the iDrive system. I understand the standard screen is 18cm wide, still quite wide in the segment.

The BMW 6 Series, since returning to production in 2003, has earned respect as a mature, grown-up performance GT. Controversy did follow its styling, which was watered down somewhat by a facelift model three years ago. Now the all-new car aims to build on this by making the car much more elegant and pretty to look at. Engines have never been an issue and this remains very much so. The coupe arrives later in the year, while the four-door 6 Series would be on the streets some time in 2012. Has BMW perfected a near-perfect package? Find out for yourself when it goes on sale in May.

BMW 6 Series Convertible Pricing (including C02 tax)

640i Convertible (R914 557.50)

650i Convertible (R1 178 529.50)