This has been a "what were they thinking?" car for me ever since I first saw photos of it. Take a bulbous body, add a Pontiac Grand Prix front end and a 2002 7-Series rear end, and the new 6 is what you get. The convertible throws a soft top with fussy flying buttresses into the mix. The car just screams "wretches excess."

But maybe the driving experience makes up for the looks? I had a chance to take one for a spin at BMW's Ultimate Drive event.

Accommodations

I already took a few stabs at the styling, so I'll move on to the next section. Since the 6 shares a chassis with the 5, I expected a similar driving experience. But you sit quite a bit lower in the 6, so it feels considerably sportier from the driver's seat. The seats are mounted so low relative to the instrument panel that I had to raise the driver's seat an inch or two, something I rarely do. Said driver's seat is comfortable and well-bolstered. BMW makes some great sport seats. The only thing that would make these better is adjustable side bolsters. These are in the new 3, so I suspect they'll find their way into the 5's and 6's sport seats as well before too long.

Visibility is good to the front, not so good to the rear, especially with the top up. The rear window, which can be lowered independently of the top, is small.

Despite a body longer and wider than a 5-Series sedan's, the 6's back seat is very much a kids-only affair. The seat itself is comfortable enough--unlike the truly tiny back seat in a Lexus SC--but space for heads and legs is very scarce. The trunk is at least as large as the coupe average though, so two people should be able to take a roadtrip with ease.

On the Road

The 6-Series is powered by the same 325-horsepower 4.4-liter V8 as the 545 and 745 I've reviewed in the past, so I didn't expect anything new from it. So I was surprised to hear an almost muscle car-ish rumble out of the exhaust. The engine is considerably louder than in the other BMWs. Yet not at all coarse. My ears thoroughly enjoyed themselves whenever I stabbed the go pedal. Based on my pulse, my heart also enjoyed the experience. A similar exhaust note would benefit the 545, at least in Sport Package form.

Even in more muted form this is perhaps my favorite eight. It is very powerful at all RPM, and provides smooth, effortless thrust. Very, very fun with the throttle wide open.

Actually, there is no throttle. This eight uses BMW's highly innovative throttleless control system. Airflow to the cylinders is modulated entirely by varying valve lift. This benefits power, economy (sadly still in the high teens), and throttle response. Snappy throttle response always wins big points with me.

For 2006 the 6, like the 5 and 7, gets an enlarged version of this engine, a 360-horsepower 4.8-liter. I sampled this engine in the 2006 750. Don't expect a significant change in performance. They're also not likely to alter the sound of the engine, though this is a possibility for the 2006 6.

The 6 is available with three six-speed transmissions: a manual, a clutchless manual, and a manually shiftable automatic. My preference would be the first, which I've sampled before in the 545. It shifts nicely, with a precise feel, moderate throws, and little effort. The 6 I drove was unfortunately fitted with the last. It's the same ZF automatic found in many luxury cars these days, and very good as automatics go, but no manual in terms of driver involvement even with the Steptronic feature.

Unlike the 5, the 6 is not available with a head-up display (HUD). One would be welcome during spirited driving, especially if it included a tach as in the C6 Corvette, as this would enable you to keep your eyes on the road and engine RPM at the same time.

Through turns the 6 feels like the large, 3800-pound coupe it is, so don't expect sports car reflexes. That said, its steering and chassis feel considerably tauter and more responsive than the 5's, even when the latter has the Sport Package's sport suspension. Lean in hard turns is minimal, and, like most BMWs, the chassis feels very balanced. I was surprised by how different the two cars feel. I drove a 545 immediately afterwards, and it felt positively loose and cushy in comparison. Think Ford Mustang with a bit more steering feel and about ten times the luxury for the 6 and you won't be far off.

This particular 6 was fitted with the Sport Package, and thus BMW's active steering. Other reviews have criticized this steering system for overly obvious and often undesired transitions from a fast to a slow ratio, or the reverse. Frankly, I haven't noticed much to complain about. But at the same time I haven't noticed much to justify the system's roughly $1,500 cost, either. I do notice that the active steering is quicker and heavier at parking lot speeds. But above that it feels merely like a good, responsive system that could provide more feedback. As does BMW's conventional steering system, except that it does provide more feedback.

Given the 6's much firmer suspension, it should come as no surprise that it does not ride as smoothly as the 5. Still plenty smooth for my admittedly not too picky tastes in this area, though. Expect some busyness, and a good amount of tire patter, but no harshness. Similar suspension tuning should at least be optional in the 5. Seeing a pattern here?

With the top up, noise levels are clearly higher than those in a hard top car, but aren't bad for a convertible. Long trips should not prove tiresome.

Pricing

The 645Ci starts at about $78,000 and options can push it into the mid-80s. The coupe is $7,000 less. Either car is very expensive. A Jaguar XK8 costs a little less, a Lexus SC 430 a lot less. But neither of the others has the BMW's handling. (The Lexus is let down by overly light, numb steering and the Jag simply feels like the relic it is.) And their rear seats are even tighter. So if you want confidence-inspiring handling in your large convertible, the BMW is just about your only choice.

Last Words

I still don't like the look of the 6, and I still wonder why it's so big and overwrought, but I very much liked how the car drives. Compared to the 545i sedan on which it is based, the 6's engine makes much more exciting noises and its chassis is tauter and more responsive. Ride quality suffers, but not much. Similar tuning would be very welcome in the sedan.

In short, the 6 is what Pontiac's GTO wants to be if it ever manages to grow up. (In the less-refined Pontiac's favor, it costs about $40,000 less than the BMW in coupe form and packs an even stronger punch.) If you want a superbly refined, top-performing large coupe, this is your best choice right now. But if you want one that is also pleasant to look at you might want to wait for the upcoming, fully redesigned Jaguar XK.

Update: Since I wrote this review I've driven both the new XK convertible (link to my review below) and the 650Ci cabriolet. The Jag is much easy on the eyes than the BMW coupe, but doesn't handle quite as well. However, the tables are turned if you compare convertible to convertible, and the BMW cab's extra 400 pounds of mass take a severe toll on the car's handling. It feels like the pig it is.

To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough, up-to-date new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. Note: the 6-Series is not in the pricing database.

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Related review:
Jaguar XK review
Amount Paid (US$): 80000
Model and Options: coupe automatic