BMW 6 2005 Review

Their heads snapped around to check out BMW's latest hero car, the E63 645Ci.

As they walked across the intersection, they were transfixed by the brawny coupe and completely missed the bikini-clad babes walking the other way.

Only a Monaro seems to attract more attention from onlookers.

But the 645Ci is not just a show pony. It has the goods.

Try 245kW of 4.4-litre V8 power with 450Nm of low-down pull for a start.

Then transfer that through BMW's dynamic drive system, with traction and stability control bells and whistles.

It's potent but it's also controllable with good safety features.

I drove one in a few parade stages of the Targa Tasmania rally last year and could not fault it.

This time, I had the BMW on a far more sedate parade on the boulevards of the Sunshine Coast and I still could not fault it.

Well, perhaps the clutch is a little heavy for slow traffic.

But that Monaro-esque ``varoomph'' from the twin-exhaust more than makes up for it.

At slow parade speeds, the steering is ultra-light. In fact, it takes a little getting used to, but it's an absolute joy to park.

As you push the slightly doughy accelerator, the steering ties down and becomes almost ponderous at highway speeds.

On the highway, the BMW is quiet and comfortable, even for rear passengers. Not many coupes have this much headroom in the back.

Highways and boulevard parades may be fine for poseurs, but they are not very exciting for driving enthusiasts.

So when I heard on the radio that the Bruce Highway was closed because of an accident, I headed inland for a fun detour around the Mt Mee district.

Here the hero car really shows its prowess, sprinting effortlessly up the steep grades and stepping delicately around the ridges thanks to its 50/50 weight distribution.

Weight has been kept down to 1620kg (1615kg manual) with the use of aluminium in the chassis, doors, bonnet and the roof of the coupe, while the bulbous boot is plastic.

Options include 19-inch wheels ($2200-$3200) over the standard 18-inch alloys, a $4500 active cruise control system that keeps it a designated distance from vehicles in front, climate glass ($600), 13-speaker Logic7 sound system ($1700), universal remote control ($500), ski bag ($750), heated steering wheel ($470) and a no-cost manual gearbox.

Another featured option is head-up display ($3000).

This shows important information on the windscreen so drivers do not have to divert their eyes from the road.

It displays speed, cruise-set speed, distance set from the vehicle in front in active cruise mode, basic navigation warnings such as the next turn, and warnings such as brake wear and low tyre pressure.

If the car has a puncture or a slow leak, not only will the vehicle sense the accompanying wheel speed anomaly, but run-flat technology will allow the 645Ci to continue on the tyre for 150km at 80km/h.

I didn't test the system myself, but I have watched ebullient BBC motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson slash the tyres, then drive a BMW with run-flat technology on a racetrack at ridiculous, licence-losing speeds.

They worked just fine.

And if you get a puncture more than 150km from a BMW dealer, you can always fit a standard tyre.

The 6 Series also shares 7 and 5 Series technology such as speed-variable active steering, adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights which turn up to 15deg around a corner to improve lighting distance, and LED brake lights with brake force display.

This is a system common to many new BMWs which displays a brighter glow when you apply the brakes in a panic, alerting drivers behind. LEDs also last longer than bulbs.

The cabin features luxurious soft "pearl" leather (available in black, beige or reed) and wood trim (pearl gloss, or dark or light birch grain).

Standard features include six airbags, satellite navigation, voice-recognition iDrive, in-car hands-free phone, six-stacker CD, park distance alert and an electric glass sunroof in the coupe.

It's my favourite car. A driver's car, yet also a comfortable passenger car, even for a coupe. Now if only I'd had the convertible at Mooloolaba, I might have been able to attract the attention of those bikini babes as well. Or maybe not.