Top down, turbulence and noise in the front row of seating is kept surprisingly low until well over the speed limit. Conversations can be carried without raising one's voice, even at far higher-than-recommended speeds.
Back-seat noise and turbulence is more generous. The rear seats are comfortable once settled into, though they're of course intended for smaller, younger passengers.
Top up, the 650i's wind noise levels are on par with your average sports coupe. It's not as quiet as a hard-top luxury coupe, but it doesn't sound like a giant tent driving down the highway, either. On any road, the tester felt solid, heavy and bolted down while transmitting minimal suspension or tire noise into the cabin over most surfaces. Occupants sit low within the wide and spacious cabin, with a seating position like a proper sports car, despite roominess closer to that of a luxury sedan.
The 6's new 8
As nicely executed as the 650i is, two problems found on nearly all convertibles still apply. First, roof-up visibility is limited to the sides and rear of the vehicle. Second, birds only poop on convertibles. Anyone who owns one will back this up.
Should a flock of seagulls with diarrhea zero in on your Six, outrunning them is no problem - thanks to BMW's 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8. It drives the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic with paddle shift.
Yes, 8 speeds. This transmission is the smoothest and slickest I've ever used, period - and it shifts at lightning speed and with totally imperceptible smoothness, even for downshifts that send the tachometer towards the redline. Observed fuel economy is 12.5 L/100km.
You can even have the 650i with a six-speed manual transmission. You know, the kind with a shift lever and clutch pedal. Output? Four hundred horsepower.
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| The rear seats are comfortable once settled into, though they're of course intended for smaller, younger passengers. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Back-seat noise and turbulence is more generous. The rear seats are comfortable once settled into, though they're of course intended for smaller, younger passengers.
Top up, the 650i's wind noise levels are on par with your average sports coupe. It's not as quiet as a hard-top luxury coupe, but it doesn't sound like a giant tent driving down the highway, either. On any road, the tester felt solid, heavy and bolted down while transmitting minimal suspension or tire noise into the cabin over most surfaces. Occupants sit low within the wide and spacious cabin, with a seating position like a proper sports car, despite roominess closer to that of a luxury sedan.
The 6's new 8
As nicely executed as the 650i is, two problems found on nearly all convertibles still apply. First, roof-up visibility is limited to the sides and rear of the vehicle. Second, birds only poop on convertibles. Anyone who owns one will back this up.
Should a flock of seagulls with diarrhea zero in on your Six, outrunning them is no problem - thanks to BMW's 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8. It drives the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic with paddle shift.
Yes, 8 speeds. This transmission is the smoothest and slickest I've ever used, period - and it shifts at lightning speed and with totally imperceptible smoothness, even for downshifts that send the tachometer towards the redline. Observed fuel economy is 12.5 L/100km.
You can even have the 650i with a six-speed manual transmission. You know, the kind with a shift lever and clutch pedal. Output? Four hundred horsepower.
 |
| Output? Four hundred horsepower. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |