Sunday, December 29

2016 BMW 6 Series:  Continued Greatness

2016 BMW 6 Series

The BMW 6 Series has been one of the most famous, celebrated and exalted cars on the market for many years.  Whether that’s because of the top of the line engineering that goes into this car or the fact it is really a car lineup by itself is hard to figure, but either way this is a car worthy of a great deal of attention and enthusiasm.  Offering you a coupe, a convertible and even the four-door Gran Coupe gives you a great choice between the styles of car you want.  If you choose to have the M added to the name, well you get the M6 which is considered to be the high end sport model which is extremely exciting to drive.

Even though the 6 Series is a luxury car, it stays relatively affordable compared with the likes of the Maserati Gran Turismo or Mercedes- Benz E-Class Coupe.  For the reasonable price you get plenty of power, a great build and amazing performance.  For this new model year the 6 Series receives a new front and rear along with many interior improvements such as a new steering wheel and new center console.  For the mechanics, the 6 Series adds a new active exhaust system that allows the engine to give quite a wonderful noise when in Sport and Sport+ mode.

What is really cool about the 6 Series is the fact that all three models drive differently.  This is unique in a car lineup to have this be the case, but with different engines and dynamics it’s not completely unheard of.  What is similar about all three is the driving dynamics is perfect for the car and gives you a quiet and engaged ride that truly makes you become one with whichever version of the 6 Series you have chosen.  Even the base model with the six-cylinder engine does not feel base at all in this car and makes for a great ride one any road you can find, especially one that is open and allows you to run free.

The power we find in the 6 Series comes in as three different setups in two different engines.  The base engine is 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that puts out 315 horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of torque.  This excellent engine is attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission and can be set up with RWD or AWD.  The fuel mileage shows up at 22 city/33 hwy for the RWED coupe, 20 city/29 hwy mpg for the AWD versions and 20 city/30 hwy mpg for the RWD convertible.

The second engine comes in with a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that brings in 445 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque.  This beast also is attached to the eight-speed automatic transmission and gives fuel numbers of 17 city/25 hwy mpg for the RWD models and 16 city/24 hwy mpg for the AWD versions.

Moving up to the top tier is the engine found in the M6.  This is the same V8 with higher powered twin-turbochargers attached.  This high powered, sports engine gives up 560 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque.  This engine is mated to either a seven-speed automatic or a six-speed manual, both of which are made to give the sport feeling you want in this car.  The fuel numbers for the M6 come in at 14 city/20 hwy mpg for the automatics and 15 city/22 hwy mpg for the manuals.  All 6 Series are powered by premium fuel and to save on that somewhat you will enjoy the benefit of start-stop technology which cuts the engine power while idling.

The inside of the cabin of a 6 Series feels like home in a very familiar way.  If you have owned a 6 Series in the past you will immediately know where all the controls are and be greeted by the wood and carbon-fiber accents along with the high end audio system, comfortable materials and touch-sensitive iDrive infotainment system.  With plenty of room for rear seat passengers and a large and spacious trunk this is a car that can impress all your friends when it’s time to head out the links as well as give you the ability to fully enjoy a drive in a great convertible, coupe or sport coupe.

One the outside the 6 series is as recognizable as ever.  There is now a slight change in the kidney shaped dual grill with nine vertical bars instead of ten, which you probably wouldn’t even notice.  The smooth look and athletic stance give you a car that you have become familiar with over the years but one that also offers a great deal of new aggressive features.  Some of these new features include the larger 19-inch wheels, LED headlights and rear diffuser on the M6.

For the 6 Series the standard equipment comes much better than most standard offerings.  This version includes leather upholstery, wood trimmings, xenon headlights, a navigation system, a 10.2-inch display with touch-sensitive iDrive, dynamic cruise control and a rearview camera.  The V8 adds Nappa leather, 20-way power front seats, 19-ich wheels and a 12-speaker 500 watt audio system.  The xDrive models all add the AWD and four-years or 50,000 miles of scheduled maintenance included in the vehicle.  When equipped with all these features the 6 Series makes for a fantastic car to drive and one you will be glad you have chosen for your own daily needs.

Every car needs some options to add to the menu and with the 6 Series there are several to be enjoyed.  Some of the stand-alone options include AWD and other niceties but most of them are put into packages to make for an even better drive than before.  The Executive Package adds ventilated front seats, soft-close doors and a head-up display that projects travel information onto the windshield.  The audio upgrade includes a Bang & Olufsen sound system and those looking for a better performance should select the active steering and adaptive drive systems.  There is also a new Black Accent package that adds high gloss trim on the grill and interior as well as black tailpipes, bi-color 20-inch alloy wheels and black Nappa leather.

As stated the 6 Series is a bit less expensive than the competition but it still starts out at the base model at $77,500, which is a pretty penny for most car shoppers.  The V8 will be a bit of an increase at a price of $89,000 with the four-door Gran Coupe adds about $2,000 to either of those prices and the convertible adds about $7,000.  Adding AWD to any model increases the price by $3,000 which makes it easy to see how you can reach six figures on the price in this, which is where the M6 begins.

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