Is the new drop-top Six any good? Top Gear gets behind the wheel to find out...
Launched in convertible format initially, the new 6-Series is certainly less controversial in the styling stakes: less of a bustled rump and a smoother, sharper profile. Certainly in the pictures I saw before coming out, and on the stand at the Paris Show, I was keen.
But I've mellowed towards it after driving it today. In real life, it's more of the same, there's nothing here that actively offends, but you can't help thinking that the car is lacking a certain something. On the road it looks nice enough, but nothing very striking. There's just not that much to get excited about.
See more pictures of the new BMW 6-Series convertible
Still, a 407bhp, 442lb ft 650i V8 should sort that, right? Well, again, not quite. The 650 weighs over two tonnes, so despite having plenty of get-up-n-go from the motor, the Six never really feels quite as fast as the figures suggest - five seconds to sixty is respectable, but the car feels like a cruiser from the off.
It's also a tad firm on anything other than smooth roads - very German - and the active steering is about as tactile as remote surgery. I've got an eight-hour odyssey of driving tomorrow, so there's more to come, but first impressions are that there are no surprises here.
But I've mellowed towards it after driving it today. In real life, it's more of the same, there's nothing here that actively offends, but you can't help thinking that the car is lacking a certain something. On the road it looks nice enough, but nothing very striking. There's just not that much to get excited about.
See more pictures of the new BMW 6-Series convertible
Still, a 407bhp, 442lb ft 650i V8 should sort that, right? Well, again, not quite. The 650 weighs over two tonnes, so despite having plenty of get-up-n-go from the motor, the Six never really feels quite as fast as the figures suggest - five seconds to sixty is respectable, but the car feels like a cruiser from the off.
It's also a tad firm on anything other than smooth roads - very German - and the active steering is about as tactile as remote surgery. I've got an eight-hour odyssey of driving tomorrow, so there's more to come, but first impressions are that there are no surprises here.
