Skip advert
Advertisement

BMW 6-Series

6-series is all torque and no real action

Evo rating
RRP
from £56,110
  • Fast, practical sports-GT
  • Fails to fulfil either sports or GT role

This should be the perfect marriage – BMW’s incredibly powerful twin-turbo 3-litre diesel engine and the suave yet practical 6-series coupe. And it does have its appeal: the engine is super-torquey (how does 428lb ft @ 1700rpm sound?) and provides effortless performance, the six-speed automatic gearbox is silky smooth and the interior is beautifully finished. As a place to spend lots of time you can only conclude that the 635d Sport is a mighty impressive car.

Advertisement - Article continues below

There are niggles though, and the more miles you cover the more annoying they become. First there’s the diesel clatter, which is pretty horrendous at cold but never really dies away even at a cruise. The uninspiring drone really detracts from the experience and the engine feels slow to rev, overloaded with its own inertia. In a supposedly sporty coupe that should relish being used properly, it’s hard to ignore an engine that’s much happier pottering than charging to the red zone.

Then there’s the ride – agitated, noisy and totally unable to deal with short, sharp bumps. Body control is good when you do decide to work the chassis hard, but you only discover its excellent neutral balance after ignoring all the signals that are screaming at you to slow down – at seven-tenths the 635d feels ragged and ill-sorted. The £2200 Sport package adds 19in wheels – as well as Sports seats, a three-spoke M steering wheel and a few other ‘sporty’ touches like anthracite headlining – and in combination with 35-profile run-flat tyres they really hobble the big coupe.

It’s a confused and confusing car, the 635d Sport, reluctant to be driven like a sports car and without the sophistication of ride to be a true GT. At £56,110 it’s about £1000 less than the 650i, which has 362bhp and runs from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds as opposed to 6.3. The 650i is also more refined, more agile and sounds fantastic. Ignore that too, though. M6 prices have crashed to around £47,000 on the used market. Now that’s one 6-series I would recommend to anyone…

Specifications

EngineIn-line six-cyl, twin-turbo, 2993cc
Max power286bhp @ 4400rpm
Max torque428lb ft @ 1750-2250rpm
0-606.3sec (claimed)
Top speed155mph (limited)
On saleNow
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses
Ford Focus ST Mk3
Features

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses

We’d hoped the 2015 Focus ST would share a good dose of its little brother’s magic. Sadly, it didn’t
28 Apr 2025
The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
News

The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever

The 296 Speciale is the latest in Ferrari's line of mid-engined road racers, packing 868bhp and LaFerrari-beating pace on track
29 Apr 2025
Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 2025 review – the ultimate analogue hypercar
GMA T.50 front
Reviews

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 2025 review – the ultimate analogue hypercar

The GMA T.50 is the car we thought would never come: Gordon Murray's sequel to the ultimate hypercar, the McLaren F1
26 Apr 2025