Made for the open road

ALASTAIR SLOANE takes the BMW 6-Series convertible for a test drive and finds it a car of great character


A few months ago, a senior executive of a mainstream car company asked when the BMW 6-series coupe would land in New Zealand.

Told February/March, he replied: "Can't wait to see it in the flesh. It's just the most beautiful car. I wish we'd built it."

The same executive didn't ask about the hatchback 1-Series, BMW's new entry-level range. Perhaps he should have: unlike the 6-Series, it is sure to eat into sales in his end of the market.

The 1-Series - pictured here for the first time in New Zealand - will go on sale in this country later in the year. The 645ci coupe and convertible will be launched on Tuesday, on roads south of Auckland.

A brief drive of the top-end convertible the other day revealed a car of great character: all at once elegant and sassy and arguably the best execution yet of the carmaker's controversial new design direction.

It's a visual triumph, a high-tech grand tourer with the singularity, evocative design and sporting spirit of the original 6-Series coupe, made between 1976 and 1989.

The old 6-Series pretty much defined BMW, before the luxury German dumped it for the 8-Series. There are those in BMW who wish that had never happened. The new model might put things right. Few cars better define their place in the scheme of things.

The coupe costs $207,900, the convertible $219,900. BMW New Zealand has sold the 40 cars it ordered for this year and is looking for 15 more to satisfy demand.

Both coupe and convertible are tuned for the open road. Suspension settings sit between sporting and firm and the ride is smooth and unruffled, even over the worst suburban surfaces.

Handling benefits from BMW's Active Steering system, which lightens low-speed turns of the helm and firms feel through the front wheels at higher speeds.

The soft-top's hood goes up or down at the push of a button - there are no manual clips or catches - and can be operated at 30km/h, or in stop-start traffic.

The heated-glass rear window can also be independently lowered into the bodywork with the hood up for extra ventilation.

The roof folds into a compartment in the boot, taking 50 litres of luggage space and limiting the volume to 350 litres. The coupe provides 450 litres.

Both the coupe and convertible are powered by 4.4-litre V8 which produces 245kW (333bhp) and 450Nm of torque and is coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode.

Standard equipment includes Adaptive Light Control, which moves the car's headlights with the steering wheel to aid visibility around corners, and an electronic stability control system.

Dynamic Drive - the company's latest device for limiting body roll and increasing cornering stability - is optional.

The 645Ci convertible is a mix of plastic, steel and aluminium. It weighs 1820kg, distributed 50:50 front and rear.

The front chassis is all-aluminium. The front guards are made of thermoplastic, while the bootlid and roof compartment lids are made from a composite material.

The aerials for phone, radio and satellite-navigation are built into the boot lid, a convenience not possible using steel or aluminium.

The 1-Series is BMW's first offering in the premium compact class. It will also be the only rear-drive model in the segment.

It will be launched at the Paris motor show in September, built at a new plant in Regensburg, Germany, and go on sale in New Zealand before Christmas.

The range will include three four-cylinder petrol variants - 116i, 118i, 120i - and one four-cylinder diesel version, the 120d. The 116i, 120i and 120d will be available this year, the 118i will land next year.

The 1.6-litre engine produces 85kW, the 1.8-litre unit 95kW, and the 2-litre engine 110kW. The oil-burning 120d develops 120kW. Gearboxes are a mix of five- and six-speed manual and automatics.

The first body style will be the five-door hatchback (the first such model offered in BMW's history). Other body styles will be confirmed later in the year, along with options and prices.