Test drives 650i xDrive Gran Coupe: beauty and beast

A car that enchants both with its external beauty and internal qualities.

While most production models are increasingly becoming a consumable and a form of clothing, and things like the timeless beauty of form, true pleasure of travel and bold displays of technological genius remain in the background, models such as the BMW 6 Series gradually become began to resemble a kind of haven for classical values. The Six is very close to the top of the BMW model hierarchy, and the Gran Coupe is often rightly called the most sophisticated version. The model can be perceived as a kind of transition period between the most elite production cars and the products of boutique manufacturers.

This spring, BMW gave the coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe variants a partial overhaul, which includes small but effective changes to three modifications to further polish the luster of these vehicles with sporty-elegant GT style. Style and design are generally difficult to classify and objectively evaluate, but hardly anyone can deny the fact that the proportions, shapes and brilliance of the Gran Coupe six are strikingly close to the absolute perfection that can now be achieved with a modern car. with four doors and a body length of about five meters. We are not only talking about a five-meter luxury cruiser or an uncompromisingly tuned sports car, but also a five-meter true sense of elegance - a car that looks equally dynamic and noble, but at the same time sporty, elegant and filigree. The feeling of aesthetic pleasure does not weaken even after entering the four-seat salon, which, in addition to a stylish atmosphere, meticulous quality and intuitive ergonomics, also offers extremely wide possibilities for personalization.

The BMW 4,4i's 650-litre eight-cylinder engine is the backbone of the machine that powers the high-end M5/M6 athletes, and you can see it from the first serious stomp on the gas pedal - the pull is stiff at almost every possible rpm and spontaneity. in terms of speed, it is comparable to a sports atmospheric engine. Thanks to a superbly tuned dual transmission system, the full potential of driving is transferred to the road with minimal loss, resulting in amazing results in real conditions - in fact, the dynamic capabilities of the 650i xDrive Gran Coupe far exceed those of at least 98 percent of drivers. If you ask, the BMW 650i may be almost as fast as the M6, but that is by no means a prerequisite for driving pleasure – this car surprisingly manages to capture the full range of qualities that fundamentally distinguishes a sports car from a luxury car.

CONCLUSION

The choice between a racing sports car and a sophisticated luxury car seems difficult - but with the BMW 650i xDrive Gran Coupe, this is not necessary. This car is equally good as an elegant nobleman for pleasant journeys and as an uncompromising sportsman for extreme driving. And besides all this, he continues to be one of the most beautiful representatives of the serial car industry.

Text: Bozhan Boshnakov

Photo: Melania Yosifova, BMW

2020-08-29