Test: BMW 640i Convertible
Content
- Video
But this is a BMW! The 640i convertible couldn't be more typical: an attractive and promising sporty appearance with some aggressive exterior elements, an interior environment that connoisseurs expect from it, and mechanics that will be on display in the Museum of Technical History 50 years from now as an example. the technical perfection of his watch.
It's easy to say something bad about people, but it's not polite. But still: since Bangle no longer runs the headquarters of the brand's designers with the propeller in the logo, their cars are ... prettier. In particular: more pleasant for most people. Also to our editorial office of Auto magazine. This has been proven by the XNUMX and even more by the XNUMX you are just reading about.
Men in Munich are lucky that people buy Beemvee because of the love that comes from the brand's respectful (mostly semi-past) history. I mean: a car that has a soul, that has something more, can be easily forgiven for many things. So, will it be pretty, ugly, or somewhere in between - what is the first thing a person wants when they pick up the keys to the 640i Cabria? To drive it in front of the house, park it and work with an employee, getting in and out and reaching out through the door and trunk? To drive from parking lot to parking lot in front of the grate, where he supposedly needs to open or connect the roof? Drive through the city with the roof open and look around to find out who has noticed him, who comes across as jealous of him, and who acts like he (she) cannot afford it?
I admit that all this may at some point have its own (minor or serious, reasonable or stupid) charm, but - NO. This 640i is first grilled on the corners. And the roof should be right over your head. Convertible up or down, if the air is swirling in the cabin, you can be a dancer too, but it still bothers you with the blow itself, and even more with the letter, which at the speeds that this devil reaches is already called noise, and this one is really too big to perceive the car as chic as the driver.
Therefore: correct the mechanics at moderate speeds until the fluids around the engine and in it warm up to operating temperature, which, fortunately, does not last long, and then - board! You start with the basic driving dynamics setting and in the "D" position of the gearbox, and then slowly or quickly, depending on the (preliminary) knowledge and mood, you progress: mechanics and gearbox to sport settings, then mechanics to Sport +. , then to manual switching and, finally, to the version with the stabilization program turned off. This is if the ground under the wheels is good.
What heating and cooling of the steering wheel a man needs! It makes no sense to look at the speedometer, as this will only cause remorse, and it is already unsafe to look away from the road when you are driving, as the Russian propaganda says, to your grave. But this is far from the case, since the position of this six is at times rather boringly neutral and reliable, safe in one word and unpleasant in other words. But anything is possible if you want to. As already mentioned, in the driving dynamics settings that send the guardian angel to Fukushima, such a six becomes such a sports car that you probably won't find a sportier one on this planet. I emphasize: sporty, not racing.
It cannot (and probably does not want to) compete directly with the Maserati GranCabrio, but it will probably apply in the opposite direction. This 640i sits somewhere on the fringes where sportiness begins to mix with racing elements. As long as the tires are holding well, you will need to do a quiz and use tricks to get into a corner with a slightly slippery rear end.
But it does, and it's very nice. Ummm…! It will be a little less pleasant if you want to continue the style when things get worse. The gap between the completely disabled stabilization program and the next level of settings with slightly more active security is too big; then it will not be possible to slide the throttle smoothly in a controlled manner and at the same time still be safe all the time if we stay with the first setting, but if we turn on the first level of stabilization it is already too restrictive. Quattro is more convincing here. And look! Now the situation is getting a little worse, and the driving dynamics are again catching up with the driver who knows, wants and demands it. And so on up to the most severe conditions between the tire and the base; for extreme conditions - snow - unfortunately, we cannot provide you with first-hand information.
On what to walk boiling porridge: 5 and 6 are technically very similar, from the drive to the button for adjusting the dynamics of movement; here and there it is exactly the same, and here and there it is the same, but with a different setting. It goes without saying that 6 out of 5 is lower, that some other measure is different, and that all this ultimately affects the amount called the difference between the two. Who knows what exactly influences this the most, but behind the wheel, the six seems a lot more fun than the five. Yes, the steering wheel is still the same as in the 6, so with a tarnished sense of authenticity of contact between the ground under the front wheels and the hands on the steering wheel.
They will be difficult to forgive, if at all. It is worrying that it is no longer possible to accurately estimate how much friction reserves there are before uncontrolled sliding. But once again: the combination of mechanics that affect driving performance is technically more emotionally achievable for a driver in (even a motorized) six. And through curves, such as mountain rides, it's a pleasure to go ... fast. Very fast.
Once we enjoy it, another one or two on the roof. There is no point in losing words about mechanics: it works quietly, quickly and flawlessly. And about life under it: despite all the technical solutions, nature is stronger than man, in this case it shows 160 kilometers per hour, this is the point when a high noise level turns into unpleasant noise, and from there it only gets worse. ., At 200 there is no longer any point in listening to good music (although on this occasion: the audio system is again very, very good), and at 255 there is no longer any point in talking. But since you believe the commercials, even the advertisements for the aforementioned killer speed, you still won't have a chance to check it out.
There are other decibels here, but they come from somewhere else - from the drive. Because of the color, the outside listener won't have much of a haircut, which is quite different for the passengers. Once again: even in this 6 it doesn't go hand in hand with the GranCabrio, but it's nice to hear the engine when shifting gears, especially in sportier programs; down when it flows with an intermediate gas, and even more up when it flows quickly and a little rough, that is, perceptibly jerky, which is also reflected by a (beautiful) sound.
The Six is basically a coupe, but since it's a convertible, there are a few well-known facts to refresh your memory. In the front seats with the roof open, calmness reaches about 100 kilometers per hour, and there is never any rest in the back. It's true that the vortex around the heads of the front passengers is reduced by the windshield, but so rear seat passengers must continue on foot. Bottom line: one of the windiest and most restrained convertibles in the moderate speed range.
And not only will we be delighted, but also some of the hidden facts of everyday life in Six. The front seats are nothing special than the Petica, including a slight tension in the driver's elbows when seated correctly, a slightly inflated steering wheel, too little room for knick-knacks and drinks, with the typical Beemway air conditioning (requiring more performance than expected), with less more information on the big screen than it could be, with the now slightly dim bright orange-red illumination of gauges and switches, with some lack of equipment (no radar cruise control, no projection screen), especially for the Six, but also with extreme workload on rear seats, but also with an excellent sense of sporty prestige, with well-gripped seats, a very good driving position and excellent materials, design and interior construction in general.
Still there, but related to driving: slightly worse directional stability with a loaded trunk, a chassis that does not take into account the facts about hidden road channels (here, of course, I blame our road companies), very good feel from the brake pedal and in some places in consistent with its working system of stopping and restarting the engine (Stop / Start), although this may indeed seem a little unusual or even incredible. The way it is.
And finally, a little about the mechanics. We now know that this moment is the best automatic for a gearbox - because it is fast and can change frequently (depending on the settings), as we expect, but also because at times it seems even more “emotionally human” (and now you're trying to present it) as some cold perfect double clutches.
The motor, however, ... Even a large magnifier does not reveal any noticeable defects, including consumption. The well-known fact that horses need to be fed remains, but these horses eat on a diet, as the times are not far off when the same stallions ate half as much with the same requirements for the gas pedal. The current consumption meter reading, represented as a digital curved bar (and therefore accurate to the liter), ensures that the engine is consuming a good five liters from the fuel tank every 100 kilometers at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, at 130 eight, at 160 11 and 180 15. On the highway, if the driver is a little nervous, you have to count up to 12 liters per 100 kilometers, and pleasant antics increase your thirst to twenty.
But it's clear that the Six is not a cafe racer, it's a nice nice car. Who, in fact, we expect from the invested 115 thousand.
text: Vinko Kernc, photo: Sasha Kapetanovich
BMW 640i Convertible
Basic data
| Sales: | BMW GROUP Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 88500 € |
| Test model cost: | 115633 € |
| Power: | 235kW (320 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 6,3 with |
| Maximum speed: | 250 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 15l / 100km |
| Guarantee: | 2-year general warranty, 5-year mobile warranty, 3-year varnish warranty, 12-year rust warranty. |
Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)
| Regular services, works, materials: | included in the car price € |
|---|---|
| Fuel: | 19380 € |
| Tires (1) | 3690 € |
| Loss of value (within 5 years): | 33106 € |
| Compulsory insurance: | 4016 € |
| CASCO INSURANCE (+ B, K), AO, AO + | 6895 ( |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Buy up | € 67087 0,67 (km cost: XNUMX €) |
Technical information
| engine: | 6-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - longitudinally mounted at the front - bore and stroke 89,6 × 84 mm - displacement 2.979 cm³ - compression ratio 10,2:1 - maximum power 235 kW (320 hp) s.) at 5.800 6.000-16,8 78,9 rpm - average piston speed at maximum power 107,3 m / s - specific power 450 kW / l (1.300 hp / l) - maximum torque torque 4.500 Nm at 2-4 rpm – XNUMX camshafts in the head (chain) – XNUMX valves per cylinder – common rail fuel injection – exhaust gas turbocharger – charge air cooler. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | the engine drives the rear wheels - automatic transmission 8-speed - gear ratio I. 4,714; II. 3,143 hours; III. 2,106 hours; IV. 1,667 hours; v. 1,285; VI. 1,000; VII. 0,839; VIII. 0,667; - Differential 3,232 - Wheels 10 J × 20 - Tires front 245/35 R 20, rear 275/35 R 20, rolling circle 2,03 m. |
| Capacity: | 250 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5,7 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 10,9/6,2/7,9 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 185 g/km. |
| Transportation and suspension: | convertible - 2 doors, 4 seats - self-supporting body - front single suspension, spring legs, three-spoke wishbones, stabilizer bar - rear multi-link axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer bar - front disc brakes (forced cooling), rear disc (forced cooling) , ABS, mechanical parking brake on the rear wheels (switching between seats) - rack and pinion steering wheel, electric power steering, 2 turns between extreme points. |
| Mass: | Empty vehicle 1.840 kg - Permissible gross weight 2.290 kg - Permissible trailer weight with brake: not available, without brake: not available - Permissible roof load: 0 kg. |
| External dimensions: | vehicle width 1.894 mm, front track 1.600 mm, rear track 1.675 mm, ground clearance 11,7 m. |
| Inner dimensions: | width front 1.550 mm, rear 1.350 mm - seat length front seat 530-580 mm, rear seat 460 mm - steering wheel diameter 380 mm - fuel tank 70 l. |
| Standard equipment: | airbags for the driver and front passenger - side airbags - curtain airbags - ISOFIX mountings - ABS - ESP - power steering - automatic air conditioning - front and rear power windows - rear-view mirrors with electric adjustment and heating - radio with CD player and MP3- player - multi-function steering wheel - remote control of the central lock - height and depth, electrically adjustable steering wheel - rain sensor - xenon headlights - height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats - heated front seats - on-board computer. |
Our measurements
| T = 13 ° C / p = 1.120 mbar / rel. vl. = 35% / Tires: Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT front 245/35 / R 20 Y, rear 275/30 / R 20 Y / odometer status: 2.719 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 6,3s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 14,6 years ( 155 km / h) |
| Maximum speed: | 250km / h (7. to 8.) |
| Minimum consumption: | 11,5l / 100km |
| Maximum consumption: | 20,7l / 100km |
| test consumption: | 15 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 130 km / h: | 61,9m |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 35,1m |
| AM table: | 39m |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear | 52dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 4rd gear | 50dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 5rd gear | 48dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 6rd gear | 48dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear | 64dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 4rd gear | 63dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 5rd gear | 62dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 6rd gear | 60dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 4rd gear | 68dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 5rd gear | 66dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 6rd gear | 64dB |
| Idling noise: | 37dB |
Overall rating (345/420)
In many ways, the Six is the same, or at least very similar to the Five, which stems from a similar design but is even more dynamic than it is. A convertible that causes many rivals to have a bad dream.
Exterior (15/15)
Since it shed its design influence from Chris Bangle, Six has become noticeably more beautiful and consistent.
Interior (96/140)
The rear seats are only emergency, as is the trunk, so it has lost the most compared to the Five.
Engine, transmission (59
/ 40)Here, too, the steering wheel lost its once excellent feedback, but otherwise no comment.
Driving performance (64
/ 95)Traditionally excellent pedals and probably the best use of the benefits of rear-wheel drive, also on the road. Noticeably more fun than Five.
Performance (34/35)
If the permissible speed is exceeded twice or more, i.e. ...
Security (40/45)
In Munich, the Six is better equipped (and more suitable for this class) with new active safety systems.
Economy (37/50)
Typical modern turbo: moderate to high consumption, depending on the roughness of the driver. High price of accessories and average warranty.
We praise and reproach
technique (in general)
the situation on the road is more fun than in episode 5
engine: performance, consumption
gearbox, drive
chassis, driving dynamics
exterior appearance
front camera for blind spots
comfortable equipment
swallowing a fuel tank
sparse base version
accessories price
poor directional stability with a laden car
inner drawers
uneven maintenance of air conditioning comfort
noise above 160 km / h
spaciousness in the rear seats
