BMW 650i Sport

Big, bold and with the brawn to back that appearance up, this superbly capable GT is practical too – but you’ll either love or loathe its looks.

Buying a coupe is a wonderfully indulgent experience – after all, if you apply logic to car buying, who would buy a more costly car that has less to offer physically?

At first glance, you could say that’s exactly the position potential buyers of the BMW 6-Series would find themselves in when presented with its cheaper (by £8K), roomier, and more user-friendly 5-Series saloon sibling. But, objectivity be damned, we say – because street corners are littered with 5-Series saloons and Touring models here in the UK, whereas the controversially styled 6-Series coupe (and convertible) can still turn heads at 100 paces. That alone justifies the premium and loss of practicality in our eyes – and that’s before factoring in the promise of even sharper dynamics.

At £55,910 in Sport form, the 367bhp 650i offers near supercar performance, V8 drama and topdrawer dynamics – all at a considerable saving over its bigbrother, the M6.

Specifications

The 650i hasn’t been on sale that long, but it has already established itself as a player in the super coupe market. Introduced in 2005 when it replaced the 645i, the refocused big V8 coupe represented moving goalposts for its rivals from Jaguar and Maserati.

As a new car package, the 650i is available in ‘standard’ or Sport form, and with the option of a convertible roof for open air aficionados. Although the range itself looks simple (discounting the other sixes), a long options list means that your chances of picking up a standard car on the
Approved Used scheme are pretty miniscule – and that means taking plenty of time to research your subject. If you don’t need the hassle of adaptive lighting, or can’t get your head around active steering, then it’s best to know up front.

The choice between Sport and standard is much more straightforward, with the larger 19- inch alloys identifying the more expensive car – and it comes with a long list of extra standard equipment justifying the £55K list price.

Since its introduction in 2005, the 650i hasn’t changed very much, although under-the-skin honing has resulted in a mightily accomplished driver’s car – but is it the ultimate?

On the road

We know what you’re thinking – this is a 5-Series under the skin, so it’s going to drive pretty much the same as its four-door brother. Well, hold on to your hats, because once you leave th e confines of the city and find some twisty roads to play on, the 650i feels considerably different.

The 550i may well offer the same wide range of abilities, but where the coupe comes into its own, is that it feels sharper and more focused – almost wired directly into the driver. Being powered by a deep-chested V8 means you’ll enjoy the experience from the off – it sounds wonderful at low revs, and although you’ll need to blip the throttle to hear it at idle, once you’re under way, the muted bellow of this responsive powerhouse makes itself known to you at every opportunity.

Performance is predictably rapid (0- 60mph, 5.5secs, 155mph top speed) – and in manual form (as our test car is), you’ll enjoy being able to exploit genuine pull in any gear from just about any speed.

We tested an Active Drive equipped 650i Sport, which dispenses with body roll completely – and if you can find a car so-equipped, we’d recommend it. Grip is phenomenal, and steering is incisive and beautifully geared – a combination that results in a seriously capable B-road weapon. Traction control is a little intrusive for experienced drivers, but if you flick the DTC button, you get a little more slippage to play with – with a suitablysized safety net if you get carried away.

Inside, it’s BMW business as usual, and that means you’ll be enjoying sculpted seats, a perfect driving position, and a dashboard with excellent ergonomics. BMW’s controversial iDrive system dominates the proceedings, and if you can get your head around it, you’ll find controlling the car’s vast array of features a doddle. Just to make things easier, there’s also voice control – and as we found, it didn’t have too many problems coping with variations in drivers’ voices.

Interior room is ample – for a coupe – although you’ll want to limit the time taller people sit in the back. The boot is huge, though, and that’s definitely an advantage compared with a Jaguar XK.

In fact, the only real criticisms we could level at the 650i are its lack of visibility – and the attention (positive nd negative) it attracts from other road uses. But if that’s not your thing, you’ll have probably already gone for a 550i.

Market impressions

It’s only been on the market a couple of years, and few cars have yet to slip out of the protective custody of the Approved Used network. However, there’s no escaping the fact that being a V8 powered large coupe, the 650 is going to depreciate more heavily than your average BMW saloon.

In a crowded market sector, the 6- Series has struggled to find its place, and although the arrival of the M6 has lifted its image appreciably, there’s no escaping the fact that in the glamour stakes, it struggles against rivals from Maserati, Jaguar and Mercedes.

Still, it’s a more solid investment than the 550 saloon, and with a three year estimated retained trade value of around 45 per cent, finding a late-plate behind-book bargain is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

Still, buying a used example is going to net useful savings against list – and with starting prices for an ‘06-plater of around £45K, that’s a not-insignificant bonus of £10K (discounting options) for letting someone else take the new car hit for you.

As per usual in this sector, autos are worth more than the manuals, and the Sport model is the most desirable. The long-term prognosis for the 650i is for above average depreciation, met with a very healthy demand from used car buyers.

Conclusion

We’re going to skirt the issue of the 650i’s challenging styling by concluding that if you’re considering one of these cars, you’ve already made your own mind up. So with that thorny issue out of the way, you’re left with a hugely talented driver’s car with more than a little added practicality.

Long-term appeal is rooted in the deeply-ingrained driving experience, as well as your ability to foot the fuel bills. Because it really does tick all the necessary boxes, and at the end of a long hard drive, leaves you feeling pretty special. In short, go for it.

Faults, flaws and fixes

Although the 6-Series has been around since 2003, the 5-litre version was a comparatively late addition a couple of years ago. There have been a few problems with the earliest cars – especially in the iDrive system – but these should have been ironed out long before the introduction of this model.

Despite that, it’s always worth checking on a test drive – and the only way to do that, is to ensure it’s an extended route you take it on in order to warm through the car thoroughly. It’s important to cycle through all the controls, because if the unit fails, you’ll lose access to the heating, stereo and ‘phone controls – which is obviously a bit of a disaster.

But, in truth, you’ll probably be looking in vain for any iDrive problems, and that leaves you to concentrate on the more usual points of concern.

The run-flat tyres haven’t covered themselves in glory, wearing rapidly and suffering from leaks. Conventional replacements are cheaper, keep their pressure and ride better, and many owners have gone down this route in order to improve compliance on typically British roads. Thoroughly check during
your inspection.

These cars are fundamentally reliable, and don’t often give their owners heartache, so high miles won’t unduly affect value.

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