The highly desirable 650i Coupe you see before you headlines a raft of new model variants from BMW this week. The 650i is also available in Convertible format, and replaces the 645Ci. Prices start at £52,115 for the 367bhp-engined car. Along with the new name, Sport models are available for the first time on the 6-series range. The only external changes to the Sport models are the addition of multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels and high-gloss 'shadow line' trim. Inside is a leather rimmed M sports steering wheel, sports seats, anthracite headlining and dark birch wood trim. The 650i Sport Convertible is now the most expensive model in the 6-series range (until the M6 arrives), at £59,365, while the excellent
630i is available in Sport guise for just £48,485. All 6-series models benefit from a revised I-drive and the start/stop button instead of an ignition key.
Next up is the 730Ld, the first long-wheelbase diesel 7-series ever offered for sale in the UK. At
the launch of the new 7-series we discovered that the 730d is one of the best models in the range, and the long-wheelbase model is bound to rack up sales with the limousine hire industry. The 'basic' 730Ld comes in at £50,750, with the loaded SE version at £52,900. Zero to 62mph is claimed to be 7.9 seconds with 34.4mpg on the Combined Cycle.
Two new V8 models join the 5-series range (on top of the
new 520d models). The 550i shares the 4.8-litre 367bhp V8 with the 650i, bridging the gap to the
awesome M5 with the same limited 155mph top speed and a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds not far off the super saloon's time. More telling is that the 550i's engine has a peak torque figure of 361lb.ft, up against the M5's 384lb.ft. These figures almost make the £43,550 price tag for the saloon (the Touring model starts at £45,575) sound like a veritable bargain.
Just £36,985 will get you into a V8-engined 5-series though, as the 540i debuts alongside the 550i. The Touring is not available with the 4-litre engine, which churns out 306bhp and 288lb.ft of torque. Top speed is limited to 155mph as per usual and the benchmark 0-62mph time is a respectable 6.2 seconds. Other changes to the range include an uprated 530d, with more power and better fuel consumption. All diesel 5-series models are now fitted with a diesel particulate filter as standard. As with the 6-series, all 5-series models gain the revised I-drive and start/stop button.
Last, but not least, the X3 is now available with a 2-litre petrol engine and the 3-litre turbodiesel six-cylinder. There is some bad news for buyers though, and that is an across the BMW range price increase of 1%. You win some you lose some. We'll be driving many of the new variants later this year, so keep an eye on the
BMW road test page. The new models will make their public debut at the
Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
Related articles:
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All BMW road tests
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BMW 630i review
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BMW 730d review
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BMW 120i review
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BMW M5 review
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2005 Frankfurt Motor Show
Shane O' Donoghue - 11 Aug 2005
