What's this then?

This is the latest version of BMW's 6 Series Coupé, Convertible and Gran Coupé - big, luxurious luxo-barges for the discerning plutocrat.

They don't look all that different...

Well, ya see, that's because they're not. Some minor tweaks to the front and rear bumpers, a new set of kidney grilles and the option of full-LED headlights and indicators are pretty much your lot here. Coupé, Gran Coupé and Convertible all also get new aerodynamically profiled wing mirrors. There are now optional Design Pure Experience and Design Pure Excellence styling packs too. It's all a bit marketing mumbo-jumbo but basically Experience gives you a darker, sportier setup while Excellence adds a bit more chrome and lighter colours. The M Sport trim level is, of course, still available.

Any mechanical changes?

Yup, but they're mostly minor. The same straight-six diesel and petrol and V8 petrol engines are available in 640d, 640i and 650i guises as before, but they get some tweaks to improve their fuel economy by about 1.4mpg. Every little helps as the well-known non-specific supermarket chain says. Bigger news comes in the form of xDrive four-wheel drive, which is now available on the 6 Series for the first time. Not only does it bring wet and slippery weather improvements, as you'd expect, but it also helps with the 0-62mph time, which drops to 4.4 seconds for the 650i. There's also a standard-fit sports exhaust system for that bit more burble.

The eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which BMW now calls Steptronic, also gets a standard Launch Control system. That should annoy the neighbours of a Sunday morning...

What about the inside?

There are some tweaks inside, with new seats, an updated BMW Connected infotainment and Wi-Fi system, plus Driving Assistant Plus that can detect stopped vehicles or pedestrians in the road ahead and throw out an anchor at speeds of up to 23mph.

Neil Briscoe - 10 Dec 2014