2014 BMW 6 SERIES

The BMW 6 Series is a lineup of sleek, sporty, elegant convertibles, coupes, and sedans. Their fluid lines and steeply raked windshield suggests an ability and willingness to slip through the air at great speed with big, elegant lines that flow rearward to a muscular rear end. Upfront, the twin-kidney grille is sleekly integrated into the rounded nose flanked by trapezoidal headlamps with LED accent lights above that look like glittery eyebrows. A gaping intake runs horizontally across the front like the mouth of a shark. At the rear are LED taillight clusters. The BMW logo on the rear is in fact a small door that opens to let the rearview camera peer out when in Reverse, a nice feature because it keeps the lens from getting dirty. 

The 2014 BMW 640i Coupe ($74,900) come standard with Dakota leather, two-zone automatic climate control with micro-filter ventilation system with replaceable active-charcoal filters, 10-way power front seats with four-way lumbar support, memory system for driver's seat, steering wheel and mirrors, gray poplar wood trim, floor mats, Comfort Access keyless entry, tilting glass panel roof with power sliding roofliner, power tilt and telescope steering wheel with automatic tilt-up, power windows with opening from remote and closing from exterior lock, Park Distance Control, electric park brake, ambiance interior lighting, heated driver's door lock, three-stage heated front seats, universal garage door opener, 205-watt nine-speaker AM/FM/CD MP3 audio with Sirius Satellite Radio and HD Radio, three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, USB, Bluetooth, rearview camera, exterior temperature display, Dynamic Cruise Control, navigation system with 10.2-inch screen, 3-D maps, 200 GB hard drive, advanced Real Time Traffic Information, BMW Online with MyInfo, BMW Apps, BMW TeleService, engine Start/Stop, xenon headlights.

Safety equipment standard on all 6 Series includes frontal airbags, front-seat side-impact airbags, active knee protection, front safety belts with automatic pretensioners, LATCH child-restraint system, automatic disconnect of the fuel pump, starter and alternator in an accident with activation of hazard lights, interior lights and door unlock, BMW Assist eCall with SOS button and automatic collision notification, rearview camera, adaptive brake lights. Coupes and Gran Coupes come with curtain airbags for rollover protection.

Seats are comfortable and luxurious. The seats are fairly broad and firm, although with many adjustments they can be made to fit any body size. Front seats provide a blend of comfort, snug fit, and firm lateral support for hard driving. Cooled and heated seats work quickly and effectively and provide welcome relief from extreme temperatures. The instrumentation is clean and beautiful, with silver-rimmed analog gauges befitting of a high-performance car. The 200-mph speedometer is optimistic only in the sense that top speed is electronically limited to 155. Coincidentally or not, 100 mph is located on the top, so your eye can watch the red needle at high noon. The center stack is relatively tidy, with some controls angled toward the driver. The handsomely stitched dashboard leather surrounds silver-rimmed analog gauges that are clean and beautiful, with white numbers by day and clear orange at night. There's a small horizontal window under the speedo and tach that's easy to read and scroll through to access travel information.

We love the thick leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, with controls for audio, phone, and cruise control. Navigation maps are displayed on a wonderfully wide 10.2-inch screen with a big eave so it can be read in the sunlight. BMW's display brilliantly uses color, and it's excellent for the navigation directions that can be displayed. Navigation information is displayed clearly, and there's enough room on the screen for audio info to be displayed at the same time. The screen in the convertible has a special reflective treatment so it can be seen in sunlight; we tried during our test of the M6 convertible, and it really works. BMW Connected app, which allows drivers to access Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, and paid music subscription service MOG accounts through a late-model iPhone or iPod Touch on the iDrive display. Blackberry and Android smartphones are out of luck. BMW Apps includes a track data recorder that can store information gathered from your lapping sessions. It records the same sort of information used by onboard computers at top professional racing schools. Drivers can compare data so you can see where you can improve. For example, you can see how someone comes out of a corner faster by braking later or earlier, getting on the gas sooner, etc. It's compelling information.