First Drive: 2012 BMW 6 Series Convertible
At 192.6 inches long and 4,500 pounds, this big boy shadows competitors like the Mercedes-Benz E Class Cabriolet and Jaguar XK in nearly every dimension – it even outstretches the Bentley Continental GTC. Thanks in part to its new structure derived from the 5/7 Series chassis, it's 2.6 inches longer than before, and at 74.5 inches, it's marginally wider, too. The new model is thus a bit porkier than the outgoing E64, so it's helpful that the 650i Convertible has more brawn: 400 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 450 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm from its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter N62 V8. That's 40 hp and a whopping 90 lb-ft more than its predecessor. It also has two more ratios in its automatic gearbox – eight cogs are on offer from the well-liked ZF 8HP70. Interestingly, a six-speed manual is also available (though it was unavailable for testing), and in a reversal of fortunes, the three-pedal setup will be sold Stateside and not in Europe. Apparently, those on The Continent are growing increasingly enamored of high-performance automatics, while there were enough U.S. enthusiasts grumbling for a self-stirrer that BMW has obliged (North America is the 6-Series' biggest market anyhow).
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