Bucket Seat: BMW M760Li xDrive - First Impressions

For those who visited the Festival of Motoring held at Kyalami last year, you would have noticed something really special parked off at the BMW stand. Tucked away at the back was the range topping model of the 7 series stable, the M760Li. It's presence was well felt, as soon as you entered the room it caught your attention, from it's large 20" rims, to the flared front bumper and grill to the various M badges and V12 badges that adorn the car. Even the paint work was something to be admired, a dark charcoal grey in matte finish. The car has the long wheel base which means extra room for the passengers at the back, visitors to the festival got to experience this first hand with the rear seats being able to recline with the optional foot rest which forms part of the front seat deploys to give you the ultimate limousine effect. 

Even though the car was on our shores last year, the official worldwide launch of this car only happened this past weekend in the US. From it we learn't more about this spectacular car. The power plant consists the most powerful engine in BMW's arsenal, a 6.6 litre V12, which develops an output of 448kW, 610bhp at 5500rpm.  It is a beat of note, the peak torque of the motor is 800Nm all of which is produced by the help of the high performance unite with leading edge M Performance TwinPower Turbo Technology. The claimed acceleration for 01-00km/h is just 3.7 seconds, the car is electronically governed to a top speed of 250kph. There is an optional M Driver's package, if specified it pushes up the limited speed to 305Km/h. With immense power as that being produced by the engine to haul the 2.2 tonne car along, BMW felt it needed something else to hold the car in place, hence the car come with xDrive. 

What is xDrive? We in SA don't get many BMW models with xDrive, especially the sedan's simply because there is no need for it. xDrive is BMW's all wheel drive system and why the M760Li needs it is quite simple, that power going to just two wheels could be a bit much so it's distributed to all four wheels to enhance the grip and efficiency of the power produced. Not to mention it also adds to a more smoother ride, after all this is a luxury sports limousine. Another cool feature of the M760Li is the rear wheel steering, yes the rear tyres also rotate when steering but just a tad bit and not as noticeable as the front. The car also has innovative Executive Drive Pro suspension, which BMW said adds to the dynamic sharpness and unbeatable ride comfort. The Active roll stabilization minimises body movements and the systems team up with performance tyres. 

We know the car goes very fast but it can also stop fast, the car is fitted with the new 19" M Sport brakes, boasting blue metallic brake calipers and M branding, set the seal on the dynamic armory of the BMW M760Li xDrive and ensure unbeatable deceleration at all times. As with the regular 7 Series, there is a lot to this car and while we didn't even cover half of what it can do here in this post, we got the important bits, for the rest of it we have to wait till this beast makes it's way to the country, yes, this one is coming to South Africa so if you're looking at getting a luxury sedan that packs enough power to rival some of the fastest cars on the roads, this one should be high up on your list. 

Bucket Seat: BMW 640d Gran Coupe

BMW first introduced their "Gran Coupe" in the 6 series variant, the 6 series was a purpose made sports coupe, do at the time people thought a 4 door version of the super saloon would be cool, and I was one of them. But my obsession with the 6 series Gran Coupe was more than just the thought of it being cool, for me the car showed BMW's intent on making a statement. The 6 Series was by far one of the most luxurious Coupes on the market and with it's radical styling, one that got you noticed wherever you may go. With it's large headlights, protruding kidney grille in front of that long bonnet, it really looked sleek. 

With the Gran Coupe being launched, it wasn't just about adding 2 extra doors, there was the whole sports limousine feel to the car. Yes while the car remained a drivers car, with it's coupe like stature, the occupants at the back could sit in comfort with a variety of options offered to them in the car. Being a Coupe, the car comes in a 2+2 configuration, which basically means, 2 seats in the front and 2 seats in the back, the center console for the back passengers houses the controls for their own dual climate control, which means the car has 4 aircon zones, one for each passenger. 

Style

I could really go on all day about the styling of this car, the original 6 Series which got a lot of flack since it was one the brain child designs of controversial designer Chris Bangle, but for me it gave birth to something special in BMW history, it steered the design path of the company into a new direction and from that car, the new 6 Series adapted many of the styling but with bolder detailing and sharper edges. The car still maintains that coupe like shape, albeit a bit longer, the large wheels give that sporty and aggressive look, even though the car I had came in the luxury kit. The large flared bumpers, finished off in the back with twin chrome tail pipes just added the finishing touches to this brilliant piece of moving art.

Performance

Where do I start? Okay lets chat about the engine, yes the badge does say 640d but lets not get ahead of ourselves, it is a 3 litre twin power turbo diesel engine but we all know what power BMW generates from them. 230kW and 630Nm of torque! With that car weighing close to 2 tons, all that torque comes in handy, but it still lacks in take off as the turbo lag really is quite evident when driving in Comfort setting. Switch over to Sport or Sport+ and that problem is non existent but then you unleash a whole lot of mayhem! Tyres spinning, the most beautiful noise you have ever heard from a diesel engine, with the deep hum and then the torque thrusting you back into your exclusive nappa leather seats. The engine keeps delivering the more you ask of it and it's actually quite scary how it builds up speed. Being a big car and rear wheel drive, the back does get slippery when taking bends and throwing down the hammer, so that's one to be-careful of, but if executed properly it is proper fun!

Comfort

While with the car, someone asked me how would I describe the comfort of this car, yes it's much lower than most of BMW's high end saloons but it's keeping to it's Coupe heritage and you can understand why the Germans opted for it to be like this but it doesn't hamper the ride quality at all and if one had to compare it to any other model in the BMW stable, I would say it's in the same league as it's bigger brother the 7, which ultimately what the 6 is based on, it's the 2 door version of the 7 and not the 5 as many might think so. The car is also loaded with tech, as mentioned before, the quad zone aircon, there is also heated seat option for the passengers, a full glass moonroof with just a tilt function and memory seats. The rear passengers have sufficient space and the limousine feel is completed with electronic blinds for each of them at the back.

Storage
Even though it's a coupe, don't be fooled, there is plenty space for you to store your stuff. From the interior cubby, to the split door center console opening, which is large enough to store a lot of things. The boot space is huge, large eought to store your holiday luggage and it has a peep hole type of door to gain access to it from the back seats.

Extras

I hope you're sitting down and reading this because you might fall if you're not, the car came loaded with extras, R300K worth of them! Yes, that is a lot but if you are someone who's spending this type of money on a car, trust me, every single one is worth it. The one that stood out for me was the Bang & Olufsen high end surround sound system. My god, it's like having symphony orchestra in your car. Sound quality bar none, it truly is magic to your ears. Another cool extra is the park assist, which essentially parks the car for you, yes it's available on many other models but when in the 6 GC, I think you're going to need this one. Since you're sitting much lower, and with the long bonnet, the cameras and PDC's will help you only so much when getting in and out of tricky parking spots, this on the other hand does it for you. Other handy extras are the Adaptive LED's, Active Steering control, BMW Connected Drive, Lane Assist, High Beam Assist and Soft close for the doors seeing that they are frameless, you don't want anyone slamming them shut. 

Verdict
Yes, the price tag for this car is heafty but if you look at the car you getting for the price you pay, very little comes into comparisn. The touches and finishes are nothing short of sublime and the car oozes luxury and sportiness in every aspect of it's nature. It can change from being a cruiser to an agressive tarmac munching machine. So in essencee it offers the best of both worlds and with the diesel engine, one can experience great fuel economy. For me, even before driving the car, this was my favourite car offered in the SA market and after driving it, it just validated this point for me. 

Specifications

• 3 litre, 6 cylinder TwinPower Turbo
• 8 speed steptronic automatic gear box
• 230kW
• 630Nm torque
• Consumption: 5,5ltr/ 100km
• Top Speed: 250kph
• 0-100kph: 4.9 seconds 
• Price: R1 182 500 (excluding extras) R 1 406 017 (including extras)