Ivan Dykhovychnyi and BMW 650i / BMW test drives

Of course, this car gives the driver less freedom than the legendary "M". Variable-ratio steering, stabilizers that stiffen on their own, adaptive dampers... What's the point of all this? To make the car versatile — "all in one"! It can turn into a fierce track-day machine, or it can calmly and quietly deliver its owner home. Everything depends on the mood. And to match that mood, there's an option in the cabin that I really liked — one touch of a button, and the car snaps into a fighting stance! Just a moment ago I was driving leisurely, daydreaming. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration, blood boiling — you press the button, and now you're sitting in almost a racing machine.

The car behaves impeccably on the road. All the electronics are cleverly tuned for a driver of average skill, who without the support of these systems would hardly be able to move at such speed and without mistakes. The assistants work deftly and unobtrusively. They quietly play along with the driver, instilling the idea that it's he himself who is so skillfully handling the five-liter V8 and rear-wheel drive in any weather. The BMW 6 Series is a car for an elegant person who craves pleasure and doesn't want to bother with details.
But, you know, even with such a wealth of smart features, I quickly found common ground with the coupe. I felt the car. And the better you feel the car, the faster you drive it — that's an axiom.

And don't forget that the main electronic "leashes" can be completely turned off, leaving you alone with the car. This, by the way, is part of the signature Bavarian philosophy. And I completely agree with it. If you're taking a grand tourer with excellent manners, then one day you can demand everything from it. When you yourself are ready for it. Of course, the abundance of auxiliary functions is pleasantly surprising. Take, for instance, the head-up display projecting instruments onto the windshield. It's done elegantly. Some manufacturers like to clutter the cabins of top versions with a bunch of buttons. In the dark, it certainly glows beautifully, but I prefer minimalism. Like here. There are few buttons, but there's iDrive, which logically combines everything. I don't know what people find complicated. I figured out the interface without any problems.
The suspension is just a fairy tale. The car rides smoothly, perfectly swallowing broken asphalt.

And the transmission absolutely delighted me. It shifts smoothly, without jerks or jolts. And despite all that, it's very fast. The engine is a song. It pulls the rather heavy car forward as if it were a feather. And its character is right — it delivers all its power at high revs. The sound is also gorgeous.
The car is elegant, but not flashy. Not showy. It lacks the vivid sexuality and flamboyance of the Italians. It is self-sufficient.
The bottom line is this — the BMW 650 engineers managed to combine sporty lightness with ordinary human comfort. That's the main thing I took away from the trip.
From a customer's point of view, the car is made perfectly.