Time machines

Everyone knows that there are very few decent roads in our country, and those that are both good and safe are very few. However, such highways do exist. The trouble is that during the day they are overloaded with traffic, and only at night on certain proven sections can you feel the true spirit of "gran turismo." Especially when under the gas pedal there are almost five liters of displacement and 367 excellent "horses." It's just a pity that the 20-kilometer stretch of expressway I chose is covered in six or seven minutes, and then you have to say goodbye to "European" illusions and return to harsh Russian reality — the surface is no longer designed for high speeds. But even these few minutes are enough to realize: at this pace, you could easily "fly" another fifty such sections.

It is for such swift bursts along high-speed highways over long distances that powerful coupes like the 650i are primarily created. In such a car, you can calmly cross even all of Europe! The only problem is that even in Germany, the homeland of this car, there are fewer and fewer autobahns without speed limits. Nevertheless, the BMW 650i is a true "Concord" of the automotive world, a stunning fusion of luxury, comfort, reliability, and speed! A true, refined "gran turismo"!

The progenitor of the GT class should probably be considered the magnificent Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 S/GT — its open racing modifications brought crews Giuseppe Campari — Giulio Ramponi and Tazio Nuvolari — Giovanni Guidotti victories in the famous and incredibly difficult Mille Miglia race of 1929 and 1930. As for the Bavarians, the two-door closed body has always occupied a special, privileged place in their model hierarchy. It can be argued that it is the coupes — beautiful, fast, and essentially selfish cars, not the much more mundane sedans — that, along with unsurpassed engines, have always been and remain the true face, the showcase of BMW. Suffice it to recall the 328 of the 1930s, the 503rd or 507th, as well as the later CS without the characteristic B-pillars. It was they who were replaced in 1975 by the 6 Series cars, which replaced the 3000 CS model.

In the 70s of the last century, BMW was actively developing the huge American market. The tightening safety requirements there largely determined the appearance of the BMW 6 Series, which was produced from 1975 to 1989. Parisian designer Paul Bracq (his project was chosen over the version of the renowned Giugiaro studio) and BMW's leading engineer of that time, Bernhard Oswald, perfectly understood that they would have to abandon the "lacy" roof, lightweight bumpers, and a body without a central pillar. Overall, the new coupe, built on the components of the 5 Series, became much more massive and solid — a hundred percent GT. Some stylistic techniques (for example, the famous negative angle of the radiator grille and the sloping hood, for which the "six" was nicknamed "shark") migrated from the experimental mid-engine coupe M1, developed by Paul Bracq in 1972. (By the way, read about the "reincarnation" of this stunning car in this same issue.)

The swift silhouette was complemented by twin headlights, pronounced wheel arches, and an impressive rear. As a result, the E24 coupe became one of the most beautiful and successful cars in the entire history of the brand. Over 14 years of production, just over 86 thousand units were produced, with half of them, as intended, going to the USA. The BMW 6 Series of those years is rightfully considered a cult car. Given that some of them are already 30 years old, finding a "live" example is quite difficult even through clubs of devoted fans of the model, which exist in many countries. In Russia, an ideal "six" is even rarer than good roads. Therefore, having quite by chance met the owner of just such a coupe from 1979 (!), we immediately offered him to participate in our test, which thanks to this acquired an almost academic, "fundamental" character.

As the owner of this, in essence, antique "six" told us (he, as a true connoisseur of "classics," of course, does not consider most modern cars original and interesting), the car was originally a 628, but after engine repair and an increase in displacement, it turned into a 633. The car arrived in Russia in 1993 and is still in excellent condition. It has fully preserved the original exterior, interior, and even the "native" Borbet wheels, and in one of the photos you can see how the car effortlessly drags a concrete block along the asphalt (just don't ask why we needed that).

Sitting in the "anti-ergonomic" interior on an old seat of imperfect shape and holding the thin rim of the steering wheel, you seem to be transported to an era when a car was not just a means of transportation, but something animate, your heartfelt friend. In motion, the 30-year-old "six" gives that very, almost forgotten, and for many completely unfamiliar feeling of a Real Honest Living Car, where much depends on the driver's skill, and not on all sorts of modern electronic systems. It seems you feel with your right foot how the rear wheels grip the asphalt, and with your fingertips how the front ones turn. The inimitable, not muffled by excess sound insulation sound of the magnificent BMW inline-six penetrates straight into the soul. And at the same time, the car possesses the key qualities of "gran turismo" — dynamics and comfort, simply magnificent for its time. Well, and of course, this BMW gives an intoxicating feeling of belonging to automotive history, and to one of its best pages.

And is the new 650i capable of giving the same feeling? Both yes and no.

Yes, if only because the new generation of the “Six” has become a truly important milestone in BMW's history. Before the modern 6 Series appeared, the Bavarians had spent five whole years producing only sedans and wagons, and they had no large GT-class coupe at all. At the same time, the new model shares with the previous 8 Series coupe only its name: that “Eight” was built on the platform of the 7 Series sedan. And the 650i is also the pinnacle of engineering thought and design inspiration of Chris Bangle. By the way, it is still unclear what exactly the maestro was looking for in his explorations, but my colleagues and I noticed a funny fact: if you look at the 650i from the rear, without seeing the trunk lid, its silhouette is very reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 911! But also no, because evaluating a car that is still on the assembly line and has recently undergone a light facelift in a historical context is not entirely correct. Let's talk about that. As is now customary, the update turned out to be barely noticeable. The appearance of the “Six” has hardly changed: new bumpers, different headlights and a brake light integrated into a slightly modified trunk lid. There are a few more changes in the interior, but they are not revolutionary either. That the engine has become almost five liters (4799 cubic centimeters) is easy to guess from the index. Active steering and stabilizers remain in place. Electronic assistants have been added: lane departure warning system, active cruise control, and an infrared night vision camera that displays the image on the central screen. The latter is really convenient — it “sees” objects noticeably farther than xenon light, although staring at the screen, especially at speed, is not very handy. Also, the “Six” has acquired door soft-close. It is enough to lightly close the door, and the automatic “suction cup” with a signature sound will pull it all the way, and then the windows will rise by themselves — the doors are frameless. A small thing, but pleasant. But the main thing, of course, is not in these electronic “gimmicks.” You understand this as soon as you press the gas pedal. Acceleration is rich, dense, smooth, right up to the limiter. The five-liter engine always has enough thrust in any situation. The “automatic” helps as much as it can: in sport and manual modes, the response to the accelerator is excellent, and engine braking is also great. But even the smoothness of the regular Drive mode cannot tame the eight-cylinder beast under the hood. And what a voice this beast has! At idle, it rumbles deep in its throat, at medium revs it “gurgles” like a Harley-Davidson, when downshifting it can snarl angrily, and when the tachometer needle goes past 6000, it howls with a metallic ring, reaching a crescendo. A magnificent duet of the engine and tuned exhaust! This sound accompaniment was deliberately made so pronounced: for example, the “Seven” with the same engine cannot boast such vocal abilities. And that is right — the owner of a 650i has nothing to be ashamed of, because he is behind the wheel of one of the best grand tourers on the planet. The fact that the “Six” is clearly tuned for the autobahn does not prevent it from handling excellently. Yes, on narrow winding roads and in the city it feels a bit cramped, but it is capable of a lot. Perfect weight distribution, a well-calibrated balance, tuned suspension, and the fully switchable stability control system traditional for BMW allow, with the right skills, to handle a far from small car very deftly. Everything is so natural and correct that you quickly find mutual understanding with the powerful coupe: soon you get used to catching the rear axle that breaks loose at launch with a light and quick counter-movement of the steering wheel, which, by the way, is also easy to correct, or to take corners on the verge of a slide. It is characteristic that the aforementioned active stabilizers and steering with variable ratio act almost imperceptibly, without disturbing the feel of the car. Perhaps at low speeds the feedback on the steering wheel seems slightly synthetic, but that is already in the realm of minor nitpicks. And, of course, with all its sharpness of handling, the 650i feels most confident in the free left lane of a highway: floor the gas — and all other cars seem to freeze in place, as if a time machine had started working! The sportiness of the 650i does not conflict with comfort. Perhaps, of all BMW models, the coupe is second only to the 7 Series in this indicator, which is natural. Passengers (and there can be four of them if they are not taller than average) always feel protected and calm regardless of speed: the suspension does not transmit unnecessary information to their “fifth points.” There is almost no body roll, no pitching. The BMW glides over the road surface like a hydroplane. Only the cerebellum and the heavier limbs of the passengers tell the brain that longitudinal and lateral accelerations go beyond the usual limits. But that is a special thrill when you are pressed into the seat and can barely reach the dashboard, isn't it? The bright BMW 650i. Bright in every sense — from the color shimmering in the sun to the main thing: the amazing driving experience. Rarely can a car be so fast and comfortable at the same time. Many will say that for them it is an ideal, a benchmark to strive for. Well, in many ways they will be right. But only a few of them are destined to know another bright side of the 6 Series coupe — owning it. After all, Gran means “big” for a reason!