As one of the more attractive vehicles on sale today, the BMW 6-series certainly does not need work. But industry custom dictates that it’s time for a midcycle refresh, and so BMW tasked its designers with coming up with a few ideas for the 2015 model year.
The results prove that it was difficult to improve upon its near-perfect shape. The changes are subtle: BMW removed one vertical slat (nine remain) from its signature kidney grilles, full-LED headlights are now standard, and the fog lights feature three distinct LED units. Otherwise, there are a few new colors and wheel choices. Like we said, it’s a subtle job.
The front bumper now features large lower air intakes that are connected over the entire width of the front end. If the design looks familiar, that's because Mercedes-AMG has started using the very same motif on several of its models. On the 6-series, the flourish isn’t overt, but we have to question its originality.
The interior receives slight adjustments to color and trim, but the basic shapes and functionalities remain unchanged. The optional high-end audio system is still provided by Bang & Olufsen, an offering given that—if you allow us to touch upon Mercedes-AMG once more—is somewhat more distinctive since Affalterbach has begun switching to Burmester for its top-of-the-line stereo systems.
Moving on to the 6-series’ powertrain offerings, the entry-level 640i carries over its 315-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, while the 650i continues to use a 445-hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8. Both engines can be paired with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive, and both can be had in either coupe or fabric-top-convertible guises. There is a hidden gem in the xDrive models, at least for fans of old-school BMW steering setups: The rear-drive 6-series’ electromechanical power steering doesn't package properly with the all-wheel-drive components, so xDrive versions get hydraulic steering assistance.
BMW offers no choice on the transmission; a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic is standard. The six-speed manual that used to be offered on the 650i bit the dust a while back and is not returning. On the sunny side of things, enthusiasts get a louder and bigger exhaust on the 640i.
Considering its steep price, which starts on the Kardashian side of $75,000, the BMW 6-series has been a remarkable success; essentially a rebodied 5-series, some 80,000 examples of the current generation have found homes worldwide since 2011 (about 20,000 of them in the States). Part of the success story is the four-door 6-series Gran Coupe, which was also given a freshening this year, as were the high-performance M6 versions of every body style.
We have no doubt the 6-series will continue to prove successful for the next couple of years. Down the road, however, BMW might need to think bigger—after all, Mercedes-Benz’s elegant S-class coupe is much larger and more sumptuous, and were Audi’s Prologue concept to make the jump to production, it, too, would be a more premium offering. For now, however, the 6-series continues on with very little competition in terms of size, mission, and price.
