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Meet the 2012 BMW 650i. After several years of an overly familiar design philosophy, BMW has finally decided to update its exclusive 650i both cosmetically and mechanically for 2012.
Already available to most customers, though, is the just-released 2012 BMW 650i convertible. BMW is releasing the hardtop coupe---which debuted last year at the L.A. Auto Show---sometime this fall.
For 2012, the BMW 650i (in both convertible and coupe form) will boast a more elegant (yet not radically different) look, a better engine and drivetrain, a totally revamped interior, and many additional gadgets.
2012 BMW 650i Performance Specs
Replacing the previous car’s slower and less efficient 4.8L is BMW’s fantastic 400 horse, 450 lb-ft torque 4.4L, twin-turbo V8---which will be the powerplant offered in both iterations of the car. Additionally, customers can mate their super-sized engine to either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic (with manumatic-style paddle shifters, of course). The 650i, based on initial tests and with both transmissions, will sprint from zero to 60 in a blazingly fast 4.8 seconds.
BMW Styling
The designers at BMW took nothing for granted or left anything to chance when re-imagining the new body of the 650i. They made sure that the new car’s styling was very elegantly restrained, yet boasted subtle (and some not so subtle) hints of its sporting intentions.
Technology Galore
Engineers knew they had to significantly improve upon the old coupe’s pretty good (but not good enough for a $90,000+ car) technical features. And without a doubt, they gloriously succeeded. The 2012 650i comes equipped with luxuries such as Driving Dynamic Control (DDC) and ConnectedDrive. Working virtually in tandem, these systems consists of items such as a lane-departure warning system, blindspot-warning, electronic park assist, a backup camera, night vision, dynamic (intelligent) cruise control, and an HUD (Heads-Up Display Unit which projects common gauge functions into the window).
One’s left to wonder with all this excess, “is there a button to make it fly, too?”
A Cabin Fit for Royalty
…really tech-savvy royalty, that is. Gone is the somewhat uninspired, austere interior of the old 650; replacing it is one that’s very similar to the 5- and even 7-Series sedan. Nearly every surface is silky soft to the touch and every material worthy of a $90k car; the dash is very clearly meant to be driver-centric. The focal point, if you will, is the relatively massive 10.2” navigation screen that sits front-and-center atop the center console.
Conclusion
While the starting price of $93,000 is out of reach for most, the 2012 BMW 650i will---like the venerable M3 couple/convertible---serve as a powerful and elegant two-door icon for [mainly] the rich and famous.