BMW today unveils the new 2011 6-series – albeit in lightly disguised concept car form. The new BMW Concept 6-series Coupé (2010) will form the centrespiece at the 2010 Paris motor show.
Forget the ‘concept’ tag in the name: this is the real 6-series, near as damn it. It’s a 2+2 coupé, although Munich will launch the 6-series convertible (F12) first in March 2011; the 6-series coupé (F13) based on this two-door arrives in September 2011.
Which 6-series models are coming?
Expect 640i and 650i petrol 6-series, while the diesel Six gets upgraded to a 640d. All engines and transmissions are shared with the big BMW clan, specifically the 5-series family whose architecture underpins the new 2011 6-series.
Although the Concept 6-series Coupé is claimed to be a styling exercise only, it is in fact based on the production car running gear.
It looks quite different for a 6-series…
Yes and no. While there’s something familiar about the proportions and silhouette, the details – and especially those crisply defined lights front and back – give the new 6-series a real breath of fresh air.
Those headlights are all-LED (a first for BMW), whose diodes swivel and turn with the steering wheel. Will the 6-series change much before production? Nope. What you see here is as good as exactly what’ll roll into UK showrooms in a year’s time. Even those 20-inch wheels will be an option.
Inside the BMW 6-series concept car
Owners of the 5-series won’t feel at all out of place sitting in the new Six show car, but that striking swoopalong dash section demarks the driver and passenger area pretty stylishly. Not so sure about the beige colour chart deployed on this one though.
And is plasma TV-style bragging extending to cars? BMW claims the iDrive multimedia screen is 10.2 inches across. Sounds like monitor oneupmanship to us. BMW’s teamed up with Bang & Olufsen for the hi-fi while other 5-series toys such as head-up displays are now available on the Six.