If you're buying a BMW 6 Series, then it's hard to ignore the temptation of owning this Grand Touring Coupe or Convertible with silky-smooth V8 power. That's assuming of course you can afford asking prices starting at around the £56,000 mark. You can see that as expensive or consider the fact that you're getting a rest to sixty capability of 5.1s that's only 0.5s off an £83,000 M6 model. Viewed in that light, a 650i could seem like a bargain, especially in the recently improved guise we're looking at here.

As with other 6 Series models, there's a choice of standard or Sport trim, whether you opt for the Coupe or the Convertible. There's a premium of around £2,000 for Sport trim, while Convertible models start in this form at around £61,000. The standard car is an unashamed GT vehicle, while the Sport model has been slipped into the line up to offer a more focused version. Think of it as 80 per cent of an M6 and you're not far off the mark.

This is the facelifted 6-Series but you'd really have to eyeball one parked alongside the original car to pinpoint the changes. For the record, the headlamps have the LED technology that is so popular amongst the premium marques at the moment. It takes the form of a thin row of lights above the main projectors. More obvious is the redesigned front valance that accommodates differently shaped air intakes and at the back the bumper has been tweaked it increase the impression of width. Other than that, the grille is fractionally larger and the rear light clusters have been tweaked.

As before, the 650i serves up a 4,799cc petrol V8 with 367bhp on tap and a hefty torque figure of 361lb./ft. This latter figure is virtually on par with the M6 and gives some hint as to how muscular this car feels especially at higher speeds. It has that feeling of unflagging acceleration at legal speeds that only a really deep-chested engine can deliver.

"Press the throttle pedal and the 650i's acceleration shows no sign of flagging until you're at custodial speeds"

With its aluminium engine and double-VANOS and VALVETRONIC variable valve technology, this variant is capable of a zero to 62mph time of 5.1 seconds in the Coupe and 5.5 seconds in the Convertible. BMW insiders reckon that without the limiter, this is a car that will nudge the double ton - a testament to the engine's strength and the aerodynamicist's toils. BMW's famed 'EfficientDynamics' technology plays a part in both 650i models to achieve improved economy and emissions figures. For the 650i Coupe, consumption on the combined cycle has improved by 2 per cent to 24.1mpg, while emissions drop by 2 per cent to 279g/km. The 650i Convertible also achieves better performance recording 22.4mpg, up 7 per cent. CO2 emissions are cut from 310g/km to 299g/km.

An option many customers will choose is BMW's Dynamic Drive. This automatically builds up counter forces on the car's anti-roll bars and as such, virtually eliminates any body roll when cornering. After trying a car with Dynamic Drive and another without it, it's an option worth pursuing if you plan to enjoy serious lateral g-forces. Another interesting option BMW offer is Active Steering, a system that debuted to mixed reaction on the latest 5 Series. This dramatically varies the steering ratio according to speed. At low speeds, you'll often need little more than a quarter of a turn on the wheel to effect a 90-degree turn. It's easy to be caught out when decelerating from a motorway into the tight car park of a service area by Active Steering but it's probably something to which you'll grow accustomed. Customer take-up of the option on 5 Series models has outstripped BMW's most optimistic estimates.

Core driving functions are located in or around the steering wheel and a simplified version of the iDrive system offers a still enormous amount of driver control with just a few nudges, taps and twists of the serrated metal mouse. The iDrive system has been simplified a little and the interior of the 650i gets the almost obligatory Start/Stop button. BMW has also revised the options list, introducing refinements such as High Beam Assist, a system that adjusts to the optimum level of main beam illumination depending on oncoming traffic.

Go for the Convertible version and you'll find that the hood mechanism isn't of the currently fashionable folding hard top variety, instead being a more conventional fabric affair capable of disappearing from view in less than 20 seconds. The best part about the hood is that it's operable with the car moving at speeds of up to 20mph. Much quicker than that and aerodynamics would plant your hood onto the windscreen of the car behind but it's nevertheless very impressive to be able to drop the hood while on the move. Six hydraulic cylinders guide the ragtop into place without significantly compromising luggage space - a major issue with folding hard topped cars.

The BMW 6 Series isn't an easy car to love but it's impossible not to admire what it has become. The 650i is a serious undertaking, although it's unlikely to shift too many units in the UK, where it looks set to be outsold by its 630i and 635d siblings and overshadowed by the M6. If you do fall into the gap between these two models, the 650i is waiting for you.

TOP 5 6 SERIES DEALS

The results below show the top 6 SERIES deals on buyacar

	BMW 6 Series 650i Sport 2dr Auto Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,698	Price £61,787
	BMW 6 Series 650i 2dr Coupe
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,065	Price £53,480
	BMW 6 Series 650i 2dr Auto Coupe
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,138	Price £54,427
	BMW 6 Series 650i 2dr Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,456	Price £58,609
	BMW 6 Series 650i 2dr Auto Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £3,567	Price £60,068