BMW Australia Announces Pricing for New BMW 6 Series Convertible - VIDEO ENHANCED

MULGRAVE, AUSTRALIA – April 4, 2011: BMW Group Australia today announced pricing for its new generation 6 Series Convertible, the brand’s largest and most luxurious open-top sports car.

In the exclusive environs of the premium convertible market, the 2+2 seater offers the most efficient engines, most advanced chassis technology and most innovative comfort, infotainment and safety features in its segment.

Pricing starts at $194,300 for the 640i six-cylinder in-line TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and $248,300 for the 650i V8 TwinPower Turbo petrol engine. The 650i will be available from launch and on sale in Australia on 29 May. The 640i will hit local shores in August this year.

BMW Group Australia Managing Director Phil Horton said the new BMW 6 Series offers customers in the premium convertible segment a comprehensive package in terms of performance, luxury and sophistication.

“The BMW 6 Series Convertible stands out in its competitive class combining effortless performance and elegant practicality,” said Mr Horton.

“We expect this new generation 6 Series to lure discerning customers from an array of exotic marques,” he said.

Click PLAY to watch the BMW 6 Series convertible promo video

The range-topping 650i Convertible boasts a 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8 engine featuring High Precision Injection generating 300kW of power and maximum torque of 600Nm across a broad rev range between 1750 rpm and 4500rpm.

Combined with an ultra efficient eight-speed sports automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles for manual shifting, the BMW 650i sprints to 100km/h in just 5.0 seconds with a combined fuel consumption of 10.7 litres per 100km.

For the many fans of the iconic BMW straight-six petrol engine, the power-optimised BMW TwinPower Turbo, Valvetronic, High Precision Injection 3.0-litre power-unit now delivers 235kW and 450Nm of torque between 1,300 – 4,500 rpm.

This engine accelerates the BMW 640i from 0-100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds and consumes only 7.9 litres per 100km of fuel on the European combined cycle, while emitting just 185g/km of CO2.

Through the use of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies including Brake Energy Regeneration, High Precision Injection, Electric Power Steering, Auto Start/Stop Function and Air Vent Control, the BMW 6 Series Convertible offers the most powerful and fuel efficient engines in its class.

Standard specification on both the 640i and 650i is suitably generous and includes 19-inch alloys, adaptive headlights, Comfort Access, Bluetooth, lumbar support, metallic paint, seat heating, Navigation System Professional, Rear View Camera, front and rear Park Distance Control, Sports Seats (650i features Comfort Seats), new-generation full colour Head-Up Display, High-Beam Assist, Internet, Bi-Xenon headlights, Cruise Control with brake function, LED fog lights, USB and Dynamic Driving Control.

The BMW 6 Series Convertible will premiere a new on-board monitor taking the form of a freestanding display. The standard 10.2-inch screen comes with a high-quality galvanised chrome surround and rises up steeply in front of the driver and front passenger in the style of a powerboat cockpit.

Joining the first-time flat screen design is the new-generation full colour Head-Up Display which minimises distraction from the road and traffic. It brings a further improvement in display quality: the symbols are projected as three-dimensional graphics and in ultra-clear resolution onto the windscreen. At the same time, the Head-Up Display is now able to present a wider range of information. Depending on the vehicle specification, High Guiding information supplied from the navigation system, status messages from the Lane Departure Warning System and warnings from the BMW Night Vision system can all be shown in the Head-Up Display.

Over and above the 640i, standard specification on the BMW 650i will include Adaptive Drive, Comfort Seats, Surround View, TV function, Automatic soft-close function for doors, Professional HiFi System and seat ventilation for the front seats.

To enhance both the high-speed agility as well as comfortable cruising capabilities of the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, Adaptive Drive – a system incorporating Dynamic Damper Control and the Dynamic Drive active roll stabilisation system is standard on the 650i and available on the 640i. This state-of-the art technology offers four driving modes – COMFORT, NORMAL, SPORT and SPORT+ - to change vehicle response at the touch of a button. At each of these settings, the Adaptive Drive performs independent and infinitely variable damper adjustments to suit the current road surface.

In addition to Adaptive Drive, both models can be fitted with Parking Assistant and the new DAB+ Radio Tuner, which offers a digital radio experience including a wide-range of special-interest channels.

BMW’s trademark Integral Active Steering is also available as an option, reducing the turning circle of the car at low speeds, while ensuring smooth and controlled cornering at higher speeds.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible embodies the most exclusive form of sheer driving pleasure in an open-top BMW. Its styling signals athletic elegance, as luxurious as it is dynamic. Further, the 6 Series Convertible again comes with its trademark electronically powered soft-top with “fin” architecture. The upshot is that the transition of the roofline into the rear follows the distinctive roofline of a hard-top coupé. Its advanced design ensures fast, silent and convenient operation – taking only 19 seconds to open and 24 seconds to close and can be operated at road speeds of up to 40 km/h.

The all new BMW 6 Series Convertible offers beauty in perfection through luxurious and elegant design that uses cutting edge, innovative technology to deliver class-leading performance and efficiency and BMW’s hallmark ultimate driving pleasure.