2007 BMW 650i

2007 BMW 650i - On the list of coupes with larger back seats than the 650i, you’ll find such cars as the Honda Civic, the Chevy Cobalt, and the Hyundai Accent three-door. We tried to take an average-sized pair of friends with us to dinner one night and both of them ended up with remarkably accurate dental imprints in their knee caps. Coupes, of course, are not about family hauling.

We watched 60 mph arrive in just five seconds flat on the way to a 13.6-second quarter-mile at 105 mph and a top speed of 151. However, overcoming two-ton mass simply requires more thrust, so even more impressive than the BMW’s acceleration numbers is the 650i’s 0.92-g skidpad grip, better by 0.05 g than the last M6 we tested and about what you’d get if you chained two Lotus Elises together to get a package with similar weight and interior space.

A 53/47 front-to-rear weight distribution is less balanced than most Bavarians we see around here, and despite its high lateral limits, the 650i’s chassis isn’t as talkative as others from BMW. Pushed past 8/10ths on a rough road, the 650i gets scary. Suspension movements get frantic and the slightly numb steering refuses to tell the driver exactly what the front tires are doing to keep things planted and pointed down the road.

If it’s not the Ultimate Driving Machine, the 650i is a strong status machine. Even in one of four silvers or grays offered, this big coupe, with its long, low snout and 19-inch wheels (part of the $1800 Sport package) drew long looks and admiring glances from those around us in traffic and parking lots.

A head-up display adds $1200 to the sticker, while night vision snatches $2200 and displays somewhat uselessly on the central information screen, where the driver has to take his or her eyes well off the road (not what we’d recommend for long stretches, especially at night) just to see a smaller black and white version of what is visible in the headlights.

High-def radio is $500, and Sirius satellite radio frees another $595 from your wallet. Add another grand for Comfort Access (keyless entry and starting), nearly two for destination and gas guzzler tax, and our 650i rang out at $83,520. Status indeed. As a bargain M6, the 650i will save buyers around $16,000, but the absence of a carbon-fiber roof and the tamer front and rear fascias make your poseurship immediately apparent.

The BMW 650i, is an extravagant coupe that looks expensive and is capable, but doesn’t drive as exceptionally well as some might hope for this money. If we were spending this much on a car, we’d be thinking Porsche 911, Jaguar XK, maybe a really nice Boxster, or, if you just want to go fast, even a Corvette Z06.