Πέμπτη 3 Νοεμβρίου 2011

BMW 640d Coupe M Sport - M635 CSi












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  1. yellowbird3 Νοεμβρίου 2011 στις 3:29 μ.μ.

    The first thing that strikes you about the new 640d is its size. At 4,894mm long, the BMW is a seriously big car. Its long bonnet, 5 Series-style grille and sharp lights make it look incredibly sleek. It doesn’t have the distinctive, shark-nosed lines of the original, but it’s still a very smart design.

    In M Sport spec, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, black brake calipers, a diffuser-style rear bumper, plus sports sills. Sitting behind the chunky wheel, the sweeping lines of the dashboard and centre console envelop you – it’s much more intimate than its ancestor.

    There’s a reassuring solidity to the switchgear and controls, and the standard 10.2-inch sat nav screen and iDrive controller are easy to use. Mobile phone signals are employed to provide real-time traffic information, which proves to be much more accurate than rival systems. Similar technology is already available in off-the-shelf portable sat-navs, but it’s the first time it has been installed in an integrated factory-fit unit.

    Our test car was also fitted with optional comfort front seats (£1,485) with Nappa leather, which provide a vast range of adjustment – if you can’t get comfortable sitting in these, you must be doing something wrong.

    If you keep exploring the options list, you can add lots more interesting interior kit, including Park Assist (£570), surround-view cameras (£530) DAB digital radio (£315) and even night vision cameras (£1,535) or a head-up display (£980). But with plenty of standard equipment, there’s no need to go mad on extras.

    It’s out on the road where the 640d really impresses, as the new twin-turbo diesel provides effortless performance. With lots of traction, 630Nm of torque from only 1,500rpm and a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox, the BMW sprinted from 0-60mph in only 5.4 seconds at the track.

    In-gear acceleration figures are even more impressive, and show the 640d is fast enough to keep supercars honest. Only an average showing in our braking tests let it down.

    Straight-line performance is only part of the story, though, because the 6 Series has always been a rewarding driver’s car.

    Opt for the £3,400 Adaptive Drive package and you won’t be disappointed. It fine-tunes the suspension, steering, throttle and gearbox settings to suit each of the five driving modes. Sport and Sport+ give the sharpest responses, but ride comfort suffers.

    The Comfort setting is the best compromise, as it suits the lazy nature of the car’s power delivery. Drivers who crave even more precision should also consider the £1,220 optional Integral Active Steering package.

    It adds rear-wheel steering to the mix to improve manoeuvrability around town and agility at higher speeds. But even without it, the BMW steers with accuracy and confidence.

    For all its grip and pace, this car is essentially about effortless performance and the ability to cover vast distances with minimal fuss and interruption.

    There are definitely more exciting ways of getting from A to B, but no other luxury coupé will do the job as efficiently and quickly as the new 640d Coupe.


    Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/274639/bmw_640d_coupe_m_sport.html#ixzz1ceHdhExu

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  2. yellowbird3 Νοεμβρίου 2011 στις 3:30 μ.μ.

    The BMW M635 CSi has cemented its place in the automotive history books. It offered peerless performance for its day, thanks to sharing an engine with the potent M1 supercar. And as the first practical M car, it kick-started the company’s now-famous Motorsport Division into life.

    From the outside, it’s clear which decade the M635 CSi belongs to, as the chrome trim, relatively small alloys and large glass area all hark back to another era. But it’s still a striking sight, even parked next to its modern cousin. The shark nose, long bonnet and rubber boot spoiler all hint at its significant potential.

    Up front, the four individual headlamps are nowhere near as effective as the hi-tech xenon units on the 640d, but they give the car a very purposeful look.

    From behind the wheel, the CSi is very easy to place on the road, as the driver has a great view out. Its thin A-pillars contrast sharply with their thick counterparts on the new car.

    The cabin also betrays its old age in other areas. The chunky buttons, haphazard layout and thin-rimmed steering wheel will all be unfamiliar to drivers of modern cars. Compared to the luxurious trim of the 640d, it’s functional, but the sparing use of M badging inside is refreshing.

    Despite offering electric adjustment, the M635 CSi’s supportive seats can’t match the 640d’s for comfort. Offset pedals and a heavy clutch also belong in the past. The sculpted rear seats look great and the rear side windows open electrically, unlike the new car’s fixed ones.

    Another area where the old timer beats the newcomer is the sound of its engine. The straight-six bursts into life with a wonderful burble. The five-speed manual gearbox has a positive action, and the throttle response is much crisper than the 640d’s. And while its diesel counterpart has a smooth, linear power delivery, the 3.5-litre petrol in the CSi howls demonically as performance perks up at the top of the rev range.

    There’s nothing wrong with the direct steering, and turn-in is sharp. There’s plenty of front-end grip, too, but while body roll is tightly controlled by eighties standards, there’s plenty of it in evidence when compared to the modern car.

    The trade-off is the kind of ride quality that many new car drivers can only dream of. And driving the M635 CSi is an intoxicating experience. The new 640d runs rings around the M car dynamically, but the 25-year-old model is far more involving behind the wheel.

    One of the biggest differences between these BMWs comes to light when you look at efficiency. As the modern car is much faster and heavier than its ancestor, it’s logical to assume that it will be thirstier, too. But you’d be wrong.

    According to BMW’s figures, the M635 will do 29.1mpg, but the 640d is capable of 51.4mpg. As a result, while the eighties model can manage 448 miles between fills of its big 70-litre tank, the modern diesel can cover 791 miles. Now that’s what you call progress...


    Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/274627/bmw_m635_csi.html#ixzz1ceHuqApH

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