We have not been great fans of the current BMW 6 Series. This is, in part, because it is ugly. Oh, there are other factors as well, but, well, it is pretty ugly.
Our spies have just snapped the first shots of the upcoming new 6 Series coupe and, even under its swirly body wrap, it's obvious that this 6 is considerably more restrained in appearance. We'd already shot the upcoming 6 Series convertible.
In all its cladding and wrapping, the thing, shot in Munich, looks a little something like a cross between the old Maserati coupe and a late '90s Nissan 300ZX. We anticipate, however, that once all that nonsense comes off, the new 6 will actually crib a few cues from the old and much-loved E24 6 Series, albeit in a bigger, brawnier way.
questionlp says:
12:56 PM, 03/30/10
I guess I am in the minority of people who like the looks of the current 6-series, particularly in M-form. I hope that they don't make it too bland, particularly the rear-end (like they have done with the new 5 and 7-series).
I had a chance to pick up a 3-year old M6 coupe for about the price of the S5 that I'm looking at, but the cost of insurance, maintenance and out-of-warranty repairs made it unfeasible.
smudge12 says:
02:26 PM, 03/30/10
Those kidney grills are HUGE! Anybody think the shape looks like the last generation Pontiac GTO?
platf1 says:
03:30 PM, 03/30/10
This is gonna be awkward.
And honestly, as much as I hated Bangle's designs, they tend to grow on me when I see the cars in person.
agnh says:
03:33 PM, 03/30/10
I am 40 years old. What relevance does that have? It means that I was a car-loving teenager during the 80's. I fondly recall the elegant 5 and 6 series Bimmers. Especially the 6 series, those were truly handsome, asperational cars driven by Captains of Industry, wealthy men and women that cross shopped Merc SECs and Porsche 928s.
I realize that styling evolves, however what about injecting a little beauty and elegance again? Those 1970s and 1980s era luxury GT coupes were certainly masculine and agressive without being offensive and overly styled.
Just my 2 cents.
inlinesix says:
03:49 PM, 03/30/10
I'm also a fan of the current 6. This one looks boring.
skyggge says:
05:20 PM, 03/30/10
You mean early 90's 300ZX? Unless you were hanging out in Japan in the late 90's :)
majin_ssj_eric says:
06:10 PM, 03/30/10
That thing looks MASSIVE!!!
cwc1 says:
06:59 PM, 03/30/10
I had wondered if it was just me who thought the current 6-series is ugly. But Daniel is right -- it is seriously ugly. Not a good successor to the beauty of the E24 6-series. I hope the new one is better.
blueguydotcom says:
08:31 PM, 03/30/10
So they're making the current Camry Solara lookalike 6 even longer?! Good heavens, it'll be a 1975 eldorado soon. But uglier.
wrinklebump says:
10:37 PM, 03/30/10
The current 6 looks like a back alley abortion. Even under the camo, this is already the best-looking Bimmer in the modern fleet.
zoomzoomn says:
05:30 AM, 03/31/10
While the current gen 6 was the least offensive Bangle design and the car as aged well, I look forward to seeing more of the new car. As long as it retains it's sophisticated hot-rod demeanor, then all will be well!
dougtheeng says:
06:07 AM, 03/31/10
Reminds me of a recent trans am in that bottom pic.
dlibby says:
06:16 AM, 03/31/10
I was getting some heavy Mustang vibes from both pics.
whickersham says:
08:19 AM, 03/31/10
The 650 is far from an ugly vehicle, I find it one of the best interations of Bangle designs. By the number of lustful looks and thumbs ups I get while driving, a very large percentage of the population would agree with me on that fact. I like driving a car that stands out.
jederino says:
09:17 AM, 03/31/10
Top Gear did a comparo between the current 6 and the Jaguar XK8, and found the the 6 to be the better sports car. However, the XK8 looks like it is worth every penny. With a 6, I can't imagine parking it and looking back just to admire. I hope this new one corrects that.