In a country obsessed with mileage and practicality, the new generation BMW 6 Series is a fish out of a pond, but get behind its wheel and that analogy takes on a more privileged connotation, rather than a depressingly solitary one

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Although I stand by the aforementioned opinion, India’s rapidly growing luxury car market and specifically the sports car segment isn’t without reason. Like any petrolhead, I always experience a mad rush of excitement when I see an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini pass by on the city streets. But after reading about the Parx Supercar Shows and the Cannonball Clubs of the country over the past year or so, a sense of how deep our pockets really are suddenly began to sink in.


But that raises the fundamental question of what really governs our thoughts when considering owning a sports car in India. The coupes, cabriolets, convertibles and Grand Tourers on sale today are all high on gloss and glam, but what is really going to change with the homecoming of the BMW’s third generation 6 Series Coupe?

Happy Face, Wider Base

You don’t need to stare for long to realise that this is indeed a gorgeous looking car. Compared to Chris Bangle’s dreary treatment on the outgoing 6 Series, the new one looks far more exciting, to say the least. Gone are the drooping headlights and morose facial expressions, to be replaced by something that is very pleasing to the eye.


The new BMW 6 Series Coupe undoubtedly has a more commanding presence and athletic elegance to it, and the new model’s extra length (4894mm) and width (1894mm) over its predecessor combined with a 5mm lower height has given the third generation model a lustworthy silhouette.

While those neat kidney grille slats emphasize the coupe’s sporting demeanour, the sweeping bonnet flanked by those marvellous looking bi-xenon headlamps and the optional LED foglamps below them endows the car’s front end with a new lease of life.


Compared to the eyesore-ish and disjointed rear styling on the previous generation model, the back end of the new BMW 2-door coupe needn’t demand your attention - it will just get it. Very clever interplay of LED, chrome and crease here. Need I even mention twin aluminium exhausts?

Two in comfort, Four in compromise

The new 6 Series is a 2+2 coupe in every sense of the term. It’s a very real world Grand Tourer too, which we’ll come to later. First let’s see how pretty a picture the interiors of this car paint. In this day and age of luxury sports cars, bad is not even a feasible option. So let me begin by saying that the interiors on the new 6 Series are great, just like you will find in most BMWs of the modern day.

But while it doesn’t lack any style and finesse, it comes across as being far too serious in its layout and execution. Which isn’t a bad thing considering driving a Rs 75 lakh (approximately) car is serious business; but all said and done it’s not warm and exciting perhaps like we have experienced in similarly priced Audis and Mercs. It’s a personal choice really with regards to the interiors and the Germans have fortunately given us quite a vivid palette to pick from.

If you’re wondering who is ideally suited to take a back seat in this car, try to imagine your kids or diminutively proportioned adults. This elegant looking coupe may pride itself in offering you a 460-litre boot, but don’t expect even half of that space if you intend to take a back seat in this car. That being said, the rear passenger seating isn’t a complete compromise but will see limited use nonetheless.

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