WHERE do you go when your budget is on the right side of $200,000 and you want to combine pure luxury with nonchalant power and supreme on-road agility in an occasional four-seater with a convertible roof? BMW’s soft-top 645i might just have the answer. Apart from the fact it’s expensive, there’s not much about this car you can fault. The 4.4-litre V8 engine means it pulls like an express train while the "active" suspension and steering helps combine an absorbent ride with the handling of a go-kart. It might not be a member of the emerging full-metal convertible push but, with the roof up, passengers would be pushing to separate it from its coupe sibling.

BMW 8 Series
Released: March 1995
Ended: June 2000
Family Tree: 6 SeriesThe new 6 Series' most direct predecessor is the E31 8 Series coupe, sold here with a 210kW/400Nm 4.0-litre V8 from March 1995, priced at $196,300. While a V12 850Ci was also available, the 840Ci received a rear diffuser panel and 10Nm more peak torque in August 1996, before being discontinued in June 2000. It was last sold at $207,990. BMW's original 6 Series coupe - including 628CSi, 630CSi, 633CSi, 635CSi and M6 variants - was produced between 1975 and 1989.
Facebook Twitter Instagram