Driven: 2016 BMW 640d xDrive Convertible - Design Evaluation

As with every other facelift from the BMW Group, the F12 LCI has been aesthetically modified to be just a bit more athletic and contemporary than the pre-facelift F12. BMW describes it in fancy words, including “infatuation at first sight.” To be honest, BMW is spot on with its assertion.

Let’s start with what’s changed at the front. The most obvious revision is the trademark BMW kidney grille. Before it boasted ten bars, now it has nine bars. Not only does this translate to larger openings, but this minor alteration to the front grille also pays a high dividend in the looks department.

On the 640d xDrive Convertible we’ve tested, the grille bars are painted black. The same shade of black is carried over by the single-piece lower air intake, thus creating the impression the BMW 6 Series Convertible is wider than the 1,894 mm (74.56 inches) quoted by the manufacturer.

Then there are the full-LED headlights, complete with the obligatory LED corona rings. The BMW 6er Convertible also happens to sit just 123 mm (4.84 inches) off the ground, thus giving the impression that it is hunkered down, ready and willing to attack every corner you point it toward.

From the side, the BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line package enhances the taut lines of the F12 LCI with high-gloss black trim for the window frames. Needless to point this out, but the black embellishments look great in combination with free-of-charge Melbourne Red Metallic paintwork and the optional two-tone 20-inch alloy wheels.

At the rear, the 2016 BMW 640d xDrive Convertible you can admire in the adjacent photo gallery prides itself on two exhaust tips finished in high-gloss black. A high-gloss black ornament integrated into the rear apron is also on the menu.

When looked at from the back, the 6er Convertible also exudes sure-footedness. The 275-section rear tires should be thanked for this impression, as should the spread out taillights and the third brake light integrated into the trunk lid.

Roof up or roof down, the BMW 6 Series Convertible is arguably the best-looking ragtop the Bavarian manufacturer currently produces. Despite the enticing bodywork and the attention to detail, the 6er Convertible can’t hide that it’s a weighty car. After all, it slots between the F10 5 Series and the F01 7 Series. But for all that, the 6er is sensibly lighter than the much larger Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet.

To the untrained eye or to people who aren’t into cars, the subtle exterior design revamp and the addition of design-enhancing trim doesn’t matter. During my time with the BMW 640d xDrive Convertible, all eyes were on the car’s sinuous lines. Be it other drivers or passersby, it’s hard to ignore this type of vehicle, especially when it’s painted attention-grabbing red.

Notwithstanding, some people were looking at the 6er Convertible’s driver with seething vexation. “How come this punk drives such an expensive and powerful cabriolet, and I’m here, stuck in traffic in my crappy econobox?”

Naturally, the punk with the black autoevolution T-shirt in the red-painted Bimmer happened to go through a handful of unpleasant experiences due to the car he was driving. Not being let out at junctions, for example, is the worst backlash I’ve encountered while test driving the 6 Series Convertible.

The most unassuming drivers, such as those in Golfs and Focuses, had a thing with driving right alongside me. And yes, they were doing it only to jump on the loud pedal, leaving me behind in a cloud of NOx-piled exhaust fumes.

Dear drivers who tried to overcompensate for one thing or another by being obnoxiously ignorant of speed limits, road markings, and the safety of other drivers, I admit that I’m just a punk with arguably the best job in the world. The 2016 BMW 640d xDrive Convertible, however, isn’t worthy of your ill will.