Today’s Refreshing or Revolting subject is a car that might be well-suited to a long holiday-weekend highway drive: the 2012 BMW 6 Series coupe. While we’ve already covered the styling of the new 650i convertible, some might argue that the coupe body style of BMW’s flagship coupe was always the more homely of the two. Does that continue for the new model? Has BMW improved the styling of the new 650i coupe? Let’s take a closer look.
We’re actually going to start from the outgoing BMW’s controversial rear end, which still sports strong hints of the original Chris Bangle-designed 7 Series sedan with its thick built-in spoiler. Incorporating a CHMSL, the rear body sculpting of the 2010 6 Series pictured makes sure the car turns heads. For the new 2012 car, the bold rear styling remains but appears a bit softer. Completely redesigned taillights are larger than before and have an L shape that better aligns the coupe with other BMWs like the 5 Series.
Big chunky wheels remain a big part of the BMW coupe’s appeal. As you’d expect, the new 2012 BMW 6 Series has more complex side surfacing than before. In front, the bigger dual-grille is more upright, giving the coupe more presence. The “eyelashes” of the 2010 BMW 650i coupe’s headlights are gone.
Inside, the layout remains the same but there’s more silver trim around the gear selector. Which BMW 650i coupe do you like more? Has BMW made the 6 Series coupe better with the 2012 model? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Last time, BMW’s compact 1 Series hatchback was critiqued in this space. “Looks pretty good from the outside,” commented deerefan87. “Too bad it looks like a Grand Am on the inside.”
BuickFan felt the BMW 1 Series hatchback was refreshing overall but felt the taillights were revolting.
