Celebrate The Incoming BMW 8-Series With A Sub-£5k 650i
Right now, BMW is busy testing its all-new 8-series coupe in Wales. And despite the fact the mules are still camouflaged to a certain extent, it’s easy to see that it’s going to be a handsome brute, and a fast one - even the half-fat M850i will have 523bhp to play with, after all.
But after a few options, we doubt you’ll get much change from £100,000 when buying one of these. So, if you want something along similar lines but for a considerably smaller wedge, what do you do? Allow us to present the E63 6-series.
Succeeded by the F06/12/13 generation car - which the 8-series will be indirectly replacing - the E63 was the first BMW to take on the 6-series moniker since the old shark-nosed E24. When first released it received plenty of flak for its controversial, Chris Bangle-led design, but the years have been kind to this thing. It’s quite a looker on the right wheels, isn’t it?
It’s also cheap: the earliest cars are now 14 years old, giving plenty of time for depreciation to wreak havoc with used values. The cheapest examples of the 630i and 645i are now hovering around £4000, and you can even snag a 650i for under £5000.
You will need to spend a little more for a 650i that doesn’t have galactic-spec mileage, though. This one is £7500 and has a more reasonable 85,000 miles on the clock, and while there’s a frustrating lack of detail in the advert, we do at least know it has a full service history.
Under the bonnet you’ll find a 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V8, pushing out a useful 376bhp. 0-62mph happens in just under six seconds, and the top speed is the usual electronically-limited 155mph deal.
It won’t be as cheap to run as it is to buy, of course, and among the usual outlay for insurance, tyres and servicing, the 4.8-litre engine does have known issues associated with oil leaks to contend with. That said, the 650i is immune from the notorious coolant transfer pipe leak that can affect the 4.4-litre version of the N62 engine found in the 645i. Should you go for a 645i and encounter that problem, you could be landed with a disgustingly large bill to fix it.
What do you think of the E63 650i? Would that be the bargain GT car for you, or would your money go elsewhere? Let us know in the comments.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
was i the only person to ever actually like the 6 series design?
especially the M6?
Yes?
okay
cries in a corner
Eh, I kinda like it, but FIX THE DAMN KIDNEY GRILLS! THEY LOOK WORSE THAN THE FIAT MULTIPLA!!!!!
I Love it.
I think it looks great
The M6 is an amazing underrated beast, people get the E60 M5 and forget this beast
I loved it, especially the M6
THIS CAR IS 14 YEARS OLD?
It’t still looks modern
…how old did you think it was…
interior too!
although its no GT interior these days
slap it onto a 20k Hatchback and ill gladly buy it for that interior alone
All sedan BMWs made around that time still do, especially 5 sereis
You mean 850i?
lol someone should seriously proof read these articles
these are getting out of hand
Another 550i error
So uhm, the 8 series will be a 7 series coupe or the 5 series coupe? Because one sorce tells me that the 8 series will be a suscessor to the 6 series, while the new 6 series will be a 911 rival, while the other says it’s a 7 series coupe
BMW have said themselves, the 8 series will be a standalone model. It’s the pinnacle of BMW sporting vehicles, and it won’t be the coupe version of anything.
id love to have a M6 with that heavenly v10
This car is just 1 year younger than me? It still look sexy af, especially the m6 with carbon fibre contrast
A few Bangle designs have aged really well. In fact the only thing I really dislike about the 6 Series is the rear end. I think the Z4M Coupe tops them for looks.
It does sound tempting, but I can’t get over the fact that there’s a V10 version available.
That 4.8 litre engine sounds pretty rad
I used to have a AC Schnitzer ACS6 650i convertible. Yea the gearbox was a pain when you’re crawling but the sound of the straight piped V8 with the roof down was like no other 🤤