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      09-14-2011, 09:29 AM   #1
Superspeed
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Drives: 640i, 120d, Cooper S
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Oslo, Norway

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F12 640i – Experiences and driving impressions after first 4 months

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I know a lot of you guys are waiting for your coupé. To shorten the time here are my personal experiences in the convertible after several longer trips and everyday driving during 6000 km.

Delivery
I ordered the car in October 2010 without having any official pictures or price specifications, to be sure getting the car ready for the convertible season.
Delivery in May went ok and I got the first F12 on the street in Oslo (or probably in Norway).

Size
The car is about the same size as the F10 5-series (same length, 3 cm wider but 10 cm lower). So it is not overly large, but it is a guess where you have the corners before you get used to manoeuvring in tight spots. A great help when backing is the camera and sensors.

Engine and performance
This is a 640i. It’s a 3-litre 320 hp single turbo twin scroll engine (or “Twin Power” as BMW calls it). It has a nice torque according to the spec (450 NM from 1300 rpm), but in the lower range I miss some force. In the higher range however it is plenty of power, and the engine revs very smooth and willingly until it shifts at 7000 rpm. On the higher revs you get the engine sound you want to hear, it turns from very cultivated to quite race like. The sound level could be higher though, but hey, this suits a BMW. No vibrations and the engine cries for more. Acceleration is as you would expect and no reason to doubt the manufactures figure of 5,7 from 0-100 kmh. Overtaking other cars doesn’t stress you at all.

Gearshift
This is an 8-speed box. It shifts without noticing it during normal driving. In sport mode it is a little less smooth, without being uncultivated. Driving in Normal or Comfort mode reveals my other point of criticism. It downshifts too slowly, like it needs a break to think about it. To get a qualified second opinion I asked a friend with a MB CL 500 to test it, and didn’t find the shifting slower than his own car. So I guess it’s normal. I have been driving stick shift earlier, may be it is just what you are used to. Driving in Sport and Sport+ solves most of the problem anyway. Or you can put the gear lever in left position (Sport/Manual).

Handling
This is not a true sports car, but it is a great GT car. Driving in Sport mode makes the car shrink and tighten close to your body and to the ground. It is impressive how the large car can be thrown around tight turns and gives you a nice feedback on what the wheels are doing. I strongly recommend to go for all the options on chassis and steering. Normally I am driving in “Normal”, which is a good compromise of sport and comfort. “Comfort” is nice when driving on straight roads but too soft through sharp turns and hasty manoeuvres. I am 80% in Normal and 20% in Sport. Sport+ cuts off the electronic aids, and will be nice testing during winter.

Brakes
These are probably the best brakes of any car I had. I had one episode lately when overtaking a row of cars. Due to poor planning from my side I suddenly had to get the car in between two others. The space was narrow. So the other guys got angry and I got sweat - while giving heavy brake pedal and in the same time throwing the 640 in between the others. But the car acted like on rails. I felt full control and it was completely undramatic. I am not very proud of the episode though.

Soft top
The roof is completely waterproof also when washing the car with high pressure. The fabric seems to be of high quality and it folds and unfolds very smooth and precise up and down. The roof mechanism is impressive to watch

Interior and comfort
The interior certainly looks very nice. There are a lot of storage rooms and a place for two bottles or two cups, something the old 6-series didn’t have. There is a lot of space in the front, and the seats are firm but comfortable. They also give the body good support sideways.The rear passengers lack leg room. Having people there means compromising with the front passenger. I would not recommend anybody to sit behind the driver if he is of normal size. Kids would probably love the rear seats however, since they are very comfortable.
The climate control works very well and you don’t miss anything here.
The roof gives effective noise protection from traffic around you or from wind and tires. Not more noise than in a saloon car.

I-drive, instrumentation, buttons and gadgets
The i-drive is easy and intuitive. There is also direct access to important functions without using the i-drive. You will be impressed about how much you can control or set up with the i-drive system, or how much information you can get out of it. The 10,2 inch screen is big enough to permanently stay in split screen mode. I prefer having the navigation map on the left side and entertainment details on the right side of the screen.
There is a row of buttons on the dashboard that can be programmed to do what you want them to. Like presetting of radio channels or other entertainment sources, navigation functions, phone settings or whatever. Instrumentation and buttons in general is of good BMW standard, which means that everything is very you expect it to be and where it should be.

Trunk
Trunk capacity is surprisingly good. Especially when the roof is closed. This gives you additional height in the trunk. It is also possible to load your skies through an opening from the trunk and between the two rear seats.

Build quality
This is what you expect. Everything looks massive and solid. Materials are of high quality. No rattling and shaking due to loss of a fixed roof.

Fuel consumption
From 8,5 litres/100km on country roads to 13 litres in heavy city traffic. My average after 6000 km is just below 10 litres. I think this is very good for car of this size.

Everyday motoring
This car is perfect for the long journeys and not so perfect for shopping and parking in narrow spaces.

Verdict
9/10. I love this car.

The first picture is taken the day of delivery.
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Last edited by Superspeed; 11-17-2011 at 12:12 PM..
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