A Family Car With Other Worldly Performance
Other tuners have merely dabbled with the 645Ci while they decide what they want to do with it, fitting new wheels and an aero kit like a hesitant plastic surgeon messing with pen before the first decisive cut. Richard Hamann had no such worries, and went straight in to produce an oversized sports car that truly does justice to the base car's potential.
At the heart of this stunning conversion is an increased capacity, 5-liter engine that produces 412 bhp at 6100 rpm and a road-bending 395 lb-ft (535Nm) of torque at 3900 rpm. The standard car managed just 325 bhp, and in combination with a thorough overhaul of the dynamics, this power hike has transformed the 6er from a slightly overweight saloon into a finely tuned Grand Tourer-the kind of car the 8 Series so desperately wanted to be.
While some have lambasted BMW 's recent design trips, this is nothing compared to the kicking it took over the 8 Series GT that ended on the scrapheap.
Now the technology has caught up and BMW's vision of a big coupe with bags of performance, a reasonable pricetag and a lightweight frame are possible. The new 6er takes care of the 8's unfinished business.
The weight is the key, with extensive use of plastic on the exterior-a bone of contention with some-and aluminum under the skin. In European spec, this bruiser comes in at just 3,528 lb. Add a little weight for the modifications and it's still a 412-bhp car with four seats weighing less than 3,600 lb.
It covers the 0-to-60-mph dash in 4.8 sec. and maxes out at a highly respectable 180 mph. The original managed 5.6 sec. and 149 mph, but it has now been elevated from the fast family sector and can nibble at serious sports cars.
Hamann replaced the crankshaft and fitted new pistons, rods, camshafts and a new filter. Obviously, the company fitted one of its own special exhaust systems, too, and the noise blaring from the four stainless-steel exit pipes is as seductive as anything on the open market. Especially on the downshift, when the SMG gearbox fitted to the test car blipped the throttle to match the revs.
Hamann offered a fully adjustable suspension setup and I drove it with the front end lowered by 60mm and the back by 30. It is now so low the parking indicator bleeps wildly when backing over grass, but on the sweeping roads round the factory the changes proved immense.
I previously complained that the 6 Series, while astoundingly capable, felt a little detached from the road. There was just too much going on between input and effect at the wheels. Taking out a good deal of the travel and fitting sports shocks into the 5 Series-sourced MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear axle setup has fixed the problem
It is still ridiculously easy to drive, though, thanks to SMG and more electronic components than a Playstation factory. Power can be applied at any time, and the car will decide if it's prudent to put it all down. The big Bimmer is so quick to take control that the iDrive sometimes felt just seconds away from a sarcastic comment about my entry speed.
Turning off the assorted gadgets reveals a car that is more than capable without them, thanks to the standard BMW philosophy of 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and one of the most rigid structures in its class. With Hamann's mods the 6er now drifts more gracefully than many smaller mounts with sporting aspirations, and even the hugely competent base car looks like a rolling drunk in comparison.
In fact, this car could harry much more established cars around tight roads and, without the cosmetic mods, it would prove a real sleeping giant capable of leaving Porsche owners wondering what they'd just done wrong. It may be slower, but it's so easy to go in fully committed in this car that theoretical considerations may go out the window.
Compared to the Hamann car the base 645Ci now seems top heavy, a tall and soft blob of muscle. It's strong certainly, but it's more ox than racehorse.
Hamann has added striations to break up the big sweeping lines, which give the impression of a smaller, tighter car. He has dragged it closer to the ground and added detailed spoilers, side skirts and a new rear diffuser, and punctuated the loping roofline with a simple spoiler and rear wing that sharpens up that bulging plastic buttock.
Massive red eight-pot calipers wink through the 20-in. wheels and clamp on to 365x34mm slotted and vented discs at the front while four-pot calipers bite 345x28mm discs at the back. They bite progressively, but firmly, and the 6er sheds speed as well as any in its class. Impeccable manners under heavy braking can be attributed to natural poise and electronic trickery.
Now the bad news, the price. At EUR140,000 this is not a cheap car, it costs the same as any number of Porsches that are ultimately quicker and more image-conscious. But for those who have already been through the ego-inflation stage of owning an established supercar and want something a little more subtle-or with room for kids- the Hamann 6 Series might just be a serious proposition.
It's a near supercar with lots of space or a family car with other worldly performance. Either way, it works for me.