BMW 6 Series (E63)

The BMW E63/E64 is the current model of the BMW 6 Series of luxury coupés, introduced in Autumn 2003 in Frankfurt Motor Show by German car manufacturer BMW. It comes as either a coupé or cabriolet (convertible) and in several engine variants ranging from a 3 litre straight-6 to 5 litre V10 in the M6 model. Production ended on July 8, 2010.

In 1989 the original 6 Series was supplanted by the more expensive and higher performance 8 Series. In late 2003, the 6 Series was reintroduced as a 2004 model as a coupé (E63) and cabriolet (E64) platforms. The E63/64 itself is based on the BMW E60, the latter which forms the fifth iteration of the 5 Series sedan.

The styling of the new 6 Series has generally received a warm welcome from the BMW community. The new 6 Series was designed to look like a shark, and many have acknowledged the resemblance. The controversial rear styling by Chris Bangle is considered to work somewhat better on the shapely E63 than on other BMWs designed by Bangle, such as the E60 5 Series and E65 7 Series models which were controversial. However, most owners and enthusiasts of the E24 6 Series have disliked the E63.

In the 2010 model year, the M6 was the second-most expensive BMW sold in the U.S. after the flagship 760Li ($137,000), with an MSRP of $108,150 for the convertible and $102,350 for the coupé, overlapping with the ActiveHybrid 750Li and 750i (at $106,200 and $102,300, respectively), and considerably more than the M5 sedan at $85,700. The 2010 650i convertible and coupé, at $85,550 and $78,450, respectively, are also priced near the top of the BMW lineup, comparable to the 750Li and 750i ($85,900 and $82,000). In the U.S. the M6 had one of the largest residual value drops at 19%, as it had little if any changes since its 2006 introduction, its $102,350 base price which put it in Porsche territory, and as it has lost attention to flashier models like the Audi R8.

Engines

The base engine is a 3.0 L (2996 cc) straight-6 N52 engine, not offered in the United States or Canada, producing 190 kW (258 PS; 255 hp) at 6600 rpm and 300 N·m (220 lb·ft) of torque from 2500–4000 rpm (in the 630i).

There is also a 4.4 L (4398 cc) V8 making 245 kW (333 PS; 329 hp) and 450 N·m (330 lb·ft) of torque at 3600 rpm (in the 645Ci). The V8 in the 645Ci is the N62 engine, shared with the 545i and 745i, with BMW's Valvetronic valve timing system. This is an all aluminum engine with 4 valves per cylinder. In the renamed 650i, BMW increased the V8's displacement to 4.8 liters, producing 268 kW (364 PS; 359 hp) at 6300 rpm and 487 N·m (359 lb·ft) of torque at 3400 RPM.

In Europe, a diesel engine is offered in the 635d. This has the same 3.0 L6 twin turbo diesel engine as in the 535d and 335d. It has 286 hp (213 kW) at 4400 rpm and 580 N·m (430 lb·ft) of torque available at 1750 rpm.

Transmission choices are either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic "Steptronic". For the high-performance M6, the 7-speed Getrag SMG III single-clutch semi-automatic transmission was initially the only transmission but it later became optional a year afterward when a 6-speed manual unit was made available. The SMG III also was optional on V8-engined 6-Series (645Ci/650i) until after the 2008 model year.

Various auto tuners offer aftermarket products for the BMW E63/E64 that include improved engine software, throttle bodies, and exhaust sets that improve horsepower through the power band.

Mid-generational refresh

In the autumn of 2007 BMW debuted an updated BMW 6-Series Coupe and Convertible. They feature new LED turn signals in the headlights, slightly restyled rear tail lamps with an LED turn signal, and a redesigned third LED brakelight that has been enlarged and moved to the top of the trunklid.

Model lineup

Model	Model Year	Engine	E63 Coupé	E64 Cabriolet
630Ci/630i	2004-Current	N52B30
645Ci	2004–2005	N62B44
650i	2006-Current	N62B48
M6	2006-Current	S85B50
635d	2007-Current	NM57TUD30

M6

Main article: BMW M6

In 2005, an M6 version of the new 6 Series was introduced. It shares the E60 BMW M5's engine and transmission (500 hp). In the third quarter of 2006, BMW announced the M6 convertible as an upcoming 2007 model. The 2008 model year M6 Coupé and Cabriolet both benefited from the standard 6-Series refresh during the fall of 2007.

 

Production volumes

The E63/E64 was produced at the Dingolfing BMW plant.

The following are production figures for the E63/E64, excluding M6 models:

Year	Total	Coupé	Convertible
2004	21,040	12,332	8,708
2005	23,340	12,447	10,893
2006	21,947	11,941	10,006
2007	19,626	9,967	9,659
2008	16,299	8,337	7,962
2009	8,648	4,501	4,147
2010	5,848	3,050	2,798
Total:	116,748	62,575	54,173