2012 BMW 650i

An all-new BMW 6 Series goes on sale next spring that promises to be more powerful and a bit roomier than the outgoing models. The new 6 Series will launch as a convertible in the spring of 2011 as a 2012 model.

The 2012 BMW 6 Series replaces a car that has been in production since 2004, though the new one won't change the basic formula much. The 6 Series remains a big, fast, extra-luxurious, ultra-high-tech, 2+2 two-door. If there's anything unusual about the next-generation, it's that BMW plans to launch the 650i Convertible before the fixed-roof coupe.
The 2012 BMW 650i Convertible is re-styled and, as before, uses a traditional, multi-layer fabric top.
The new 6 Series takes its styling cues from BMW's Gran Coupe concept car, first shown at the Beijing motor show in April 2010. Yet the convertible's basic shape and proportions are familiar, starting with the classic long hood, rear-set passenger compartment and relatively short rear deck, as was seen in the previous-generation 6 Series. When it debuts, it will likely wow people with its style and presence, but not with a revolutionary new direction.
The front end is redesigned in the trendy shark-noise theme. The headlight clusters curl upward toward the outer edges, almost like eyes, and BMW's trademark double-kidney grille is canted slightly forward at the top, rather than the bottom. The space below the front bumper is filled almost completely with short, wide grille work that resembles a sneering mouth.
From the front, three distinct lines taper upward on each side of the car, all the way to the rear end. BMW says the flow of the bodywork was inspired by the bow wave created by a speed boat. The 2012 BMW 650i Convertible will come standard with 19-inch wheels.Custom wheels by Lexani
Then there is the convertible top. While BMW has taken to retractable metal roofs for its 3 Series Convertible and Z4 sports car, it's sticking with traditional fabric for the new 6 Series. The 650i Convertible's folding roof has multiple layers of fabric and insulation, and we'd expect that it will inhibit both sound and cold air as well as metal. The new 6 Series retains BMW's so-called flying buttress roof design, with long, thin sails that extend past the rear window onto the rear deck. This allows the closed fabric roof's silhouette to curve and flow almost in the same profile as a coupe's fixed roof. The fabric will be offered in dark, cocoa brown and a new beige.
The one-button top will open and stow itself under the rear deck in 19 seconds, according to BMW, or close again in 24 seconds. It can open or close when the car is traveling up to 25 mph, in the event of unexpected rain. The rear window is glass, with an electric defroster, and it opens and closes independently of the roof. When the top is lowered, the raised rear window works as a wind blocker, minimizing turbulence in the rear seat. Or the rear window can be lowered with the top up for more fresh air inside.