New BMW 6 Series Coup' features head-up display and glass roof

Friday July 11, 2003BMW has given the world a sneak preview of its second generation 6 series BMW - a car slated for its first public showing at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.The new 6 series luxury coupes will be priced at the same levels as the current 7 series vehicles, and the first models will be available in the Australian market from the second quarter of next year. The first six series has been out of production since 1989.Powered by the 4.4-litre V8 power unit already well known from the BMW 745i, the 6 series will not be short of power - the fully variable VALVETRONIC valve control engine develops 245 kilowatts (333 bhp), does 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and will reach its (electronically limited) top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) very quickly.In keeping with the marque's long tradition of luxury sporting coupes, BMW has two six speed transmissions available for the new 6 - a manual and an automatic transmission with Steptronic If the announcement of the 6 series was a surprise, even more surprising is the news that a 2+2 Convertible 6 series is on the way.Two of the must-have optional features available with the 6 series are the Head-Up Display and glass panorama roof. The Head-Up Display will be an option for the new BMW 6 Series but will not be offered in the initial batch - this is unfortunate as it is a truly unique feature in the large coup' market and many potential buyers are likely to wait until the feature is available. The head-up display presents information relevant to the driver on the windscreen, directly in his line of vision, ensuring optimum clarity and allowing the driver to concentrate on the road ahead at all times. The innovative glass panorama vent roof with an electrically moving roofliner gives the interior an even more spacious and brighter impression, especially because the panorama roof is much larger than a conventional sliding roof.The extensive use of light weight materials and processes has enabled the weight of the car to be kept to 1600 kg with an ideal 50:50 front:rear weight distribution.