2008 BMW 650i Road Test

For a brand that prides itself in performance, technology and now efficiency,

So many cars started to look like BMWs, that the Bavarians decided to change things up with the 6. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

there is an almost unexpectedly high level of focus on styling at BMW. See one of their cars roll by on the street and chances are it's going to stir a powerful reaction, especially if it's a car so heavily entrenched in style as the 6-Series.

I've heard a lot of people talk about the 6, some rave about it while others have less kind things to say. Whether the styling is up your alley or not, this is a car that commands attention and deserves respect. Looking at the 6 against BMW's products from a generation ago, there has been a less than subtle transition from what was once minimalist to a degree of starkness. BMWs were typically Germanic, holding their place on the continuum of Audi and Mercedes-Benz, living on safe ground. Anyone can do safe and conservative, but it takes effort to be bold, and it takes guts to put passion into design that finds form beyond mere function.

But I didn't always think of the 6 that way. It took an eye-opening seminar, headed by BMW's Chief of Design, Chris Bangle, for me to gain that appreciation of what BMW was doing with the 6 and its other cars.

New taillights look like they've got facets; they're really LEDs. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

The idea was to encapsulate the BMW hallmarks - the twin kidney grille, the Hofmeister kink rear window, the corona headlamps - and take the rest of the car to the next level in order to create a new, groundbreaking identity. And indeed, it has. BMW does bold like no other, but even today you can see elements of modern BMW trickle into other brands, carmakers too conservative to take big risks all on their own. You can see the oft ridiculed “Bangle Butt”, the separated trunk lid and tucked fenders, on the S-Class and the Lexus LS, not to mention Hyundai's Azera. And yet, as opinions may divide, BMW's sales have never been better. Like I said, respect is what the brand deserves.

With its traditional sports car proportions of a long nose, short overhangs and big wheels, the 6-Series is quite honestly the closest thing to modern art on four wheels. The flatness of the facial features work well, creating a low-slung and somewhat intimidating look, and between it an the 7-Series, the two cars with prominent, block-like backsides, it looks fitting here. It might be me, but I happen to see a lot of old 911 Turbo from the rear three-quarters, especially the one with the big whale-tail.

When hustled, the 6-Series really moves, but it doesn't require all that much from its driver. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

And yet, the way it all comes together in the 6 makes it pop. It doesn't suffer the “designed by committee” look that a disconcerting number of vehicles suffer from, but rather it makes you take notice in a highly individualistic way. No, it's not just another pretty car. It's a BMW.

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