What's the news?
BMW has revealed the updated 6 Series Coupé, Convertible and Gran Coupé. Frankly, if you're looking for massive changes, you're out of luck - this is a very low-key mid-life update. On the outside there are new kidney grilles, new bumpers front and rear and, for the first time, full LED headlights available as an option.
There are also new Styling packs - Pure Design Experience, which is a stripped-back, black and chrome-less look, while Pure Design Excellence ladles on the chrome and concentrates on brighter, warmer colours.
Inside there are new seats with integrated seatbelts, plus some updates to the displays and dials including a new iPhone-style central info display. There's a new version of BMW Connected that includes a Wi-Fi hotspot and a new Driving Assistant Plus that can detect a stopped car or dawdling pedestrian in your path at speeds of up to 60km/h and slam on the brakes if needs be.
On the mechanical front, the 3.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel engines (in the 640d and 640i) and the 4.4-litre turbo petrol V8 (650i) are largely unchanged, but there are some small changes to the management system and the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox (now called Steptronic), which improve fuel consumption by an average of 0.2 litres per 100km. There's also now standard launch control and a new sports exhaust on all models.
Anything else?
More significantly, there's also now the option of xDrive four-wheel drive, which obviously brings benefits in foul Irish winter weather, but which also helps trim the 0-100km/h time, to 4.4 seconds in the case of the 650i.
We're awaiting full Irish market details from BMW Ireland.