Overview: The 6-series is BMW’s most exclusive offering, embodying the spirit of elegant grand touring in a most modern fashion. As a coupe or convertible, the 6-series is available with either a 315-hp 3.0-liter inline-six (640i) or 445-hp 4.4-liter V-8 (650i); both engines mate to an eight-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is available for all-weather ability. There is also an M Sport package with even more upscale interior and exterior accents for extra bling.

What Is It?

It’s big, luxurious, and fast. BMW’s latest 6-series coupe, the 2012 650i, banishes the awkward look of its predecessor with a sharp new design. Stretched, lowered, and widened, the new 6er also boasts a lavish interior with an abundance of high-tech gizmos, fantastic front seats, and enough leather and French stitching to get a coachbuilder’s nod of approval. Completing the makeover is the muscular and always entertaining 400-hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, hooked to a silky yet snappy eight-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed manual is offered). With its 112.4-inch wheelbase and 4368-pound curb weight, the 650i is a big car, but it throws down performance figures that other similarly powered and much lighter machines could only dream of.

How Does It Drive?

Like a big teddy bear or angry grizzly; the choice between ease and evil is yours. Toggle the driving dynamics control button through comfort plus, comfort, sport, and sport plus settings, and the car will grant your wish. In the comfort modes, the suspension, the throttle, the transmission program, and the steering are relaxed enough for country clubbers. The sport selections tighten those same elements, granting the 650i a surprisingly athletic feel. And when we say “athletic,” we aren’t talking amateur status.

We must fault the electric power-steering system for its lack of feedback, but there’s no denying the car’s capabilities. On the skidpad, the tail-happy coupe achieved a commendable 0.93 g of stick and demonstrated excellent body control. Its Dunlop SP SportMax tires contributed to outstanding performance in the 70-to-0-mph braking exercise, stopping the beefy Bimmer in 158 feet. The brake pedal offered good feedback, and the binders showed no sign of fade. Five back-to-back stops only varied by four feet. Those numbers are reassuring when you’re driving something that’ll hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and 100 mph in 10.4 clicks and cover a quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 112 mph.

How Does It Stack Up?

In the big-luxury-coupe corner, there aren’t many contenders these days, and the bag is a bit mixed. TheJaguar XK starts at about the same price as the 650i, and it, too, offers desirable sheetmetal, a well-appointed interior, and a similar luxury-sport ride-and-handling combo. But the 6-series betters the XK at almost every mark in the performance ring, has a usable back seat—it’s still cramped for full-size adults—a superior interior layout, and a more intuitive infotainment system. Then there’s the Mercedes-Benz CL550, which is only available with all-wheel drive, an option on the 650. Although the CL550 is even larger, more powerful, and quicker in a straight line than the 6er, the additional size and the slight performance advantage come at a steep cost. The CL starts at just under $115,000 compared with the 650i’s $83,875 base. But if back-seat comfort is a priority, the CL trumps the 6 hands-down.

What’s the Cost?

Luxury and athleticism rarely come cheap, and cars that combine the two almost never do. And even buyers who don’t balk at the 650i’s nearly $84,000 base price might hesitate before adding another 25 percent of that in options. Our test car’s bottom line was $106,575. Of the $22,700 in options, no fewer than nine were well above four figures. A couple of items could easily be skipped, such as the $3700 Driver Assistance package, which adds a bunch of electronic watchdogs that are unnecessary for anyone who isn’t totally asleep at the wheel. And although we loved the looks of the $4400 M Sport package, we have a hard time justifying more than four grand for a body kit, LED fog lights, an M steering wheel, and a less-restrictive top-speed limiter. While we’re at it, throw out the $2600 night-vision system, and we’d reluctantly part with the $1300 20-inch wheels.

That brings us down to a more reasonable $95,000. Among the options we’d keep are the $2000 Luxury Seating group—BMW’s articulated seatbacks mean anyone can get comfortable—and the $750 Cold Weather package (a warm butt is essential for comfort). We enjoy good tunes on our drives, so we’d select the $1800 upgraded stereo. The commendable body control imparted by the $2000 active roll stabilization system surely contributed to our skidpad figure, and the $1750 integral active steering helps this big girl turn. The leather dash and the black-ceramic-trimmed controls just look too damn good, so we’d fork over $1500 and $650, respectively, for those extravagances. Hey, all the best athletes look the part, too