Market Watch BMW 650i Automatic V8 Sport Cabriolet E64

Potent and plush, you can now buy BMW’s alluring E64 650i V8 Sport Cabriolet for just £8,000.

Words: Guy Baker

Photography: Various

Market Watch

Fast, gloriously smooth and understatedly glamorous, BMW’s E64 650i Sport Cabriolet is now a real bargain, with good examples changing hands for as little as £8,000. Built between 2006 and 2010, the 650i sit just below the V10 M6 in the E64 range and packs a sonorous naturally- aspirated V8 under the bonnet – which most enthusiasts agree suits the Six better than a V10.

Boasting a plush standard spec, it’s quick and great value for money, however it is a thirsty beast by modern standards so it’s fairly expensive to run. And although there are four seats, it’s really just a grand 2+2. But the styling works so much better than that of its E63 Coupe sibling and it looks classy and elegant — especially with the roof down. The 650i’s silky N62 4799cc naturally- aspirated V8 is good for 362hp in standard factory tune and produces a maximum of 361lb ft of torque from just 3,400rpm and is mated to either a six-speed manual or six- speed automatic transmissions. Almost all UK cars were automatics and although the 650i weighs in at around 1935kg both performance and handling are highly impressive.

Built on a shortened version of the E60 5 Series chassis the controversial rear-end flame- surface styling seems to have less impact on the Convertible and to help keep the weight down the doors and bonnet were made of aluminium, with the boot and front wings made of carbon-reinforced plastic. And the 650i’s impressive spec also includes adaptive headlights, Park Distance Control, voice control, active anti-roll bars, Active Cruise Control, head-up display, night vision, a heated steering wheel, soft-close doors and an integrated wind deflector. A 2008 facelift brought exterior design changes with tweaked headlights, tail-lights and bumpers, whilst the cabin received updated climate controls, and a new electronic gear lever plus steering-wheel paddles. And Sport models had a stiffer anti-roll bar and an updated exhaust fitted.

Worries over running costs and fuel economy mean that values are pretty low, but realistically they can’t fall that much lower – so as well being a bargain it’s also a great time to buy a 650i Sport Cabriolet. But make sure you buy the best example you can – with a full service history and a year’s MoT.

Not surprisingly prices achieved reflect mileage and condition, starting at around £8,000 for decent examples. But we’d be wary of paying much more than £14,000 – however low the mileage.

And with cars like this stunning 89,000- mile Atlantic Blue Metallic 2006 650i going for £9,995, there’s really no need to. For sale at Borough Green Garage (www. boroughgreengarage.co.uk) in Kent, it’s trimmed with a contrasting exclusive pearl cream leather interior and light birchwood high gloss interior trim, and comes with a full service history, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, electric heated seats, dual climate control, cruise control, 19-inch wheels, LED rear lights, Xenon headlights, daytime running lights and privacy glass. Sold with 12-month’s MoT and a three-month warranty it looks a cracker.

If however you really must have the very lowest mileage example you can find then this Titanium Silver Metallic 2007 example at Michael Stockton Motor Company (www.michaelstocktonmotorcompany.co.uk) London would take some beating. Incredibly it has covered a mere 29,000 — hence the elevated £14,990 asking price. We’re sure that there is some room for negotiation however and the spec is hard to beat.

As a sign of just how much E64 metal you can now get for your money right now, this particular car is advertised for £2,000 less than the original cost of its optional extras alone! But there are other cars with lower-than average mileages advertised for less, like this £10,995 Metallic Pearl Grey 2007 example with 67,331-miles. On the forecourt at PPSC Ltd (www.ppscltd.co.uk) in Lincolnshire, it’s an 07-plater with dark red leather upholstery and a full service history that includes only main- dealer and specialist stamps.

But wherever you buy your 650i you must watch out for any signs of the more common issues reported by owners, which include faulty coils (which can cause misfires or rough running), heavy oil consumption, leaky valve cover gaskets and timing cover gaskets — which are expensive to change. But the biggest potential issue is coolant leaks, which can be tricky to find and expensive to fix.

However, the automatic and manual gearboxes are generally dependable – although the SMG gearbox can wear through clutches quickly. And you should watch for failed diode packs, tired batteries, electrical glitches, water leaks into the boot and misbehaving roof mechanisms.

THANKS...

Grant Darling and Darren Parker at James Paul (www.jamespaul.co.uk), the BMW Car Club of Great Britain (www. bmwcarclubgb.uk), British Car Auctions (www.bca.com), Silverstone Auctions (www.silverstoneauctions.com), Bonhams (www.bonhams.com), Classic Car Auctions (www.classiccarauctions.co.uk), Glenmarch. com, www.bimmerforums.co.uk, Redish Motorsport (www.redish-motorsport.com) and Glass’s (www.glass.co.uk) their help with this feature.

BMW Car retail price guide

• Poor: Under 8,000
• Good: £8,000 to £11,000
• Excellent: £11,000+
• Special editions: None

Recent BMW E64 650i V8 Sport Cabriolet Auction Prices*

• Model Transmission Reg/year Mileage Sale Price
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2009/09 44,991 £12,000
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2009/09 47,226 £8,500
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2009/09 49,600 £7,915
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2009/09 98,742 £6,150
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2009/59 60,422 £8,800
• BMW 650i Sport Auto 2010/10 77,529 £10,200

*Sale prices of good-condition examples sold recently at British Car Auctions