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BMW 630i Convertible : not just for haridressers

BMW 630i Convertible
BMW 630i Convertible
IT'S an accepted fact that most luxurious convertibles are made with bleached-blonde hairdressers in mind.

Check the bill of sale for the average Mercedes cabriolet and it will tell you that a salon manager called Stacey was given it as a perk by the Cut And Blow salon, where she chats with customers about their holidays and occasionally picks up a pair of scissors.

But not the new soft top version of the BMW 6-series.

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This is a big fat Cuban cigar of a car, a ride with testosterone coursing through its veins and muscular enough not to flinch at the prospect of taking its cloth top off in public.

The fact that I'm sitting at the wheel of a vehicle which costs £50,000 and is probably only ever bought as a second motor by megalomaniacs, also tells the world that I'm likely to be filthy rich.

If Arnold Schwarzenegger's good taste were to ever match his bank balance, he'd probably trade in his Hummer for one of these.

And before you bother to crack any jokes about sports cars and male inadequacies, I can confirm that, yes, the model tested here does have a little less under the bonnet than you might expect.

Gargantuan

Whereas the most powerful version of the 6-series is propelled by a gargantuan 5-litre engine, the 630i Convertible takes advantage of the smallest engine in the range, but even that's a manly 3-litre beast which is capable of producing 258bhp.

It's more of a cruiser than a Cruise Missile, but it certainly feels powerful enough.

It sounds good, too a mechanical roar providing the brilliant soundtrack to a day of Alpha Male motoring.

As you'd expect for the money, you get the usual BMW refinements of leather seats, electronic everything and a clean and crisp cabin feel.

There are four seats (ample space for me and a few laydeez) with the rear two much more use than is often the case in a GT.

The 6-series looks long, low and flat with the soft-top in position.

It looks neater with the roof down but it's not particularly pretty.

But then neither's Arnie.

Disappointing

The size of the boot was also a little disappointing, particularly when there are cars with folding hard tops which offer more stowage space.

But there is still a lot to like about it.

I particularly liked the way a rear glass screen is deployed when the roof is down, providing you with a quick and easy wind baffle.

And I really liked the way the head-up display beams the speed you're travelling on to the windscreen - a fact which proved to me how much attention I normally take of the speed limit when travelling.

I also liked the fact that you can lower and raise the roof while moving: perfect for the red- blooded fella caught in the act by a furious love rival.

But, most of all, I liked the fact that you no longer have to be a bleached-blonde hairdresser to drive a soft top car.

Tech spec:

Make/model: BMW 630i Convertible

Price: £52,650

Performance: 0 to 60mph: 6.9 seconds; Top speed: 155mph (limited)

Insurance: Group 19

Fuel: 29.4mpg (combined)

Emissions: 229/33 C02/tax per cent

On the stereo: I Got You by Split Enz

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