The 2012 BMW 650i convertible is an exercise in restraint.
I'll forgive you if you don't believe me at first, nodding as you point to the 400 horsepower 4.4 liter twin-turbo direct injection V8, 20-inch wheels and high-tech options that bump the price tag into six figures.
Once in the driver's seat, however, you'll be the one holding back, using up every ounce of willpower to keep from mashing the accelerator.
It's a grand tourer capable of quickly reaching speeds that'll get your license cancelled faster than a Netflix subscription after a price increase. Speeding tickets? They're for chumps. Lose track of your speed on a straightaway and you'll go from the front seat of a Bimmer to the back seat of a Crown Vic in under five seconds.
During the week I spent driving the 650i, I twitched like Mitt Romney answering questions about health care at a Club For Growth meeting, resisting all urges to put my foot down on the gas pedal. That's the paradox of this car. Like a vacation in Saudi Arabia, the 650i is awash with power and opulence, but as soon as you start having fun, you're probably breaking the law.
Another similarity with that Middle Eastern kingdom is that you'll frequently fork over of large amounts of cash in exchange for access to fossil fuels. Our tester was fitted with the EfficientDynamics package, which along with aerodynamic enhancements and weight-saving electronic power steering, involved a regenerative braking setup that freed the engine from the parasitic drain of recharging the starter battery. EPA estimates claim 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, but I saw numbers between 13 and 18 with the top down regardless of traffic.
That won't bother most buyers, though. Like abysmal trunk volume and cramped backseat space, fuel economy isn't a major selling point for the 650i convertible. It's a car meant for long, unnecessary drives up coasts and across continents, trips where getting there is almost all the fun.
The all-new design throws a bucket of cold water onto Bangle-era flame surfacing, dressing the new 6-series in BMW's more conservative corporate uniform. At more than 16 feet long, the big 6 was outstanding on sweeping stretches of open highway, but it also remained nimble at slower speeds with precise, communicative steering and a firm ride. It's not as agile as a 3-series, but only because BMW's engineers are still subject to the laws of physics. The car I drove featured optional Active Roll Stabilization ($2000), which did a great job at keeping the massive car from leaning into corners like a cargo ship. Despite the chopped top, body flex was nearly nonexistent. In sport mode, shift points got higher and the suspension noticeably stiffened. Press the button for comfort, though, and the car glided along like the comparatively yacht-like Mercedes CL550, a fellow Autobahn-burner that costs tens of thousands of dollars more than the 650i.