THE BMW 6 Series Convertible received a mild update in June but still lives in almost a class of its own, with only the rear-engined Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet coming close in terms of price, practicality and purpose.

Jaguar discontinued the XK last year, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is too visually related to a boxy sedan and the Audi A5 Cabriolet occupies a lower size and price bracket.

Finding a front-engined competitor means looking toward the more exotic end of the market, such as the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Bentley Continental GTC and Maserati GranCabrio. All cost significantly more than even the ballistic $308,600 (before on-roads) M6 Convertible.

So by default, the sub-$200K 640i Convertible tested here is the best front-engined large luxury drop-top for the money. We spent a week with one to find out more.



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