BMW 650i LCI - E63 Coupe

[VinceM]

Decided to make a dedicated thread for this vehicle, as I will be doing a lot of fixes, repairs and maintenance, with the little change left do some mods.

Will be repeating some of the info in the other thread, upfront apology.

So in Clarkson’s voice:
This, is the BMW 650i, E63 LCI. The second generation 6 series with a naturally aspirated 4.8l engine.

I did a turn at Eye of Africa Golf Estate this afternoon. I took the longest possible route (R59) just so I could have more time behind the wheel.

At the start of the journey, the car was still cold, so the car was a bit jerky (I think the gearbox needs a service). Drove casually till the car was at the right temp, keeping revs low below 2 500 rpm.

When its cold, its awkward and its very shy…..then when it hits the right level of temperature, my my my, a different car, its all of a sudden wide awake….the thing just want to move, as in Move!

Despite the heavy insulation, you can hear the growls at low revs, if you press the Sport button, its party time: the exhaust noise is amplified, as in Hotel cat grin amplification. The onboard journey trip showed 11.1l/100km before I hit that naughty S button, when I parked the car, a few minutes later, it was on 17.9l/100km, and I was as happy as a lark.

That sound is intoxicating, I created an additional trip just so I could hear it one more time. Out of interest, when I got the car, it was as quite as a mouse, was actually low key disappointed. I still want to do exhaust mod but since I have a strong OEM head, still puzzled as to what I will do.

What I have come to enjoy is the effortless tackling of steep hills, no difference to flat roads, the V8 just goes about its duties.

The one thing that I haven’t mastered is the speed perception. Caught me approaching a traffic light, thought it was not as fast as it was. Talk about Fast, this is not the Turbo cars fast that slaps you onto the seat when moving from standstill. The build up is superb and exemplary, tapping into that near 500nm torque at low revs. No lag, something that irritated me with the 335i (I suspect I had a dud).

Parting thought: I think if you want to lose money quick, drive a V8 spirited. It gulps down petrol for fun. A friend with a S65 Merc convertible says he gets 23l/100km cruising about town

For once I can confidently say my 330ci is frugal with its 11.7l/100km reading.

Thanks for reading….


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[jld010]

The 650lci aesthetic is something else..I was considering a 650 but the fuel economy was legendary..and most ppl viewed the 640d as the best bet with a slight tune...torque monster. Beast of a car in performance and looks.

 

[maleven-GP]

Congratulations Vince 🎊

 

[Benji]

I have such a soft spot for these, I think they have really aged well. Congrats on finding and enjoying clean example

 

[VinceM]

Thank you gents

 

[gavsadler]

Congrats on the new addition to the garage. It looks like a great specimen.

Sounds like you have been enjoying it quite a bit so far. Enjoy burning through extinct dinosaurs, looking forward to future updates.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Lovely car. Enjoy it. Life is too short to care too much about fuel economy.

 

[///M3FAN]

Congrats and enjoy the v8 awesomeness, looking forward to the updates

 

[General.Massacre]

Love the car man, i have to admit, as much as i loved my E92 335i, the 6 series has my attention like no other BMW.
the E63 is a lovely looking car, the F13 has improved on it. but they both are eye catching on the road.

i dont pay much attention to the average consumption on the iDrive or computer, as its misleading, my M6 shows around 13l/100km on the iDrive, but if i get 400km to the tank with me driving nicely, im lucky, so in actuality, its north of 20l/100km,
However i have downpipes with a stock tune, so i suspect thats also why its heavier on fuel, so i think software with Secondary O2 delete will fix this.

Enjoy the car for what it is, my M6 brings a smile to my face every time i start her, and i know it does the same for you, enjoy her.

 

[KPM3_30]

Awesome car Vince, wishing you many miles of smiles. LCi is few and far between, this looks great!

A well crafted exhaust system on the car, will change the entire experience for the better IMO. Couldn't be happier with my TMSS system and I've kept the stock exhaust away, to make sure the option to swop back is available (will not be done under my ownership). The aftermarket system brings the car alive and it sounds like a V8 should.

One other mod I feel will really make a difference to the look would be the period correct M6 wheels (style 167). Will give the car a much sportier look, if you're into that.

 

[VinceM]

Thanks for the feedback gents,

Exhaust definitely on the cards once the basics are completed. Will do the later part of it, post cats.

Agree, M6 wheels plus mirrors

 

[FILV]

What a stunner!
You really dont see these driving around anymore.

Looks so clean in white.

 

[huzidada]

6 Series is underrated !

 

[VinceM]

Its also light weight (1615kg) relative to body size; surprisingly lighter than the following:

F32 440i = 1630kg

E92 M3 = 1655kg

F13 650i = 1870kg


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[Sabretooth tiger]

Time for a signature update bro. You cant exclude this beauty.

 

[VinceM]

A bit of an update:

This vehicle reaffirms my love for old BMWs….the door weight is as it should be, has that clunk to it when closing the door, the radio control volume knob feels right, no “plasticky feel” all premium BMW quality of old. The interior still has that leather smell, many years later. Its in the small details.

This one came with the extended lights package, strangely though, additional lights are underneath the side mirrors (in the F10, the extended lights are under the door handles).

Lots of service items to get to, taking it one day at a time.

Started with a coolant change. Replaced the coolant tank too. Went with the Motul coolant, its already premixed, no guess work. Its highly regarded per overseas forums and reviews. First bottle is from the first drained sample. It was in need of new coolant.

Second was the power steering fluid update. This being a 15 years old car (2009), with no record of this service, had to do it. Went with BMW dealer fluid, agents sell this Fuchs Titan CHF 11s.

Third was Liqui Moly 5w30 Longtime High Tec oil. 3000km later, touch wood, not a single drop of oil used. Still full per the picture below.

Fourth was the all weather rubber mats, this type. These are quite nice vs the standard mats. Makes cleaning the car easier too. Had forgotten how prices have sky rocketed. My E46 rubber mats were R1875 from BMW, these costs double that (we can only blame Ramaphosa economy)

Fifth were the rear discs and brakes. The pads were finished, had 600kms left on them, decided to fit new discs too. These things reminds me that this is no 3 series. The rear discs and pads, ten k! Should last 40 to 50k kms.

Sixth was the exhaust job. At first was disappointed as had made use of a lousy vendor with appalling workmanship, Then reached out to Shaun at SOS Performance, and he did the best he could to salvage the mess. Suffice to say, the car sounds superb and the tail pipes are positioned as they should. I wanted to retain the OEM look as far as possible (no aftermarket tail pieces).
Sadly, this being one of the least liked BMWs, there is little to find ito MPE / MPPSK / etc.

The car had an AMG brash sound (stock) when in Sport mode. I think it was okay, but given how expensive it is to run this car, I couldnt sleep well with 15.2l/100kms fuel usage and an exhaust note that is not satisfying.

Happy to say, its sounds the money. It’s an occasion driving it! Had gone away for work reasons for a week, and one of the first things I did when I got home, was to take it for a spin….lots of smile……there are no bangs and gun shots….just simple bubbles and gurgles. In non-Sport mode, all of that disappears and its prim and proper like a school pupil on their first day of school.

Things I like about the car.
1. Effortless Naturally Aspirated Engine
2. The way it drives (doesn’t feel big), well balanced (50/50) and good brakes
3. The exhaust sound
4. The stock Logic 7 sound system
5. The general fit and finish
6. The big sun roof, especially at night / cloudy weathers
7. Uniqueness and rarity (havent seen one in flesh, see the dated pre LCIs mostly cabriolets

Things I don’t like
1. Not much support or info on the specific model, have to resort to checking e60 forums
2. Current rear tyres (Dunlops Maxx GT) can’t handle the power, cant wait to try out Michelins PS4s/5 or worst case Good Year F1s
3. Seats side bolster is not adjustable, instead the adjustments are to the back (lower bolster) would have preferred adjustable side bolsters
4. The car has bluetooth for telephone but not music. I think its retarded that BMW separated these optional extras, music bluetooth was an optional extra separate from telephone bluetooth. This car came with Aux and USB, have to run cables in 2024.

Still a few things to get to:
Suspension refresh
Gearbox service

All in good time, all in all, loving it.

Thank for reading!

 

[FISAACS]

A bit of an update:

This vehicle reaffirms my love for old BMWs….the door weight is as it should be, has that clunk to it when closing the door, the radio control volume knob feels right, no “plasticky feel” all premium BMW quality of old. The interior still has that leather smell, many years later. Its in the small details.

This one came with the extended lights package, strangely though, additional lights are underneath the side mirrors (in the F10, the extended lights are under the door handles).

Lots of service items to get to, taking it one day at a time.

Started with a coolant change. Replaced the coolant tank too. Went with the Motul coolant, its already premixed, no guess work. Its highly regarded per overseas forums and reviews. First bottle is from the first drained sample. It was in need of new coolant.

Second was the power steering fluid update. This being a 15 years old car (2009), with no record of this service, had to do it. Went with BMW dealer fluid, agents sell this Fuchs Titan CHF 11s.

Third was Liqui Moly 5w30 Longtime High Tec oil. 3000km later, touch wood, not a single drop of oil used. Still full per the picture below.

Fourth was the all weather rubber mats, this type. These are quite nice vs the standard mats. Makes cleaning the car easier too. Had forgotten how prices have sky rocketed. My E46 rubber mats were R1875 from BMW, these costs double that (we can only blame Ramaphosa economy)

Fifth were the rear discs and brakes. The pads were finished, had 600kms left on them, decided to fit new discs too. These things reminds me that this is no 3 series. The rear discs and pads, ten k! Should last 40 to 50k kms.

Sixth was the exhaust job. At first was disappointed as had made use of a lousy vendor with appalling workmanship, Then reached out to Shaun at SOS Performance, and he did the best he could to salvage the mess. Suffice to say, the car sounds superb and the tail pipes are positioned as they should. I wanted to retain the OEM look as far as possible (no aftermarket tail pieces).
Sadly, this being one of the least liked BMWs, there is little to find ito MPE / MPPSK / etc.

The car had an AMG brash sound (stock) when in Sport mode. I think it was okay, but given how expensive it is to run this car, I couldnt sleep well with 15.2l/100kms fuel usage and an exhaust note that is not satisfying.

Happy to say, its sounds the money. It’s an occasion driving it! Had gone away for work reasons for a week, and one of the first things I did when I got home, was to take it for a spin….lots of smile……there are no bangs and gun shots….just simple bubbles and gurgles. In non-Sport mode, all of that disappears and its prim and proper like a school pupil on their first day of school.

Things I like about the car.
1. Effortless Naturally Aspirated Engine
2. The way it drives (doesn’t feel big), well balanced (50/50) and good brakes
3. The exhaust sound
4. The stock Logic 7 sound system
5. The general fit and finish
6. The big sun roof, especially at night / cloudy weathers
7. Uniqueness and rarity (havent seen one in flesh, see the dated pre LCIs mostly cabriolets

Things I don’t like
1. Not much support or info on the specific model, have to resort to checking e60 forums
2. Current rear tyres (Dunlops Maxx GT) can’t handle the power, cant wait to try out Michelins PS4s/5 or worst case Good Year F1s
3. Seats side bolster is not adjustable, instead the adjustments are to the back (lower bolster) would have preferred adjustable side bolsters
4. The car has bluetooth for telephone but not music. I think its retarded that BMW separated these optional extras, music bluetooth was an optional extra separate from telephone bluetooth. This car came with Aux and USB, have to run cables in 2024.

Still a few things to get to:
Suspension refresh
Gearbox service

All in good time, all in all, loving it.

Thank for reading!

Exquisite vehicle, many happy miles bro. My e92 has Bluetooth calls only but there are good aftermarket "adapters" that will use the aux input as a Bluetooth receiver. I bought the following example before I took delivery of my car. It works perfectly, highly recommended
TUNAI Firefly LDAC Bluetooth Receiver: High Resolution Wireless Audio Bluetooth 5.0 Adapter with Audiophile USB DAC 3.5mm AUX for Car/Home Stereo Hi Res Music Streaming; Auto On, No Charging Needed https://a.co/d/5aDhOE7

 

[VinceM]

Thanks bud, appreciate it.


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[General.Massacre]

Very nice Vince, she look so clean. great maintenance.
did you drain the power steering fluid completely, and refill, or did you just top up?

 

[VinceM]

Thanks bud, its a partial drain as I have a tool that can suck out fluids from the reservoir and the pipes, then filled up again.

Appreciate the feedback.

Sad to see you sell the M6.


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