Under the Hood

The 640i is powered by a 315-horsepower, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. Its peak torque rating is 332 pounds-feet. BMW cites a zero to 60 mph time of 5.5 seconds for both the coupe and convertible. The standard eight-speed automatic transmission includes steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

Other standard features include computer-controlled adaptive shock absorbers and Driving Dynamics Control, which allows the driver to adjust the ride quality, accelerator response, power-steering assist level and automatic transmission behavior.

Optional mechanical upgrades include active stabilizer bars and active steering, the latter of which adds rear-wheel steering to the earlier generation's variable-ratio front steering system.

    See also:

    Air volume, manual
    To be able to manually adjust the air volume, switch off the AUTO program first. Press the left or right side of the button: decrease or increase air volume. The selected air volume is shown o ...

    Possible commands
    Most menu items on the Control Display can be voiced as commands. The available commands depend on the menu that is currently displayed on the Control Display. The functions of the main menu hav ...

    Switching on/off and interrupting cruise control
    Switching on Press the button on the steering wheel. The indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light up and the mark in the speedometer is set to the current speed. Cruise control can be ...