Like the good old days. But better
BMW’s long and noble tradition of glorious six-cylinder engines continues in the form of the 440i. By Ben Barry
ON PAPER, there are lots of reasons to opt for a lesser, more sensible BMW Gran Coupe than the 440i, including running costs, purchase price and CO2. These are significant factors, and I get why business users might be attracted to the four-cylinder diesels and petrols – the 420d M Sport, for instance, costs £37k (440i: £45k) and offers 62.8mpg (440i: 41.5mpg); a 420d doesn’t even look particularly different to a 440i with those M Sport styling add-ons. But I don’t think the Gran Coupe’s more luxurious positioning over the very similar 3-series rings true with four-pot power, and each time I press the starter button I’m so grateful I’ve got the only six-cylinder petrol available in the Gran Coupe range.
The 3.0-litre engine clears its throat with a purposeful gravelly roar, one that’s a little deeper than the naturally-aspirated BMW straight sixes I’ve loved ever since I bought a 1994 3.0-litre M3 – which, incidentally, the 440i outpunches to the tune of 40bhp and a huge 96lb ft, the latter in particular a benefit of turbocharging. There’s a lovely, smooth woofle under gentle acceleration, very little lag despite the forced induction, and a flexible surge of midrange thrust that makes overtaking effortless – even if you keep the eightspeed auto in manual mode and hold fourth or fifth gear. But I also think this engine is more faithful to Munich’s old straight sixes when you make a break for the redline than the M4’s related engine. I think that’s partly because the midrange torque is reduced, and feels like it comes in more progressively. The M4 gives you it all in a wallop that makes chasing the redline a bit pointless, where I still relish stretching the 440i right out to 7000rpm, at which point it’s still pulling strongly and with real energy. It’s like those old engines, just enhanced.
For me, the only sensible, more affordable substitute would be a 430d M Sport, which – unlike the 430i petrol – remains a smooth-talking straight six. That costs £42k, serves up 254bhp and a 440i-beating 413lb ft, and promises up to 53.3mpg. For a lot of the driving I do, it’d probably be the better compromise. But would I swap into one if I could? Not a chance.