BMW 440i is a driver’s delight
THERE are roads, if you’re prepared to go out and find them, where top performing cars can still show some of their immense capabilities in safety.
I’m lucky enough to live in an area where there are quite a few, and having used them for many years, I know them very, very well.
I’m not going to tell you where they are – I don’t want them to become any more crowded – but in my travels throughout much of this country, I have found many more and enjoyed them all.
I learn more about a car on these routes than anywhere else, because I can compare them against other similar cars over the same ground.
One of the finest all round I have yet driven comes at a hefty £45,000 and change in its most basic form.
The BMW 440i is yet another car from the German stable that reaches the pinnacle of excellence in every facet of a superb driving machine.
In fact, having recently also had a short blast in the M4, this Gran Coupe is the better car.
It’s almost as quick, far more comfortable and relaxed to drive, and perhaps with the exception of being pushed to the limit on a circuit, still manages handling that is just as scintillating.
The silky smooth engine is the well-known 3.0-litre straight six, and with 326bhp on tap, the performance is brilliant.
It reels in the horizon like a fish on a line and a prod on the accelerator is enough for the swiftest and safest overtaking on any straight piece of road.
This top model in the range comes with a wealth of electronic driving aids. The driving position is superb and the heated leather seats are well-shaped and supportive.
Equipment in standard trim includes start-stop, parking sensors and a DAB stereo.
The BMW 440i Gran Coupe is without doubt one of the most practical true driver’s cars on the market. It is an absolute gem.