There is a problem that faces car manufacturers that use a system of numbers to name their cars. After a while, you start to run out of numbers and have to get creative (unlike the makers who use words – they have the option of making up something). This seems to have been what’s happened with BMW: they’ve already established the threes, the fives and the sevens, so what are they going to do when they want to add something new to the line-up? They turn to the even numbers, which is why some of the latest BMWs to hit Australia begin with the number 4, like the BMW 435i Coupé.

BMW have stuck with their usual convention of having the numbers in the ones and tens columns indicating the engine size, or at least that’s what we’ve always believed. However, instead of having a 3.5-litre engine, the BMW 435i Coupé has a 3-litre engine. However, don’t let the slight decrease in size fool you: this juicy inline six petrol engine has got a very respectable amount of wallop. When the power peaks, which is will when the rev counter sits between 5800 and 6000 rpm, it will bang out 225 kW of the good stuff. The torque is pretty formidable, too: 400 Nm all the way from 1200 rpm to 5000 rpm means the sort of acceleration that will push you right back into those very comfortable sports seats. This is one thing the “Launch Control” setting will do: select this function and prepare for takeoff… almost. The M aerodynamics package will stop the BMW 435i Coupé from actually becoming airborne.

Speaking of seats, the BMW 435i Coupé comes with the M Sport package as standard, which means that the seats you’ll be pushed back into by all that torque will be trimmed in Dakota leather in black, beige or sizzling coral red with black highlights. Other things that come as part of the M Sport package on all BMW 435i Coupés include the 19-inch double spoke alloy wheels, lots of M badging, high-gloss black on the air breather and that distinctive kidney grille, the M leather steering wheel and ambience interior lights that can be switched between orange and white. (Why don’t more manufacturers offer this? Orange-red lighting doesn’t affect the driver’s night vision the way white interior lights do at night). And let’s not forget the Adaptive M suspension – it’s a driver’s dream come true, what with the lowered ride height and the customisable shock absorbers.

But back to what’s under that nicely sculptured bonnet on the front of the BMW 435i Coupé. That scrumptious inline six is, as you might expect, a turbo unit with BMW’s Valvetronic, double-VANOS and High Precision Injection technology aiding its performance. In the standstill to the ton stakes, the BMW 435i Coupé completes the job in 5.1 seconds – that’s the 400 Nm of torque in action for you. The turbocharged petrol engine is coupled up to the wheels via an 8-speed sports auto transmission, complete with wheel-mounted gearshift levers. The steering wheel puts you in charge of the variable sport steering system, and also houses the multifunction controls.

The engine may be a 3-litre in spite of the “435” badging but at least it has the sort of fuel economy that you’d expect from a smaller engine, even if it is a six-cylinder unit with the growl of a charging tiger. For an engine with this sort of performance, 7.4 L/100 km for the combined fuel economy isn’t too bad. This is a sports car, after all. You can select the driving to maximise the fuel economy, if you wish. The BMW 435i Coupé has four drive modes: ECO PRO, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. What’s more, it’s also got an auto stop/start function (great at the lights) and brake energy regeneration for a bit more energy savings.

Naturally, when you have an engine that’s this powerful, you need to have plenty of active safety features to rein it all in. And the BMW 435i Coupé delivers these in spades. The front and rear inner-vented disk brakes do a good job, especially with the ABS, EBD, cornering brake control and braking readiness package ready to spring into action. The braking readiness function is part of the “Active Protection” system, which shoves on the brakes, pretensions the seatbelts and closes everything that’s open if the car detects that it’s all turning to custard. However, the dynamic traction control will help things not go to custard. So will the cruise control with braking function, the park distance control and the rear view camera, although the last two are designed to work at low speeds.

Now for the fun stuff: the other bells and whistles that add up to the BMW 435i Coupé’s total driving experience. One thing that’s available while the car’s at a standstill but not otherwise is the ability to access the internet and see your mates’ latest Facebook statuses on the high-resolution 8.8-inch colour screen. You can, however, put the voice-controlled Bluetooth preparation to good use while you’re driving – if you don’t want to listen to what’s coming out of the 16 strategically placed high-end speakers. The audio system has the works: radio, CD, MP3 input, USB input… everything except a cassette tape player. Naturally, the BMW 435i Coupé also has a very good navigation system. All of this can be operated through the iDrive touch controller. You’ve also got dual-zone automatic air conditioning, keyless entry to the car and keyless tailgate opening, memory function in the electronically adjustable seats and rain-sensors that switch on the headlights AND the wipers if needed.

And what does the BMW 435i Coupé look like? Pretty darn smooth, to put it briefly. We’ve already mentioned the black high-gloss air intake, the 19-inch tyres and the M Sport badging. What we haven’t mentioned so far have been the round twin LED headlights (designed not to dazzle online drivers at night, although they are dazzlingly good looking), the bumper that doesn’t just look smooth but also provides the super aerodynamic Air Curtain or the deep sculptured fluting that runs along the length of the BMW 435i Coupé from the nose to the chrome-finished tailpipe behind the curvaceous rear. The exterior paint comes in six colours: white, black, dark grey, light grey, blue and red – all very classy indeed.

Current model series include:

• BMW 435i Coupé

For any more information on the BMW 435i Coupé, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of BMW dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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