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Midway to our destination, with the city behind us and the desert opening up either side of the motorway, I swap and jump into the BMW. This particular Grand Coupe drives in a way that reflects its somewhat strenuous life so far. As well as the cosmetic blemishes from hard sessions with previous drivers, it pulls quite badly to the right. But as predicted, it still feels strong. It’s still a very well assembled car; not quite as solid as the Audi but the interior design is excellent and the materials used reek of class.
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Crucially, the engine and gearbox combination are as good as they were when the car came off the production line. The turbo straight six has bags of torque and pulls strongly, and the gearbox is quick and smooth to respond. Under full load it feels less muscular than the Audi, with more of a quiet swell of power and less of that V8 aggression.
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As the numbers reflect, it doesn’t have the acceleration to match the S7, but it’s still far from slow and all those 315 horses are working together in unison. And it feels sportier than the Audi. It lacks the S7’s noise cancelling technology, which actively counteracts sound penetrating the cabin, but that extra background whirr, combined with a fantastically low seating position and a steering column that extends right into my chest give it a really dynamic feel.
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We’re heading to a quiet road in the middle of the desert that Moe’s been dying to shoot on for some time. All being well, we’ll arrive just as the sun’s dipping in the sky, casting shadows across the landscape and making for some fantastic photos as well as a chance to really hack these two at pace. First though, we turn off the main road and tackle some tighter sections.
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Here, the BMW is really rather good fun. It’s not a particularly light car, but the steering is quick, precise and direct. Using the rocker switch on the transmission tunnel, I set the car from Comfort to Sport+ mode, which sharpens the throttle, stiffens the steering and loosens the car’s electronic reins. And just to err on the side of entertainment, I then turn the ESC off completely.
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Hilarity ensues. In tighter corners, the 640i is beautifully balanced and composed, the nose complying with my orders and pulling for the apexes, the rear end following and ready to slip out at a flex of the right foot. I’m no drift king, but a squeeze of the throttle breaks traction at the back and the lazy slides that follow are predictable in nature – I never feel like the car’s going to bite. Someone with more talent than me could have a great deal of fun with this.
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A change to the Audi reveals a different story. There’s too much weight at the front to deal properly with roads like this. The nose is reluctant under any kind of serious pressure, the front wheels howling in protest even when I try and flick it in, Scandinavian rally-style or lift off after turn in. Tight bends have to be taken at what feels like walking pace and only then can I use the four-wheel traction and the extra power to haul ass towards the next section.
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It’s a frustrating period of brake hard, turn, brake more, wait, wait, wait, slam on the power and open the steering. The BMW dances through corners like this, but the Audi stumbles and blunders, using its brawn to make progress. The steering is pleasantly meaty, however.
