BMW BLOG

The 2011 BMW 6 Series was video spied by the folks at Edmunds Insideline.  A 6er prototype shows up at the Nurburgring track for more testing and for the first time, judging by the engine sound, we believe we’re looking at test mule powered by the powerful 4.4 liter V8 twin-turbo engine.

As we learned in the past, several powerplants will be available for the new 6 Series, starting with the the twin-turbo 6-cylinder 326 horsepower  engine, followed by a 6-cylinder diesel as well and as a surprise, the newly developed, but not yet released, Tri-Turbo 6-cylinder diesel which produces 354 horsepower.

And since we’re moving towards more fuel efficient luxury sport cars, BMW will offer a model under the 655 naming convention which is powered by the hybrid powertrain from the X6 and 7 Series hybrids.

A 6 Series rendering created together with Promotor.ro

The 2011 BMW 6 Series will use the latest 8-speed transmission as well as the 7-speed DCT one. To make the new 6er appeal eve more to car enthusiasts, a new damping system will offer four different sport settings from Comfort right through to Performance , including an option for efficient performance.

As far as the overall design, sources close to BMW confirm that the 2011 6 Series is slightly longer and wider than the current generation and that overall appearance will carry over, based on the idea of an evolutionary design which keeps the premium sport car image. As signaled by BMW’s new CS concept, the automaker will be abandoning its awkward trunk design features in favor of a more streamlined design. It will have shorter overhangs and a lower roofline which implicitly gives the car a more muscular look.

The 2011 BMW 6 Series will launch in the first half of 2010, but more revealing test mules will be seen this summer.

And the Youtube version for those of you outside the U.S.