2005 BMW 6-Series in West Palm Beach

You've got to love Los Angeles. It's swimming pools and movie stars, just like they say. The sun hangs in a bright blue sky, and the light is magic. It gives everything a kind of supernatural clarity, as if things had just come to life a few seconds ago. It's no wonder that L.A. is obsessed with looks. If something can look good here, it can look good anywhere. That's why there's a car wash on every corner in this town, and it's also why every major car manufacturer in the world has a design studio here.

We walked out of the Beverly Hills Hotel on the wide red carpet, down the steps to valet parking, and there we were introduced to the BMW 645Ci convertible. Make no mistake, this car looks good. It's got a big ego; it's ready for the red carpet. Any car in this category has to be, because when you ask for the key to a $76,995 convertible, that's the treatment you've signed up for.

Like all the latest-generation BMWs styled under the design leadership of Chris Bangle, the 6-series convertible is a shock to the system at first. The crisply defined, rectilinear shapes that have marked the past three generations of BMWs have been erased. Instead of static, streamlined speed lines from a designer's pen, there are wild, turbulent, three-dimensional forms, as if the wind itself had whipped the car into shape.

Beverly Hills isn't a bad neighborhood in which to drive this car. People keep their distance, and you never feel as if you're attracting undue attention. This car's unique buttress-style convertible top utilizes the wind blocker as its rear window, so you can keep the top in place, retract all the windows, including the one at the rear, and enjoy the breeze through the cockpit while warding off skin cancer.... Read full article