THE lap of luxury and the height of elegance in a grand touring coupe or convertible - that's the superb BMW 6 Series.

This is a car that tells people you've arrived, and all the promise of that sleek shape is delivered in both performance and comfort.

The company claimed at launch that every car sold would be individually tailored to its owner, so make sure the one you are looking to buy has all the bells and whistles available.

This is a car that's completely effortless to drive, with all engines driving through a smooth changing eight speed automatic gearbox, and some models having with BMW's xDrive four wheel drive system for extra traction in slippery conditions.

As is true with so many cars - even at this exalted level - best comfort comes without the sporty M Sport moniker.

This unfortuneately worsens the ride because of sports suspension and larger alloy wheels.

Even the standard cars can be a little unsettled over poor surfaces, but look out for one that's fitted with the optional adjustable dampers. This gives the best ride of all in comfort setting.

There are two petrol engine options and one diesel and for anyone who would like to see high 40s economy, this 640d is the one to go for.

It's a silky smooth three litre straight six with 313bhp and that's good enough for a zero to 60 miles an hour time of 5.3 seconds, with 52 miles per gallon and very low emissions for such a large car.

Petrol models start with a 3.0-litre six as well, but producing 320bhp, and this reaches 60 in 5.2 seconds. Its government economy figure is 37mpg.

Finally we come to a pair of 4.4-litre V8s with power enough to ripple Tarmac.

The 650i comes in 2WD form and has 408bhp, which is enough for a 60 time of 4.7 seconds and 27mpg

And the 650i xDrive is boosted to 449bhp so that it can reach the benchmark in just 4.4 seconds and yet still manage 33mpg.

Despite a fairly hefty weight, the standard suspension copes beautifully with corners on fast A roads and the electric power steering gives all the tactile feedback anyone could want.

As well as the two door coupe I'm dealing with here, the big 6 also comes in lovely convertible guise, plus four door Gran Coupe and five door GT. But some engines are not available in every model or trim.

All - including the two door - are very practical cars, with a good sized boot and room for four to travel in complete comfort and marvellous style.

And the whole range gets the company's EfficientDynamics technology, with stop/start and other clever stuff to eke out the precious amber nectar.

There are basically just three trim levels - SE, Sport and M Sport - and all come very well equipped as you would expect at the top end of the market.

SE comes with heated electric leather covered seats with excellent all way adjustment, loads of airbags, alarm, audio remote, CD and DVD player and headlight washers. It also has sat nav, parking sensors and traction control, as well as a huge array of electronic safety.

The BMW 6 Series is a superb grand tourer in the original meaning of the word, able to waft you from country to country across Europe or make a long daily commute much easier and more enjoyable.

Pay about £19,360 for an '18 18-reg 640d SE, or £18,400 for a '17 17-reg 640i M Sport.