Borrowed a BMW 630 Ci cabrioletfrom BMW for our visit to the lakes and was very impressed by the open top motoring experience this car delivers. The three litre engine has plenty of power and revs higher than the VAG V6 units.

In addition to the Auto box sports mode which changes the gears at higher revs there is also a Sport button to firm up the suspension for extra body control on smoother roads. This button also seemed to effect gear change but I'm not too sure.

The exhaust note is sonorous and deep but perhaps not a match for BMW's V8 unit available in the 645ci. The 630Ci retails at 45k ish, only 5k cheaper than its big brother 645Ci so may struggle to sell at this price point.