2004 BMW 645 Ci Coupe

This Mineral Silver Metallic BMW 645 Ci features the 328bhp all-aluminium 4.4L V8 - an engine shared with the Morgan Aero 8 - mated with a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox. First registered in December 2004, this would have been one of the last 4.4L V8s before the model was replaced by the 4.8L 650 Ci in 2005.

A true premium Grand Tourer, this 645 Ci has great road presence, a powerful engine, a 2+2 configuration giving plenty of room in the cabin at least for two and a boot with an amazing 450 litres of luggage capacity.

With 50:50 weight distribution, a responsive drivetrain, 0-60 in 5.6secs and a (limited) top speed of 155mph, the 645 Ci really delivered on BMW’s “ultimate driving machine” promise.

On the outside, the champagne silver paintwork presents very well; there are a few blemishes on leading edges as you’d expect but nothing that detracts from the car’s overall good condition. The close up photos in the gallery manage to capture these paintwork defects, most of which are stone chips, but there is little here that a new owner couldn’t either live with or address in time if so desired.

The light cluster glasses and indicator lenses are all in good order, as are the windscreen, rear and side windows, and glass roof.

The factory coating on the twelve-spoke 18” alloy wheels is starting to bubble and lift, especially at the hubs but all four corners are shod with recent, Farroad tyres in good condition with plenty of tread.

As ever, we encourage would-be buyers to use the ‘Contact Seller’ button above and in the current situation, set up a video call to look at the car in more detail.

Inside the car - although there are a few light scuffs and scratches as you’d expect with the age and mileage - the cream leather seats, beige carpets and contrasting dark grey dash, console and door inlays all present acceptably well.

Only the leather on the driver’s seat side bolster is starting to wear and fray a little - worth tackling now to stop more extensive damage. The front seats are power-adjustable with memory settings on the driver’s side. In between the rear seats, the original (and seemingly untouched) first aid kit is present behind the centre bolster.

With light coloured interiors always vulnerable to soiling and staining, the fabric floor mats have thankfully given the carpet a good deal of protection and all areas show in good condition.

In terms of equipment, the 645 Ci is highly specified, starting with parking sensors, electric glass sunroof with electric sun shade and BMW’s nascent iDrive operating system which features voice control, a 6 CD multi-changer and pro sat nav with European maps updated to 2019 on something high-tech called a DVD-ROM.

Another nice “executive” period touch is the mobile phone handset docked under the centre armrest. This piece of dated technology comes with an owners manual sporting a picture of a red telephone box on the cover and, although it’s not that ancient, let’s not forget that this car was built two and a half years before the launch of the first Apple iPhone.

The vendor reports that all electricals are working, although it’s probable that the UK’s cellular phone network has moved on somewhat since 2004 so the phone may just be a different kind of conversation starter.

Under the hood, the aluminium bonnet itself is clean with its sound-insulation intact and no sign of corrosion around the usual places like hinges, catches and slam panels. The engine bay is crammed full with the powerful V8 and its ancillaries, all of which are clean and appear in good order.

As you’d expect from a modern car only in its mid-teens, the undersides are still in good order with all undertrays intact and showing no signs of corrosion to the underbody, structural members or suspension components.

The carpeting inside the spacious Bangle-butt boot is clean and tidy and underneath, in what would otherwise be a corrosion-free spare wheel well, is housed the battery, small toolset and electrical spares. The E63 would have been fitted with run flat tyres when new so it only came with an inflator and a bottle of sealant - neither of which are now present.

This 84,000 mile car has a near flawless MOT history, with failures only for non-standard number plates and a worn tyre since first tested in 2007. Its current test certificate is valid until September 2020.

The car’s service booklet shows regular servicing at BMW main dealers in Leicester and York and latterly marque specialists Autohaus in York until 2017; since then it has just required the one service based on a 10,000 miles interval.

The car comes with 2 keys which can be linked to the driver's seat memory giving different drivers the opportunity of pre-programming there exact seat position by taking there own key (how fancy), a sheaf of old MoT certificates, owners handbooks and a file of recent invoices.

There is a manufacturer safety recall outstanding on this car which apparently relates to possible corrosion on the battery connectors, so we would recommend the new owner contact a BMW main dealer to get it checked.

Our vendor states this BMW has only completed 1000 miles since the last service in October.

Although only 15 years old and built in plentiful numbers the BMW 645Ci is by no means a classic, but any two-door coupé with a naturally-aspirated petrol V8 has to be in the running for future classic status so is worthy of consideration.

This is a good car which the vendor reports starts and drives well. As befits an “executive express”, this 645Ci will waft you along motorways in an easy comfort but if you want a little more fun, turning onto an A-road and pressing the sport button will awaken the V8’s lusty growl and offer a pleasurable uplift in driver engagement.

In terms of value, such cars have done all their depreciation by now and although offered with no reserve we think that £4,000 to £6,000 will get you a lot of car for not much money and will prove a good buy that can be both cherished and enjoyed.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Brough near Hull; in these more difficult times we recommend a thorough inspection of the gallery. Please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.