The 1989 BMW 635CSi arrived at the very end of the first 6 Series run, just as performance coupes were becoming more complex and more digital. You get a car that still feels analog and involving, yet it wraps you in leather, gadgets and long‑legged refinement. If you are trying to understand how one model could be both a relaxed grand tourer and a genuinely quick driver’s car, this late E24 is one of the clearest answers.

 By the time the final 635CSi examples left the line, BMW had spent more than a decade honing the formula, from the basic structure to the smallest switch in the cabin. You feel that maturity in the way the car looks, the way it sits on the road and the way it piles on speed without drama, turning a fast cross‑country run into something almost serene.

The shark‑nosed grand tourer that defined the E24

When you walk up to a 1989 635CSi, you are meeting the last evolution of the first BMW 6 Series, the E24 that ran from the mid‑1970s through 1989 as the brand’s flagship coupé. The basic proportions, with a long hood, cab‑back stance and low roof, were shared across the BMW 6 range, but the later cars sharpened the look with deeper spoilers and wider wheels that underline the performance side of its personality. Enthusiasts still talk about the “shark nose”, that slightly forward‑canted grille and slim headlights that give the 635CSi an aggressive, almost predatory presence on the road.

 You notice how that styling serves the dual brief of luxury and speed when you see the car in profile. The long wheelbase and stretched body, described in period material as a Repair Class Grand tourer with a wheelbase of 2,630 m and 103.5 in, give you the cabin space and stability you expect from a long‑distance car. At the same time, the relatively low height and taut surfacing keep it from looking like a softened luxury barge, something echoed in South African coverage that calls the 635CSi a “shark‑nosed grand tourer” with superb build quality and a sporty driving position from BMW.

Luxury turned up to Highline

Inside, the late‑production 635CSi, especially in Highline specification, shows you how far BMW was willing to go to make a driver’s car feel genuinely plush. Earlier E24s already had well‑stocked dashboards and solid materials, but to add to the luxury towards the end of production BMW introduced the Highline interior option in mid 1987, extending soft leather across the seats, door pillars, upper door trim and dashboard. One auction listing describes an Interior This Highline model with full leather on the headlining, dashboard, centre console and door cards, underlining how completely the trim team embraced the brief in the Highline cars.

 Where the Highline truly set itself apart from other sporting coupes of this era was the interior execution, with one detailed sale listing noting that BMW went all‑in on luxury, covering not just the seats but also the transmission tunnel, door cards and even the A and C pillars in leather in a Where the Highline description. Another specialist seller points out that Being a Highline car this E24 has almost everything trimmed in nappa leather, with no obvious wear or damage to the trim, reinforcing how these cars were built to a standard that still impresses today in a Being report.

Six‑cylinder speed without losing refinement

Under that long hood, the 1989 635CSi relies on BMW’s familiar straight‑six to deliver its blend of pace and smoothness. Factory information and enthusiast summaries describe the South African 635CSi using a 3.4‑litre straight‑six with a single overhead camshaft, delivering 160 kW at 5,200 rpm and 310 Nm at 4,000 rpm, figures that helped the car feel muscular without resorting to turbochargers, as noted in coverage of BMW South Africa’s shark‑nosed 635CSi in South Africa. Broader model data lists the Year 1980‑1989 Make BMW Model 635CSi E24 Engine 3.4L Inline‑6 (M30), with outputs around 215 horsepower and 229 lb‑ft of torque, giving you a strong, linear surge that suits both autobahn work and back‑road runs according to the Year breakdown.

 Performance figures back up the impression that you are dealing with more than a soft cruiser. Official material from BMW notes that the 635 CSi boasted exceptional performance for its time, with a 0 to 60 m sprint in just 7.4 seconds and a top speed that comfortably cleared typical motorway limits, as highlighted in a BMW feature. A later enthusiast review of a 1989 BMW 6 Series E24 describes the car as a luxurious grand tourer powered by a 3.5‑litre inline‑six, paired with either a 4‑speed automatic or 5‑speed manual transmission, underlining how the drivetrain options let you choose between relaxed cruising and more involved driving in the Series overview.

Chassis balance and real‑world usability

On the road, the 635CSi’s structure and suspension tuning are what let you enjoy that straight‑six without sacrificing comfort. The car’s layout is classic BMW, with a Layout Rear wheel drive configuration and a body style listed as a 2‑door coupé, all sitting on a Wheelbase of 2,630 m and 103.5 in, figures that help explain its stability and agility as set out in the Wheelbase data. Contemporary enthusiasts describe the 1989 BMW 6 Series E24 as having a well‑balanced suspension and rear‑wheel drive that help with agility and responsiveness, with width and height figures of 1.73 m and 1.35 m reinforcing the low, planted stance in a Performance summary.

 Modern road tests of surviving cars echo that balance. One video review of a 1989 BMW 635CSi Highli notes that the car was fast with excellent build quality, capturing how the chassis copes with real‑world roads without feeling floaty in a Highli drive. Another enthusiast channel asks whether the BMW 635 CSi (E24) is the best they ever made, praising the way it combines classic steering feel with long‑distance comfort, and reinforcing how the chassis still makes sense decades later in a Fuel Up Classic feature.

Equipment, tech and the Highline’s final flourish

Part of what makes the 1989 635CSi feel so special today is how well equipped it was by the standards of its era. A detailed walk‑around from a specialist dealer shows a classic 1989 BMW 635CSi packed with electric seats, on‑board computer, air conditioning and other comfort features, prompting the rhetorical question of who knew the car was so well equipped in typical Euro fashion in a BMW video. Another listing for a 635 CSi Highline notes that, as part of the E24 6 Series, it combined BMW’s signature engineering with high‑end comfort, including electrically adjustable and heated sport seats, an on‑board computer, air conditioning, a sunroof and a rear window blind, all of which underline how thoroughly the car catered to long‑distance drivers in the Series description.

Even within that plush context, some cars stand out for their specification and rarity. One right‑hand‑drive example is described as #515 of the 524 RHD cars made, making it quite a late model and thus a Highline edition, with black leather extending across the seats, door cards and parcel shelf in a RHD listing. Another Highline car offered for sale in the United Kingdom is praised for the way BMW covered the dashboard, centre console and even the A and C pillars in leather, reinforcing how the Highline truly set itself apart from other sporting coupes of the era in a BMW advert.More from Fast Lane Only