BMW advertises its products as “the ultimate driving machine”. That may be copywriter’s hyperbole, but it’s also not far off-target. The 650i has to be the car they had in mind when the ad people came up with that phrase.

The 650i coupe is both quick and fast. Zero to 60 mph -- according to company figures -- can be attained in 5.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 150 mph. We didn’t try to match either figure, but we have no reason to believe BMW is exaggerating.

Handling is equal to the straight-line performance. The steering offers just the right amount of feedback to build driver confidence. The ride is firm, in the German manner, but comfortable. That’s due in part to the suspension and also to the snug bucket seats that give optimum support.

Power is produced by a 4.2-liter V-8 that generates 360 horsepower and is as smooth as the proverbial silk. In the test car, an equally smooth 6-speed manual transmission channels the power to the optional 19-inch alloy rear wheels. Ventilated 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes are both powerful and easy to modulate.

The coupe is a handsome piece of automotive architecture, crouching low at the curb . . . looking like a series of speeding tickets personified. The readily identifiable BMW grille flows back into lean, attractive lines ending at the trunk, still controversial among “Beemer” fans for its rather odd, grafted-on character sometimes referred to as the Chris Bangle effect.

Inside, the passenger cabin is a blend of leather, dark birch wood trim, traditional luxury sports car touches such as the main gauges done up in white numbers on a black background, and the latest in technology.

Ah, but you ask, how much does the vehicle cost?  You may want to sit down for this: The test car, with its many options, carried a sticker price of $83,640.

Okay, are you still with me? Here’s how BMW arrived at that total: The base price is $73,900. You get a long list of standard features for that amount. (I can hear you muttering, “I would hope so.”) The options add nearly $10,000 to the bottom line. They include heated front seats and steering wheel, sport seats, 19-inch alloy wheels and performance run-flat tires that allow you to drive up to 50 miles at moderate speeds after loss of air pressure, so you can find a service station safely. (Run-flats are controversial. They are expensive to replace. Some folks say they make the car ride harder. They also allow the manufacturer to dispense with a spare tire, eliminating that cost and making more space available in the trunk.)

More options? Universal garage door opener, Park Distance Control -- a sort of radar to help avoid hitting vehicles or people when parking, satellite navigation system, satellite radio (Sirius on the test car), premium sound system and heads-up display, which is a projection of information onto the windshield in front of the driver so he/she doesn’t have to look down at the speedometer or at the nav system, for example. Some folks find it distracting, but I used it all the time.

Such a lovely car, what’s not to like?  Well . . . first, there’s BMW’s infamous “iDrive” system. Here is technology run amok or what some people call “feature creep”.

Operated by a stubby joystick on the center console, iDrive controls the operations of the sound system, climate control system, navigation system and driver information. No longer will you have to, say, change radio stations with that tiresome old tuning knob. Functions that were once simple to accomplish are now made needlessly complex. Note to BMW engineers: Just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you should. Are you familiar with the term “user friendly”?

There have been so many loud complaints about iDrive that BMW has made a couple of concessions that allow the driver to at least control the sound system’s on-off and volume by means of a knob. Imagine that!

The other complaint is lack of rear seat room. There are two seats back there, but average-size adults should not have to spend time in them. Headroom is severely compromised by the sunroof installation and legroom is nearly nonexistent. The trunk, on the other hand, is surprisingly spacious.

But these are minor details when balanced against the car’s impressive performance and general sophistication. The BMW 650i is a driver’s car, an aspirational vehicle for those of us who live in the world of the average working stiff. As automotive journalists, we count ourselves lucky to be able to visit this other world from time to time.