Its predecessor was a legend -- a rakishly designed coupe born in 1976 as the successor to even more legendary 3.0 CSL coupe.

The BMW 6-Series was built for the driver and a passenger or two, evolving until the ultimate M6 version with 286 horsepower and 150 mph on tap ended the line in 1989.

An 8-Series coupe was offered in 1991, using the company's 7-Series sedan as its basis through 1997. But it was more luxury GT than sharp-edged coupe. So the faithful waited.

Now comes the 645Ci, born on a shortened 530i/545i platform with an aluminum/steel/composite body, all-aluminum suspension and 4.4-liter V-8 with 325 hp and choice of six-speed manual, six-speed STEPTRONIC automatic and six-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox with a gearshift and shift paddles.

BMW spokesman Gordon B. Keil said it is "a strong car.""We wanted to make people realize this is not just a brand new car, but a continuation of that heritage," Keil said. "What they wanted was to get back to the roots of the 6 and 3.0, and a lot of customers were asking for this car, saying it has been a long time. And the market has changed, so there are a lot of people who fit this and are looking at a car like this."

Keil says the new 645Ci, introduced only a month before we drove it, is "a lot to look at."

Everywhere we went, the Black Sapphire-painted coupe got stares, some not knowing what it was, others aware and saying "tight ride" and "great car," while my 9-year-old said, "One sweet BMW." Customers seem to think so, since this year's allotment is basically sold out according to Keil. And despite some antipathy toward former chief designer Chris Bangle's recent design direction with BMWs like the 7-Series, the 645Ci looks pretty good.

A complex combination of flowing lines and intersecting angle, the 645Ci's three-quarter front angle is the most impressive. The long hood is framed in multiple character lines, the innermost forming the edges of the raised hood and flowing into and through the slim chrome twin kidney grilles. The outer hood edge starts in the tear ducts of the squinting headlights under prismatic eyebrows that make the projector units within look like they are glaring at you. The hood's twin edges flow past the flared front thermosplastic front fenders that frame optional, deep-dished seven-spoke alloy wheels wearing Bridgestone Potenza P245/40R19's up front and P275/35R19's in back. The fender's upper section flares into the swept-back windshield, the lower flowing into the beltline under the side windows and into the rear fenders' slope down past the wedge-shaped LED taillights, while an upper line aft of the sloped rear window forms the odd, almost Porsche RS-style ducktail spoiler/trunk lid. On the whole, the 189.8-inch long, 73-inch wide car seems to hunker down and look ready for the road, with superb fit and finish and paint.

"It has been 15 years since we have had a nice touring coupe like this," Keil said. "The previews people have seen and early photos made for a lot of anticipation."

Inside, more flowing lines.

The doors open wide and shut with precision, the black leather driver's seat comfortable and very supportive, with 10-way power adjustments, three memory presets and adjustable thigh supports. It faces a chunky, leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel that electrically adjusts for rake and reach, and partially obscures the top of the gauges under a padded instrument hood. The driver gets pewter-rimmed 160-speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach, with inset gas and temperature gauges and a pair of central orange-lit LCD trip computer displays.

The door panels combine curves with alternating angles on the sweeping door armrest/grab handles, with a deep, dark wood grain accents. More wood graces the center air vents and frames the dual-zone temperature controls, fan speed and defrost/recirculate buttons underneath, and the CD and navigation DVD slot under the leading edge. The center console gets more intersecting lines, with a cup holder that clicks into a precision receptacle when needed, a height-adjustable armrest and IT. The IT is the pewter mushroom-shaped IDrive knob that activates your AM-FM-CD stereo system (other than volume on the steering wheel and next to the CD slot), climate-control functions, temperature and fan speeds (although you can adjust fan speed, driver or passenger temperature, defrost from the dash center), cellular telephone and all navigation functions.

Sound complicated?

It was at times.

To change from AM to FM, you have to move the IDrive knob down to open the "Entertainment" menu, then turn it to get to FM. Setting stations takes three twists and taps for each of 15 AM or FM, while two more taps and a few slides lets you adjust treble, bass, etc. You can get frustrated trying to get the voice-activated system to understand "Frequency 89.9," sometimes met with a synthesized voice saying, "I couldn't understand you. Please repeat." It would sometimes take multiple tries just to get the screen to set up a navigation destination or simply adjust the map's orientation. It took many knob taps and turns to adjust vent positions and speeds. At least the "Menu" button behind the IDrive helps you start over. But even if you use its help system -- ask it for "Options" -- and clearly repeat what it reads to you, sometimes it doesn't work and the system turns off. The suggestion of most auto journalists I talk to -- give us some stereo knobs and buttons, and limit IDrive to navigation and trip computer. Oh, and put the six-disc CD changer somewhere other than buried behind the glove box.

The twin back seats are tight in leg and head room, and you might be able to haul a third adult back there but no more. The standard glass panorama roof overhead is like a huge moonroof that vents only, while the composite trunk lid springs open with the touch of a button, the Bangle Bump adding room to a fairly large trunk.

But if the looks are good, the driving is great, thanks in part to our 2,800-mile-old 645Ci's 4.4-liter, 325-hp V-8 borrowed from the 745i sedan. It did 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds with precise shifts and a great athletic engine rumble. You can shift the gearshift yourself.

The ride is firm, but bumps are neatly controlled, the car quiet and stiff of structure. The 645Ci's standard BMW Driving Dynamic Control let me click between standard and sport mode, the latter allowing quicker steering response and letting the automatic transmission hold gears longer. Dynamic Stability Control includes Active Roll Stabilization, which almost completely eliminates body roll in athletic turns, while the 2-ton coupe just hangs in without drama when the going gets athletic. Turn off the traction control, and you can rotate the car by throttle for fun, all easy to catch. And take a sweeper with a bump, and the rear end just stays planted with no upset. Our Sport Package's Active Steering electronically varies the degree of angle your front wheels take when you steer, depending on speed. Slower speeds give it a more acute angle for sharper response, easier to understand after a few miles. The disc brakes with Dynamic Brake Control stopped our coupe NOW, with minimal nose dive and no fade after repeated hard use.

The base price of the new BMW 645Ci is ,300, including the 32-valve V-8, disc brakes, Dynamic Stability and Dynamic Traction Control, ABS with Dynamic Brake Control, Active Roll Stabilization, adaptive Xenon headlights, remote keyless entry, leather and wood interior, one-touch up-and-down power windows, power door locks and power mirrors, satellite navigation system, trip computer and AM-FM-CD stereo.

Our options included a cold-weather package with heated seats and steering wheel; ,800 premium sound system with six-disc CD changer and Logic 7 Audio system; ,800 sports package with 19-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, run-flat tires and active steering; park distance control and satellite radio prep. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is ,995.

That's a lot of cash when a well-equipped two-seat Nissan 350Z is about ,000, and a Mercedes-Benz CLK500 is about ,000. But the BMW offers a sharper driving feel and more driver involvement, plus a distinctly aggressive body style that doesn't look a lot like its sedan brethren. Yes, this is an automatic-equipped coupe I could get attached to, and I might even get to understand the IDrive ... maybe.