The fact that it costs 18 grand more than an M5 sets it off on the wrong foot to begin with, but from there on in it’s hard to argue against.
The cabin is roomy up front and the boot is pretty big. As a four-seater, forget it; only small children or contortionists fit the rear seats. It’s not one of the most gorgeous cabins for 80 grand, but definitely one of the best organised ergonomically. The driving position is spot on, too. We love the head-up display, and iDrive merely takes some getting used to. There is not a lot to find fault with inside this car. It may not exude the hand-built quality of a Bentley or an Aston inside but from an engineering point of view it is hard to find flaws.
As a mile-eater the M6 is a double-edged sword. In terms of mechanical refinement and the way in which its cabin is so effectively isolated from wind, and road and tyre roar, it is hard to think of a sporting coupé that betters it this side of a Bentley Continental GT. The front seats are of such a high quality and the overall specification so impressive it’s difficult to find faults.
Whether it will hold its value like an Aston DB9 or a Continental GT might over the next three or four years is another matter. The answer, if the previous-generation M5 and current M3 are anything to go by, is almost certainly no. Not that this will prevent early cars from commanding a premium until supply catches up with demand, which may take a year if BMW GB plays it cute.
The fuel range is the car’s single biggest failing: we averaged just 12.1mpg on test, dropping to below 8mpg during hard driving. With a tank that holds a mere 70 litres, this means a real-world range of no more than 160 miles, which is close to hopeless.
Take it as read that insurance and company car tax are not areas in which you’ll save money by running an M6 – it’s in group 20 and you’ll pay the full whack on tax. Something this close to perfection is always unlikely to come cheap, after all.
