A fat 552 horsepower. Earth-shifting torque. A 189mph top speed. The BMW M6 is the fastest two-door car BMW has ever made, serves a magnificently indulgent sound-track and provides the kind of detail features that enthusiasts love to linger over.
It’s a close relative of the M5 saloon of course, sharing the same 552bhp twin-turbo V8, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and chassis hardware, although the body has been strengthened and cleaves a cleaner path through the air.
Beef this car has plenty of in terms of power and mass, the M6 Coupe weighing a 1850kg despite its alloy skinned doors, carbon roof, composite front wings, alloy suspension and this example’s optional carbon-ceramic brakes.
That weight has an inevitable impact, even if this BMW carries its heft with remarkable composure.
On the chicanes of the Ascari Raceway it flaunts amazing body control as it darts from apex to apex, and manages equally flop-free responses when you stick its tail sideways, change direction at high speeds, spear a kerb or slam on the brakes. That’s in sinew-stiffening sport plus, but even in comfort, its damping is always controlled.
You can also shift the steering’s weighting across three modes, but in none does its stylish rim provide much info about grip and slip-angles, this tactile shortfall a disappointment in such a driver-oriented car.
So is the sometimes surprising lack of response from the transmission, even in the most hectic modes – often, it’s better to paddle your way to performance.
These shortfalls, plus a ride likely to turn busy on British surfaces in sport, make a faintly less satisfying device of the M6 than it ought to be. Especially when it costs over £20k more than an M5, and much the same for a nimbler, if slower, 911.
BMW M6 Coupe
Price: £93,820; 0-62mph: 4.2sec; Top speed: 155mph (189mph delimited); Economy: 28.5mpg; Co2: 232g/km; Kerbweight: 1850kg; Engine: V8, 4395cc; Power: 552bhp at 6000rpm; Torque: 502lb ft at 1500rpm; Gearbox: 7-spd dual-clutch
With the sole exception of the latest 3-series, Autocar has declared itself more than unimpressed with all other BMW models, including the M5 and the 1M (which have been highly praised elsewhere, I hasten to add)
If you're looking for some comic book journalism, have a look at their new "Top 5" in each category segment at the bottom of the Autocar home page. The XF is ranked ahead of the 5 -seres, E-Class and A6 in 'Mid-size execs'. So bizarre it's funny!
Still want to spend a £100,000 more for that new Vanquish?, just goes to show that cars like these are bought with the heart and not often using the brain,who in there right mind would say...hmmm?...i like the Aston, it's a nice car, then look at the stats for the M6 and go...hmmm?...£100,000 cheaper?....no, i'll take the Aston!,yes, i know the Aston will retain more value, so what, it's an out of date shape, on a ten year old chassis, it's a wee bit lighter, but, that's it, nothing else, the M6 will at least see the road more often, not cost a mortgage to run,and possibly more fun to drive, would i have one?....yes, and in that color too!
Peter Cavellini.
If the M6 drives anything like the M5 on whchi it is based, then I suspect it will be disappointing and perhaps another indication that either the M-Division has another done a faux pas or they're now focussing more on comfort than driver involvement. No doubting the phenomenal engine or performance, both of which blow the XKR in to next week.
But as someone else has mentioned, why on earth does it weigh so much while in terms of appeal, it is just another cold, clinical German car. The XKR and DB9 may be getting on a bit and are old tech in comparison, but they have that X-factor, that pull which for some reason German cars do not have.
If the M6 drives anything like the M5 on whchi it is based, then I suspect it will be disappointing...
Yes, real disappointing!
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-M5-2012-CAR-review/
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/273118/bmw_m5_review.html
Subsequent to those reviews, the M5 beat all the competition, including the XFR & E63, in group tests in both publications........(Not in the Autocar, of course).
If the M6 drives anything like the M5 on whchi it is based, then I suspect it will be disappointing...
Yes, real disappointing!
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-M5-2012-CAR-review/
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/273118/bmw_m5_review.html
Subsequent to those reviews, the M5 beat all the competition, including the XFR & E63, in group tests in both publications........(Not in the Autocar, of course).
All depends on which publications you feel gives the definitive verdict. If you don't think it's Autocar's then perhaps don't take notice of their assessments. Personally, I don't think the M5 is rubbish, but I somehow don't think it's as good as it could have been. Although I suspect Autocar bias towards JLR products, the M5 should have blown the XF-R in to the weeds. I'm sure the next M3 will be superb though.
If the M6 drives anything like the M5 on whchi it is based, then I suspect it will be disappointing...
Yes, real disappointing!
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-M5-2012-CAR-review/
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/273118/bmw_m5_review.html
Subsequent to those reviews, the M5 beat all the competition, including the XFR & E63, in group tests in both publications........(Not in the Autocar, of course).
All depends on which publications you feel gives the definitive verdict. If you don't think it's Autocar's then perhaps don't take notice of their assessments. Personally, I don't think the M5 is rubbish, but I somehow don't think it's as good as it could have been. Although I suspect Autocar bias towards JLR products, the M5 should have blown the XF-R in to the weeds. I'm sure the next M3 will be superb though.
Not saying Autocar's verdict is necessarily less valid than anyone else's, just that it isn't the only view one should judge a car on.
The issue with Autocar's tests of BMWs is that, the new 3-series aside, none of the cars seem to be good enough for the magazine. In the last 3 weeks straight they have run group tests involving BMWs and in every single test BMWs have fared poorly. Maybe this is because BMW is now making mediocre cars, and Autocar is simply doing its job by reporting this. But when even the latest 6-series Gran-coupe (in this week's magazine group test), in addition to the M5 and 1M mentioned before, are rated as alsorans, you start to get a bit dubious......especially when you read the opposite elsewhere!
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