Thursday 26th August 2010

PH Fleet Update: BMW M6

When is a super car not a supercar - and do we care?

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It's been said that to really appreciate the lines of a beautiful car you have to wash it yourself, but I generally prefer watching somebody else do it.

PH M6 has classic coupe proportions

A chap at the Hand Car Wash in Newark was positively disconsolate that he'd never be able to afford a BMW M6 when I dropped in with the PH car a few days ago, which made me a) rethink my presumption that hand car washes are an easy route to a small fortune and b) wonder if it would have been appropriate to confess the M6 wasn't really mine...

Instead, I mumbled something enigmatic and sat down under the generously provided gazebo to watch the grubby BMW being lathered-up, and then emerge gleaming once again from behind a flurry of expertly-wielded chamois leathers.

The 6 Series does look fabulous in M-spec (especially with the Competition Pack bonnet styling tweaks), which to my mind lifts an otherwise bland coupe shape to the realms of automotive pornography.

Rear view is powerful and aggressive

Low to the ground, hunkered down over fat Pirelli rubber, and with powerful haunches accentuated by a boot-lip flick, sill extensions and whizzy-looking aero-bits moulded into the bumpers, for me it's the perfect modern evocation of the classic, front-engined, rear drive, saloon-derived coupe. (The one's that car enthusiasts used to dribble over, like Aston Martin V8s and Ford Capris, and which nobody seems to bother much with any more.)

But you know what? Anachronistic in style it may be, but there's not much to touch our M6 on the average dual carriageway or motorway where we spend most of our time. It's crushingly fast, beautifully controlled and er... well, astonishingly practical for a car that (away from the track at least) has the handling and performance to keep some pretty exotic supercars honest.

The M6 as seen by lesser cars...

It's practical, not just for its spacious cabin with room for four adults and enormous boot (both of which came as something of a revelation), but also because it doesn't attract the 'wrong type' of attention. Although it has an undeniably purposeful air, there's enough of the mainstream BMW about the styling for the car to swim generally incognito in the car pool. I've asked a few non-car people what they thought the M6 cost, and most of those prepared to take a stab at it guessed £40-60k, which is quite a long way off the £90k-plus figure on our car's delivery note.

The M6 does 'inconspicuous' well

This reaction is a good thing in many respects, because in contrast to more extrovert 'supercars' it means you don't get harassed by idiots, can park pretty much where you like without worrying about vandals and (for those of you with 'proper' jobs), you can take it to meetings without looking like a show-off. It also means the people you meet who do get excited by the M6 tend to be enthusiasts who know what they're looking at - and therefore probably worth passing the time of day with over the petrol pumps.

But in spite of its revvy V10 engine, 500bhp and 380lb ft, a 4.6sec 0-62mph time, and a claimed 205mph maximum speed (at least when the 155mph limiter is removed) it's not really a supercar, is it? Well no, and while the tech-spec, performance and price meant I did feel totally justified in driving our M6 in the convoy to Wilton House as part of the recent Supercar day, I knew it wouldn't wow the crowds like the more exotic machinery during the display itself.

PH cars keep good company!

Still, having chopped and changed between Garlick's 911 GT3, RacingPete's Aston DBS, Rigger's Gallardo Superleggera for some amazing driving on the day (and fully aware I'm about to say something potentially sacrilegious...) it wouldn't have felt at all like getting the short straw to have taken the M6 home at the end of it all. In fact, I probably would have chosen to, had I not got the chance to nick the keys to Stuart's blagged AMG Gullwing instead...

Running notes: With 7900 miles on the odometer, the electronic dipstick demanded a litre of fresh fully synthetic oil, which I duly coughed up £17 for at the BMW dealer in Brighton. Having just paid £12 for a new watch battery for the wife's Saab remote (at a Saab main dealer, stupidly), it didn't seem like too much of an extravagance - and amusingly the oil came with a diddy cardboard funnel and a tissue to mop up any spillage.

Dashboard service reminders

According to the digital dashboard, a service is due in another 9000 miles, while the front and rear brakes are good for another 16,000 and 20,000 miles respectively - in spite of having been hammered by Greg Mansell around Silverstone.

Stay tuned for more driving impressions soon, and at some point we're going to have to talk about depreciation...

 

 

[Hellbound]

I may get flamed for this, but THAT rear end has kinda grown on me. In black, there's a gothic/baroque flavour to it. I wouldn't say no to touring Europe in one, having a massive fuel tank an all. The new model will be less distinctive with a more acceptable rump, but that's probably a good thing for buyers and BMW.

A lot of car for the money.

Edited by Hellbound on Wednesday 25th August 23:27

[TotalControl]

Don't like the design of it at all. Have to admit that the technology behind it is nothing short of amazing though.

[Exar Kun]

Hellbound said:

I may get flamed for this, but THAT rear end has kinda grown on me. In black, there's a gothic/baroque flavour to it. I wouldn't say no to touring Europe in it. The new model will be less distinctive with a more acceptable rump, but that's probably a good thing for buyers and BMW.

Lot of car for the money.

Same here - the shape is aging pretty gracefully and I never thought I'd say that. Black is definitely the right colour.

[will261058]

Gorgeous bit of kit for one of the newer Bangle cars, lovely arse from the back, not so much from the side though, and the face is a bit unhappy looking. But what does that matter when you hear that V10!

[will261058]

The new 6 looks fantastic but I hope they push the boat out with the M version. I dont think the new 5 series m sport version looks much different to the SE, which makes it subtle but I like to see an M that looks like an M

[AV12]

Like the look of the M6. I think dark grey or dark blue look pretty menacing.

[Leroybrown1984]

I want your job!

[C2james]

you listen to BBC R4?

[RDMcG]

I have had my M6 since May of 2006, and have about 18,000 miles on it. It has really been a great car apart from its prodigious thirst, and one complete ECUY meltdown, (replaced under warranty, no questions asked. ). For long distance running it is my default choice. Lots of luggage space, immensely comfortable , sure-footed, insanely fast, and a brilliant sound system. Not a track car by any means, ( I tried it and its badly underbraked for track use). The appearance is, of course, subjective, but it has grown on me too. The V-10 is one of the truly greatest engines ever. Sure the usual stuff on iDrive , (overdone) and SMG..(truly hopeless in auto, but you can learn to shift very smoothly and quickly in paddle shift mode, but overall, its a great GT.

[Waugh-terfall]

Some token photos from its latest outing:



I love the M6, average Joe would struggle to differentiate between one and a 635d, I think when the grim reaper comes a knocking for the current generation, as Mercedes have just demonstrated with the CLS and BMW themselves with the new 5-series, it's going to be a very, very tough call to top

ETA: Fixed links

Edited by Waugh-terfall on Thursday 26th August 12:23

[benebob]

Looks like a smoothed over Ford Mustang vintage 94 to me from the side.

[pistonlager]

C2james said:

you listen to BBC R4?

We all do!

[y2blade]

fantastic write-up, I love them

[spiritof'76]

Saw it pull into Wilton House............. thought somebody had taken a wrong turn by accident to be honest

'tis a bit bland........ but would think twice before picking a fight

[djohnson]

spiritof'76 said:

Saw it pull into Wilton House............. thought somebody had taken a wrong turn by accident to be honest

'tis a bit bland........ but would think twice before picking a fight

I've had my M6 about 18 months now. For me part of this car's appeal is it's blandness. When I arrived at clients in my previous 911 it often caused them to comment that the fees must be too high. The M6 you can stick in a client's car park and it blends in very well with the usual stable of 320ds etc.

[y2blade]

djohnson said:

spiritof'76 said:

Saw it pull into Wilton House............. thought somebody had taken a wrong turn by accident to be honest

'tis a bit bland........ but would think twice before picking a fight

I've had my M6 about 18 months now. For me part of this car's appeal is it's blandness. When I arrived at clients in my previous 911 it often caused them to comment that the fees must be too high. The M6 you can stick in a client's car park and it blends in very well with the usual stable of 320ds etc.

I agree ......not all of us need a "look at me" car


although saying that I'd gladly take your Escort off your hands Julian very nice indeed

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 26th August 08:30

[Fartgalen]

A litre of oil after less than 8000 miles ? So by the next service it can have gone through 2 litres of oil ?
I'd be slightly worried about that. Even my old Escort 1.8TD never needed topping up between services. (In fact it never used a drop).

[S3_Graham]

Fartgalen said:

A litre of oil after less than 8000 miles ? So by the next service it can have gone through 2 litres of oil ?
I'd be slightly worried about that. Even my old Escort 1.8TD never needed topping up between services. (In fact it never used a drop).

eh?? 1 litre in 8THOUSAND miles?? you do realise that every miles that means you are using 0.000125 of a litre of oil.


We used to have a 645 cab at work, loved the car and i actually really like the looks! Depreciation is epic though. was bought new for £80,000+ and was sold 3 years old with 45k for £19k.... OUCH!

[nsmith1180]

Never was a massive fan of the shape, but I have found myself looking enviously at the convertable of late. A shame I dont have 90+k to drop on a german car to drive french country roads in.

[y2blade]

nsmith1180 said:

Never was a massive fan of the shape, but I have found myself looking enviously at the convertable of late. A shame I dont have 90+k to drop on a german car to drive french country roads in.

Nicolas are you in France now? (sorry to derail)