BMW M6 (E63) | Spotted
The V10 M6 is 20 years old - is now the time to take the plunge?
We all know that the more practical a performance car is, the cooler it is. Just one of those irrefutable yet unwritten rules of automotive. It applies across all the manufacturers, too: an 8,000rpm Audi RS coupe is cooler than a convertible, a 6.2-litre AMG saloon is cooler than a coupe, a supercharged Jaguar wagon (rare though they are) is cooler than a saloon. Always was, always will be - even if you don’t really care about such things.
Certainly, the adage is true for BMW M cars. Look at the excitement around recent M3 and M5 Tourings for proof. It must also be one of the reasons why there isn’t quite the love for this E63, V10-powered era of M6 that there is for the mechanically identical M5 saloon and wagon. It doesn’t quite have the cult classic charm of a 5.0-litre four-door or dog bus. And it was a lot more expensive in its day. The M6, moreover, was in the two-door marketplace with more rivals than the M5, with cars like the Aston Vantage, Maserati GranTurismo and, of course, Porsche 911 vying for buyers’ £80,000.
Add all that to what will always be slightly controversial looks and the M6 has remained a rare proposition. There always seems to be an E60 or E61 M5 for sale - these being much more seldom seen. Same goes for those 997s and Vantages, in fact. It means the M6 is undoubtedly interesting as far as modern classic M cars go. Seriously - when did you last see one on the road?
Even two decades (and a bit) later, nothing quite looks like an E63 BMW 6 Series. Debate will continue for many more years yet about whether it’s a truly handsome BMW, though we can all agree that what once looked wildly futuristic now seems only ahead of its time. Remember this car went out of production 15 years ago, which seems pretty remarkable given how it looks. The DVD drive and a 9,000rpm tacho definitely age the M6 more than its styling does.
On initial inspection, this one looks good, especially considering it’s now 19 years old. There are perhaps some small areas for improvement, and it’s going to need an MOT - but we’ve all seen newer cars that present much less smartly. This one is showing almost 70,000 miles, which doesn’t seem like very many; perhaps eight owners does, but that averages out at a little more than a couple of years each. Maybe not the end of the world, and there’s a decent enough service history by the looks of it. Perhaps some were happy simply to have ticked the M V10 box, or the running costs proved untenable…
Keeping one in tip-top condition is, of course, never far from the discussion when it comes to this era of M5 and M6. It’s clearly going to cost an awful lot to run even when running fine, before thinking about any major work that might be required for the engine and gearbox. That can perhaps now be slightly offset by strong residual values (the days of £11,495 Brave Pills certainly seem done), and the growing availability of manual conversion work. That engine, this look and a clutch pedal would surely make for an unforgettable M car. Or even left unmodified, a mighty reminder of when displacement really had no replacement.
SPECIFICATION | BMW M6
Engine: 4,999cc V10
Transmission: 7-speed SMG, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 507@7,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 383@6,100rpm
MPG: 19.7mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 342g/km
First registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 69,200
Price new: £81,760
Yours for: £19,489
I know a very successful songwriter who had one of these, amongst other exotic things; he constantly complained about how expensive it was to run (vs what he felt was somewhat underwhelming power for the price), how thirsty this car was and apparently it has a big appetite for oil too - this coming from a guy who ran all manner of AMGs and Aston Martin's. He got rid of it after about a year.
Personally, I think its successor (F-series design) has aged WAY better than this.
The poster wasn't name dropping, they were just putting the running costs into perspective for ordinary mortals like me.
The engine is a masterpiece and much more reliable than people think, if it's treated right. The rest of the car is old and will have old car problems. Have a few quid aside for it and keep on top (or ahead) of maintenance.
The gearbox is fun. It's not smooth nor the fastest, but it is fun on full throttle upshift. I grew to appreciate it for what it was, and it is not an automatic. Manual mode only and only use the fastest setting.
It handles really well for a big thing too. I did a track day in mine and it helped up well, even in a tight circuit.
It's fast about 6500 rpm, so it needs revs. It is never slow, but the real power is high in the rev range.
They don't make them like this anymore, which is a sad thing.
It’s certainly something to buy from a recognised specialist or at least give it a really thorough PPI. The potential for ruin is considerable.
If everything checks out it s a pretty cost effective way to get into a V10 with some spare cash to go towards a manual conversion, if that s your thing.
The poster wasn't name dropping, they were just putting the running costs into perspective for ordinary mortals like me.
Chap on YouTube has bought one ... a few videos about running a used one!
The poster wasn't name dropping, they were just putting the running costs into perspective for ordinary mortals like me.
That SMG w
ktronic gearbox with its kerb weight (cant even remember what it was, 1800kg?!) and being old enough to know what ticks my boxes always put that to bed.Phenomenal engine, possibly one of the most impressive ive experienced ever, dogged by its weight, that smg and running costs that would make someone on 6 figures think nah thanks. The wallet draining M5 thread has been and eye opener too for this platform.
However a guy I went to school with drives one of these. With a red wrap and a big black stripe along bonnet, boot and roof: hardly the ‘low profile’ type of car to drive as a drug dealer in which he still lives…
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff