RE: BMW M6 revealed

Monday 13th February 2012

BMW M6 revealed

New BMW M6 ditches V10 for M5's 560hp twin-turbo V8, gains near-£100K pricetag in the process



BMW has revealed details of the all-new M6, launching simultaneously in Coupe and Convertible variants. As before, the M6 shares much of its mechanical spec with its equivalent M5, meaning a farewell to high-revving V10s and the adoption of the new M5's 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch M DCT transmission combo. 560hp represents a 53hp hike over the previous V10, the turbos meaning peak torque of 501lb ft is there from just 1,500rpm. It's a dramatic shift in character, mirroring that of the new M5, and this and the M DCT hope to address two of the major criticisms of the V10 M6.


We had the pleasure of several months in the company of that car of course and thoroughly pleasant it was too, BMW selling a surprisingly impressive 14,000 V10 M6s worldwide. That's a lot of cumulative revs. And fuel, the new twin-turbo version at least doing its bit on that score by improving consumption/emission figures by nearly a third. No great claim admittedly but 28.5mpg and 232g/km (27.4mpg and 239g/km for the cabrio) are astonishing figures for a 560hp monster that'll hit 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds. That's a couple of tenths faster than the M5, like it matters, but an indication of just how mighty this new M6 promises to be. Top speed is limited to 155mph.

Things being what they are the new M6 is not far shy of being a six-figure purchase, the coupe weighing in at £93,795 and the Convertible £98,995. And that's before you start adding options like ceramic brakes, the latter gaining gold calipers to spare you the need to break out the tape measure and reveal your front rotors are 410mm rather than the frankly pitiful 400mm cheapskates who stick with the regular brakes put up with. How will they cope.


An additional 30mm in the front track and a carbon roof as per the previous M6 help elevate the M over standard 6 Series models. Less obvious but perhaps more indicative of the M6's intent are the forged aluminium suspension components, revised front geometry and solidly mounted rear subframe. Three-way adjustment on the Variable Damping Control dampers is just one way you can configure the M6 to your needs, two M buttons like the M5 meaning you can switch instantly between everything up to 11 or comfort according to the conditions under tyre.

It's a crushing high tech riposte to the Jaguar XKR-S's more straightforward combination of big power and a lairy bodykit but we'll hold judgement until we've driven it to see if BMW has managed to engineer character into the equation too. Looks-wise the M6 is a lot more mature than the Jag but does it do enough to stand out from regular 6 Series? And justify that pricetag?

Technology wise much is shared with the M5, including a HUD and plentiful M trimmings in the cabin. Equipment is suitably lavish and includes powered/heated seats, BMW Professional nav and Merino leather trim. Upgrades additional to the aforementioned ceramic brakes include 20-inch wheels over the standard 19s, BMW Night Vision and a B&O stereo.

On paper then a GT-R for badge snobs who can't face the idea of spending big money on a glorified Nissan. What price a premium badge? Still nearly £20K over the GT-R but, character wise, the comparison is a fascinating one that we intend to revisit at the earliest opportunity.



 

 

 

Author
Discussion

pistonpie

Original Poster:

175 posts

158 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
oh my...that coupe is beautiful, and a V8 too lick

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
991 competitor?

ZOLLAR

19,908 posts

172 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Looks good but I can't get over that £98,000 price tag for the convertible..

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Not keen on the body-kit - it's very fussy looking, especially the lower front intakes.

It'll be interesting to see how it drives compared to its competition, but it'll certain shift with that engine.

TVR500Morgan

1,183 posts

151 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
doesn't ding my bells !

Munich

1,071 posts

195 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
I'm not a fan of the normal 6er in the flesh (proportions aren't quite right for me) but from that angle, the M6 coupé looks very good.

It gets a different steering wheel to the M5 too. Does that mean the M5 will have a up-date before long, or is this a sign that the M6 is being positioned differently to the M5.


jon-

16,496 posts

215 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
I wonder what this will do to the residuals of the e63 M6 scratchchin

ali4390

2,321 posts

164 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Historically I've not been a massive fan of the M6 but I think that looks fantastic!

Chicane-UK

3,861 posts

184 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
The coupe is very pretty but that price is pretty staggering.. :|

cronk-flakes

3,480 posts

252 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Now THAT is what I wanted to see! This is a very aggressive and brutish looking vehicle, which is exactly what the M6 needs to be! I think they've done a great job.

ZOLLAR said:
Looks good but I can't get over that £98,000 price tag for the convertible..
This was always going to be the case. When the M6 Cab was released previously, it was the most expensive car on BMW's books.

SleeperCell

5,591 posts

241 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Mermaid said:
991 competitor?
More like a 928 competitor (when Porsche get around to building a new one)

MRCC

337 posts

156 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
It's also 65kg heavier than previous V10 version which is a huge shame. And at near £100k it will be judged too expensive and will depreciate very heavily at first.

Regards,

Mr. CC.


dele

1,270 posts

193 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Carbon Ceramic brakes? Blimey

About time BMW did something about the brakes on its M-Cars, always been their weakest point

the_g_ster

374 posts

194 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
I like it, but is this not a 3 series that's been inflated a bit with a big engine dumped in.

BMW, if you're listening, lower the price a bit, shed some pounds, and bring us an M1, and make sure it's light too.

y2blade

56,029 posts

214 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
I like that cloud9

idiotboy

16 posts

145 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
MRCC said:
it will be judged too expensive and will depreciate very heavily
I agree, but for anyone other than first buyers this is nothing but good news. Perhaps initially they will sell fewer cars but there is always someone out there willing to spend what others may deem too much for a particular car.

As for my reaction to this car - I see FI as the way forward and BMW are just arriving at a party that's been going on a long time. I don't believe it will ruin the car, just make it different. Change is good.

Dakkon

7,826 posts

252 months

Monday 13th February 2012
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Need to see the back end, the current M6's boot seems to be a massive after thought and looks awful, hopefully this will be a little more streamlined.

anniesdad

14,589 posts

237 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
How much?!

sherbert90

1,906 posts

151 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Certainly looks better than the old M6. It's just a shame that the V10 had to go (that noise cloud9).

It will depreciate like a bd though. I'd probably go for the M5 if it was my money, and have near identical performance and a more practical car for a chunk less money.

RedWater

485 posts

165 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Regardless of the price, the weight, the whatever else - I really want that coupe! It looks bloody fantastic to me.