Tuesday 11th December 2012

Spotted: BMW M6

What was that we were saying yesterday about browsing for old M cars? Harris has been doing just that

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"It's pretty outrageous, isn't it?" was all I could say to the silent chap sitting in the passenger seat after pinning the new M6 in third gear. All he could do was nod. The new M6 is a seriously fast car. But it also costs about one-billionty-thousand pounds which, even in light of its mix of space and speed, is rather a lot of cash. Naturally, my thoughts turned to older M6s.

New M cars too refined and sensible?

The last M6 (E63) was a monster - in some ways even more monstrous than the new car because you had to rev the janglies off that V10 to shake off the suspicion that a 530d was just as fast in normal driving conditions. Which, incidentally, it was.

But it didn't come close if you used that V10. In fact not much did. My favourite M6 anecdote came from a friend whose opinion on fast cars is always worth listening to. He was running an M6 back when they were fairly new, but he was also a member of the P1 club. He used their Ferrari 599 for a weekend and told me he liked it, but was a little disappointed by the straight-line performance. The M6 wasn't much slower - he wasn't wrong.

We will look back on the V10 M cars with a mixture of wonder and shock: a pure racing engine shovelled into a production BMW body, in this case the controversial Bangle 6 Series. Flay me alive and call me a mentalist, but the M6 looks ace to these eyes. Not pretty, but tough and interesting.

Purchase price should offset fuel costs

There's loads to go wrong, the gearbox is average at best, they aren't much use on a track and the brakes were clearly designed to retard a Mini Metro, but this is one exciting, scary fast machine.

Just don't ask about the fuel bills.

I think they look best in blue, but could only find a nice low-miler in silver.

 

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BMW M6
Engine: 4,999cc V10
Transmission: 7-speed SMG automated manual
Power (hp): 507@7,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 383@6,100rpm
MPG: 19.7mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 342g/km
First registered: March 2006
Recorded mileage: 32,000
Price new: £81,760
Yours for: £23,995

See the original advert here.

[Dazed & Confused]

I'm with you - I actually think the Bangle designed cars look really good (especially the 5 series). Not pretty, but much more visually engaging than the current crop.

(Although he wasn't as hampered by the now mandatory high bonnets that make all cars look like )

[virgilio]

Lovely engine, but why go for this when an M5 is just better, cooler and cheaper?
Not sure about long-term investment potential vs the M5 either (I think they built more M6s than M5s).

Nice thought though!

[chiefski26]

Ugly.

[NicoG]

It's a serious quandry isn't it; price now Vs new, and off-setting fuel costs.

Harder and harder to find with un interupted warranty.
Scary stories a-plenty, but as always the internet is full of people with bad experiences.

I personally would have this powertrain in 5-series guise though.
The E60 Shape is proving to still look very good indeed.

Nico

[smokey145]

doppelganger of my old car. expensive for non AUC car though.

Edited by smokey145 on Tuesday 11th December 11:22

[g3org3y]

Obviously awesome (and sound it too!) but feel the rear is very inelegant especially with the 'mouth' on the rear diffuser. Bit of a shame.

There was a photo that did the rounds when the E63 came out of it in profile with the boot up - gave a very 911esque profile and looked rather good.

General forum advice (ime) is not to buy one (or E60 M5) sans warranty!

[Aizle]

That's some depreciation!

[k-ink]

I'd love the V10 in a Z4 coupe

[rtz62]

It's become the preferred ride of the 'custodians of modern chemistry' dealers around here;
Nuff said.

[Aizle]

k-ink said:

I'd love the V10 in a Z4 coupe

Agreed.

With a Meisterschaft(sp?) set of pipes.

Head to YouTube for an Auralgasm

[Luca Brasi]

Cracking cars, have aged really well too.

[M@1975]

I'm odd I know but I like the bangle era cars, as mentioned, not pretty but at least they stood out from the crowd and had a hint of aggression about them, my 530d was a wonderful car. Always liked the 6 series, particularly the M6, never drove one but if the brakes were anything like as poor as those on a normal 6 then that's shocking, I really noticed the difference between 5 and 6 series brakes when having a blat in a 6 round the backrouds of Berkshire.

[kambites]

k-ink said:

I'd love the V10 in a Z4 coupe

There's someone shoving one into an Exige (very slowly).

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[FamilyDub]

I love the E63, especially in the red/brown colour, but can't ever imagine having a good enough salary to run one, though!

I also think the Bangle-era cars still look fresh, whereas the current crop look a bit... boring in comparison.

[edo]

Loved mine.

Very few cars flat out make passengers stop talking or gasp. In the right gear this did many times.

The noise was intoxicating. Fuel consumption wasnt the problem (mine averaged 22mpg in the time I owned it), but the small tank made the range annoying. Filling twice on a return trip north was annoying.

The biggest letdown was SMG. Mainly maneuvering. Reversing into my garage went something like:

gas. nothing. bit more gas. snail pace. bit more gas /oh you need more?/ WHAM, 40mph into the garage. I managed to crack the bumper just before selling it...

Glad I ticked the box, glad someone else took the first 60k of depreciation - I only lost a couple of grand in a year (plus fuel!!!!).

AUC warranty a must... These are complex cars.

[k-ink]

kambites said:

k-ink said:

I'd love the V10 in a Z4 coupe

There's someone shoving one into an Exige (very slowly).

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

FUUU....!

Err, wow!

[Drakey52]

It's an incredibly angle-specific car on looks. The article photos look terrible but then the front 3/4 view in the recent post looks great. The big difference I felt was the driving position on a 6 feels far more special than the 5. I'm still not sure I could live with the shape every day though.

[slipstream 1985]

^^very pretty imo. A chap i know has one and he gunned it away from my house. what a sound!!

the 6 series is kind of a modern 8 series look about it.

[edo]

Agree with the comment about the boot. Boot open (off) the side rear profile looks 911(ish)

[300bhp/ton]

Quite like the look of these. Saw a nice blue one on Friday while on the way home.