BMW M6 Gran Coupe: review
It's a lovely car but is it really an M car? PH investigates
Let's agree on this - it's a fabulous looking car
So first impressions are positive, but as the press conference begins my enthusiasm takes a knock. M division boss Friedrich Nitschke has just explained that the new car "stands for luxury like no other M-car" before even mentioning its sporting credentials.
Kein sportlich?
Perhaps it doesn't have any. Given that Herr Nitschke has just described it as the new flagship M-car, that would be a pity. The proof will be in the driving, though, and as I approach the Frozen Grey M6 I have two questions in mind; what does this car do that the £25,000 less expensive M5 doesn't and which traditional M-car values remain?
Pumped up looks are perfectly judged
A burst of Autobahn allows us to breach 165mph with absolute ease, for the 560hp motor pulls unabated from tick-over to the redline. The Gran Coupe feels good for 190mph and so composed at speed. UK cars will be limited to 155mph, though, with no option to have that lifted.
Much like an M5 but lower ... and £25K dearer
We pull off onto single-carriageway roads that roll across the countryside around Munich. It's here that the Gran Coupe shows its true pace; in a straight line it pulls with real urgency in the manner of a true M-car.
But that's about it. I try the Sport and Sport Plus settings for the steering for half a mile each. Rather than delivering a greater sense of connection with the front wheels, each setting simply throws a springy layer of disconnect between your palms and the contact patch. Comfort it is, then, in which mode the steering is pleasingly weighted and direct, although lacking in any real connectivity.
Similarly, the Sport Plus mode for the dampers is too firm and unforgiving to be of any use, although the Sport mode is worthwhile when pressing along on smoother roads. Again, however, Comfort is the preference because it delivers a pleasing degree of compliance while keeping the two-tonne body in check. The quality of damping over sudden compressions and bumps is very good indeed.
That much is made of 'luxury' tells you a lot
The M6 pours from one sweeping corner to another with fluidity and composure while carrying an awful lot of speed. It hides its weight commendably well, at least until the roads tighten and narrow, at which point it feels large and unwilling to change direction. The gearbox works very well across a broad spectrum of driving conditions, with a pleasing thump in the back in manual mode in a nod to the divisive SMG 'box. The M6 Gran Coupe is not a car that you grab by the scruff of its neck, however. It's one that you enjoy for its effortless power and cosseting ride, for that's what it does best.
What of my original questions? I can only think that it looks a little sexier than an M5 and is marginally more luxurious inside - it's not for me to decide if that justifies £25,000 - but as far as traditional M values go I draw a blank.
Exit stage left: the traditional M car
Such as the carbon-fibre roof and redundant suspension and steering modes, much about the M6 Gran Coupe is folly masquerading as attention to detail and motorsport breeding, the kind that once made M-badged cars so brilliant. BMW M has just been dragged even further away from where enthusiasts like us want it to be.
BMW M6 GRAN COUPE
Engine: 4,395cc, V8, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: 7-speed double-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 560hp@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 502lb ft@1,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.2sec
Top speed: 155mph (electronically limited)
Weight: 1,950kg
MPG: 28.5mpg (claimed)
CO2: 232g/km
Price: £97,490
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Also: fairly pointless car, except for willy waving purposes (that you can afford the most expensive in the range) as in the real world you would get the same level or luxury and almost same level of real world performance from a 635D or 650i (if you want to avoid diesel).
But yes, not exactly motorsport is it? Exactly as Schnellmann says, what exactly does this have to offer over a diesel one? The price though, £25k more than an M5... crikey. I guess the reality is this car is for people where the price is mostly irrelevant.
But, sometimes to me all these morden super refined hi end cars are just like a sweet and sour dish. They are just using one latest and more 'advanced' tech to cover the other overly engineered or designed feature. Instead of just using 'one spoon of sugar with one spoon of vinegar' to keep the balance right, car manufactures insist to use 'full bag of sugar and whole bottle of vinegar'... Where does it end?
We do still have very few 'simple' hatchbacks, 4X4s and track day cars, nowadays. But, why can't we also have 'simple' (in both design and engineering) saloons and GTs? Surely, there's still a market for that.
Did seem that BMW M were losing their way of late with terrible things like the X5M and X6M but the 1M Coupe and M135i shows they still know how to make cars for proper enthusiasts. The new smaller M cars looks very interesting and exciting.
M6 Gran Coupe is supposed to be an epic GT car rather than an out and out sports car.
It's a nice car to look at and the concept actually works quite well in terms of package and style - but at list prices it's not special enough for the extra money over the F10.
But the designers gave up when it came to the arse end of this M6 Gran Coupe. It looks utterly abominable. Those lights are ewwwwwww. All graceful curves at the front, and then "oh well, its friday afternoon, lets just slap some random lights on and get down the pub for a swift pint or 20".
Another post was right - its what BMW do next with the 'lower' cars in the range that will tell whether BMW are changing their rule book.
It's a nice car to look at and the concept actually works quite well in terms of package and style - but at list prices it's not special enough for the extra money over the F10.
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