RE: BMW M6 Gran Coupe | Spotted

RE: BMW M6 Gran Coupe | Spotted

Thursday 19th September 2019

BMW M6 Gran Coupe | Spotted

£30,000 for one of the best looking and fastest M cars of the 21st century? Go on...



The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing. A little over six years ago Dan Prosser – you know, the one from the videos – wrote for PistonHeads about the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Most displeased he was, too, saying that the GC “isn’t a good M car”, that much of it was “folly masquerading as attention to detail and motorsport breeding” and, perhaps worst of all, questioning the brand as a whole: “BMW M has just been dragged even further away from where enthusiasts like us want it to be” was the cutting final sentence. Ouch.

But look now, oh innocent Prosser, at where BMW has got to. There are M versions of the X3, 4, 5 and 6 SUVs, six cylinders have gone from the M135i and the M3 – heaven forbid – is going four-wheel drive. By comparison the M6 Gran Coupe, boasting rear-wheel drive only, a dual-clutch gearbox (not a torque converter) and a kerbweight of less than two tonnes, is as pure as the Virgin Mary. All things being relative, you understand…


And let’s be honest, BMWs haven’t been about motorsport breeding for a very, very long time – it’s a stick used to beat the ones we don’t like very much. Nobody took umbrage with the E39 M5 not being a homologation special, or the fact that the E46 M3 was 1,500kg, or that the E92 GTS had precious little to do with racing – did they?

Instead it’s best to consider the M6 Gran Coupe – and many modern M cars, to be honest – as very fast and luxurious sporting saloons; ones that, if not at the top of their class, aren’t far off. With both the new 8 Series Gran Coupe and M8 imminent, the cars that indirectly replace the 6 Series, it seemed apposite to revisit the old M6. 


At its most blunt, an M6 was a lot like a M5, albeit much sexier to look at and more pleasant to sit inside. And while the old F10 is unlikely to be anyone’s favourite M5 ever, that didn’t stop it being a devastatingly capable device. Bring that sort of ability together with styling that looks better than it ever has (particularly in light of BMW’s recent efforts) and the fact that this very car is £30,000, and it’s easier to make a convincing case for a 560hp 6 Series than it ever has been.

Depreciation has always been the second-hand buyer’s friend where flagship series production BMWs are concerned, and that’s proved true for the M6 like any other. This 2013 car has covered just 37,000 miles across two owners, with services at BMW dealers to back that up; while some might not entirely agree with the wood inside, silver paint with black leather shouldn’t prove too contentious. And, praise be, the glass is clear!


Of course, the old adage rings true with the M6 Gran Coupe as much as any other: while now a £30k machine, it’s still going to have the running costs of a £100,000 car. Keeping a two-tonne, 190mph car in fine fettle will never be an affordable endeavour, and that’s before considering any further depreciation that’s surely heading the BMW’s way. 

That’s hardly an M6 specific trait, though, more a general point to be aware of. At less than a third of its new price, and with the various changes at BMW since its introduction, the charms of the M6 Gran Coupe are arguably even more seductive than they’ve ever been. Just don’t tell Prosser we said that…


SPECIFICATION – BMW M6 GRAN COUPE

Engine: 4,395cc, V8, twin-turbocharged 
Transmission: 7-speed double-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 560@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 502@1,500rpm
MPG: 28.5
CO2: 232g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 37,000
Price new: £97,490
Yours for: £30,990

See the original advert here.

Author
Discussion

Desiboy

Original Poster:

36 posts

78 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
378,000 miles? Definitely still too expensive.

big_peaches

438 posts

195 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
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Thats a lot of miles!

Murphy16

254 posts

81 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
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I love this generation M5/M6 but I wish they sounded good.

Augustus Windsock

3,340 posts

154 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
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“..as very fast and luxurious sporting saloons; ones that, if not at the top of their class, aren’t far off.”

A class that to my mind is only made up of this, and similar offerings from Audi, Mercedes and Porsche. Surely it’s not hard to be near the top of a particularly small group, but conversely it’s easy to be near or at the bottom....?
I’m not a fan of these but out of the group I’ve mentioned it is, to my mind, the best looking of a mixed bunch.

mhurley

823 posts

132 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
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I suspect only a tiny percentage of the population have a garage big enough :-)

Gameface

16,565 posts

76 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Like these a lot. Got a lot of presence.

Sandpit Steve

9,885 posts

73 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Assuming the correct mileage is the 37k from the advert and with a full service history, that’s one hell of a lot of car for the money. It’s probably still at least a couple of years away from any big bills coming up, and has done the vast majority of its depreciation already - 2/3 off in six years is brutal from a £100k starting point, £1k a month, so the original owner must have really loved it!

chow pan toon

12,356 posts

236 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Sandpit Steve said:
Assuming the correct mileage is the 37k from the advert and with a full service history, that’s one hell of a lot of car for the money. It’s probably still at least a couple of years away from any big bills coming up, and has done the vast majority of its depreciation already - 2/3 off in six years is brutal from a £100k starting point, £1k a month, so the original owner must have really loved it!
Well, he probably did until he traded it in hehe

seefarr

1,461 posts

185 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Augustus Windsock said:
“..as very fast and luxurious sporting saloons; ones that, if not at the top of their class, aren’t far off.”

A class that to my mind is only made up of this, and similar offerings from Audi, Mercedes and Porsche. Surely it’s not hard to be near the top of a particularly small group, but conversely it’s easy to be near or at the bottom....?
I’m not a fan of these but out of the group I’ve mentioned it is, to my mind, the best looking of a mixed bunch.
I agree the BMW is a good looking thing but I'd put the Aston Martin Rapide in that group too and that is on a different level in terms of looks. The cheapest are down under £40k now too.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
I don't quite understand the hate for these - several PHers have these/the M5 and rave about them - as a brutally capable and quick everyday car they're right up there.

Good ones of both are now sub-£30k.

howardhughes

980 posts

203 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Absolutely gorgeous car. As someone already pointed out a lot of car for little money.

Limpet

6,293 posts

160 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
This generation of 6 series is ageing really well, IMO.

Genuine question - when you're talking big, two tonne cars like this with electric power steering, does the M version really give you a significant benefit (in the real world) over the quickest non-M version? A colleague has a 2013 640d GC and it's a really capable car, but very much feels like a pretty quick, comfy GT rather than a sports car. There's quite a laid back, lazy feel to it (which really suits it, BTW). I know the M6 is on another level performance wise, but does M Division really change the character of a big, heavy car like this that much?

DaveTheRave87

2,079 posts

88 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
mhurley said:
I suspect only a tiny percentage of the population have a garage big enough :-)
I see one of these parked in a local supermarket from time to time.

Looks great in a purpley-blue colour but it is a big lump of metal!

MDMetal

2,775 posts

147 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
I did look at these but went for a 650i GC (also a 4.4 V8 twin turbo) it's only fractional slower, has an extra gear in the box so is smoother in traffic, came individually specced with adjustable dampers and the comfort seats so made more sense to me, also slightly cheaper, slightly more common engine but overall a rarer car (seems there's just 13 650i GC's in the country vs a lot more M6's)

Either way remarkably similar, still makes me smile to look at it, massively comfortable and practical too. Shame the current 6 is what it is.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Desiboy said:
378,000 miles? Definitely still too expensive.
37k in the advert tongue out

Weekendrebuild

1,004 posts

62 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Had one of these last year alongside my e63m6 I still have the e63 there’s just no drama with the latest line up of M cars . Give me a thirsty v10 any day .

130R

6,807 posts

205 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Limpet said:
This generation of 6 series is ageing really well, IMO.

Genuine question - when you're talking big, two tonne cars like this with electric power steering, does the M version really give you a significant benefit (in the real world) over the quickest non-M version? A colleague has a 2013 640d GC and it's a really capable car, but very much feels like a pretty quick, comfy GT rather than a sports car. There's quite a laid back, lazy feel to it (which really suits it, BTW). I know the M6 is on another level performance wise, but does M Division really change the character of a big, heavy car like this that much?
All full M cars are significantly sharper to drive than the normal car. If you drove a 640d and M6 back-to-back you would definitely notice the chassis improvements in any kind of spirited driving.

Augustus Windsock

3,340 posts

154 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
seefarr said:
Augustus Windsock said:
“..as very fast and luxurious sporting saloons; ones that, if not at the top of their class, aren’t far off.”

A class that to my mind is only made up of this, and similar offerings from Audi, Mercedes and Porsche. Surely it’s not hard to be near the top of a particularly small group, but conversely it’s easy to be near or at the bottom....?
I’m not a fan of these but out of the group I’ve mentioned it is, to my mind, the best looking of a mixed bunch.
I agree the BMW is a good looking thing but I'd put the Aston Martin Rapide in that group too and that is on a different level in terms of looks. The cheapest are down under £40k now too.
Mea culpa, I forgot about the Rapide.
But as a riposte I think that’s its whole problem; people forget about the AM, which says a lot really.
I’ve seen a few Rapides in the Matlock area and always think they look expensive and aesthetically pleasing, but also how small they are in the back. And then my mind wanders away to think about clouds, the universe, lava formations...and it’s as if the AM never entered my view or was recognised by my grey matter......

vtecyo

2,122 posts

128 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
Limpet said:
This generation of 6 series is ageing really well, IMO.
Agreed. There's a couple of coupes and hard tops that I see close to home regularly and they look absolutely fantastic. Especially in dark red.

DoubleD

22,154 posts

107 months

Thursday 19th September 2019
quotequote all
A coupe for your Gran?