Taking no prisoners
There is no need to search for a badge on the radiator grille or the boot of this car. It is immediately clear that this 6-Series model is something quite special.
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- It is broad in the beam, it has serious wheels and huge skirts all round and all this tells the driver of a standard 6-Series model that he definitely is not at the wheel of the top-of-the-range version.
It is broad in the beam, it has serious wheels and huge skirts all round and all this tells the driver of a standard 6-Series model that he definitely is not at the wheel of the top-of-the-range version. This is such a brawny, brash beast that it polarizes as much as did the first M3 versions back in the day. A real eye-catcher is the Coupé’s dark contoured roof made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Onboard as standard… LED lights fore and aft, a quad-flow exhaust unit and a set of 19 inch wheels. 20 inchers are also offered and a driving dynamics package good for a top speed of 305 kilometres an hour.
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- For BMW it is no longer a matter of naturally aspirated power alone. The M6 is yet another model to benefit from the bi-turbo eight-cylinder mill with 4.4 litres engine capacity. The high revving concept adopted permits an output of 560 horsepower (412 kW) and a maximum torque of the 680 Nm, available from just 1,500 RPM.
Big but not thirsty
As far as the technology is concerned the power-duo M6 Coupé und M6 Cabriolet are closely related to the BMW M5 introduced by the Bavarian car maker last year. For BMW it is no longer a matter of naturally aspirated power alone. The M6 is yet another model to benefit from the bi-turbo eight-cylinder mill with 4.4 litres engine capacity. The high revving concept adopted permits an output of 560 horsepower (412 kW) and a maximum torque of 680 Nm, available from just 1,500 RPM. More impressive than the top speed limited to 305 kilometres an hour, the sprint achieved in 4.2 seconds or the two hundred mark hit in 12.5 seconds is the fuel consumption. In comparison with the equally potent and very thirsty older power plant the new one calls for a very reasonable averaged consumption of 9.9 litres per hundred driven kilometres… a very impressive thirty percent reduction. This increase in efficiency is not just thanks to the engine… the optimized aerodynamics, start/stop automation and regenerative braking also play an important role.
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- Optional extras for the M6 Coupé and M6 Cabrio include carbon-ceramic brakes for racing.
High-tech racer
Standing in the way of even better fuel consumption and even faster acceleration is the car’s considerable weight… the BMW M6 Coupé will tip the scales at 1.9 tons. And the Cabrio version will be even heavier at two tons. These are weights hardly appropriate for high-performance cars wearing the ‘M’ badge. The potent bi-turbo motorization, however, results in a power-to-weight ratio of 3.3 kilos per unit of horsepower. The power is handled by a seven-stage dual clutching transmission sending the push to the back axle where an active differential distributes the traction fully variably to the wheels. In comparison with the stock 6-Series autos the kinematics for both front and rear axles have been newly developed. As standard there is variable damping and a freely programmable ‘M Sport’ mode. Optional extras for the M6 Coupé and M6 Cabrio include carbon-ceramic brakes for racing.
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- The quad-flow exhaust system contributes to both the look and the sound of the new M6 generation.
Not a bargain
The interior of the M6 is far less dramatic than the exterior. There is an unusually slim sports steering wheel, there are sports seats with an integrated seat-belt system and a new instrument display concept. As with the standard 6-Series model range there will also be a top-down ‘M’ version. The BMW M6 Cabrio will be in premium showrooms from summer and will carry a price tag from 131 thousand Euros. But it is the closed Coupé which will most appeal to sports car fans and it will be available in the autumn and will cost from 123,600 Euros. A four-door BMW M6 Gran Coupé can be expected in 2013.
