Whoa.
That’s pretty much the only thought in your brain when flying down the front straightaway of Wisconsin’s Road America racetrack in the new BMW M6. At 130 mph. In the pouring rain. But in some strange Superman-esque bizzaro way, the wet, glum day just further emphasized how great a car this really is. What does it say about the car if you can have a day-long ear-to-ear grin while driving the M6 in the rain, just realize how amazing it would be in the sun!
New to 2006 is BMW’s latest foray into the luxury coupe market. Starting with the 650i, BMW has added all of the trimmings that make up an M-class car, complete with an M-class price tag ($96,795 incl. destination). However, in keeping with tradition, BMW has delivered a car worthy of that special letter – M.
First looks are always important with cars, and exteriors will often offer polarizing opinions to the public -- the M6 will likely be no different. Opinions change depending on the time of day, the lighting, or the price of gas. One thing is for sure, though, the M6 definitely looks like is a sports car:
Long, smooth lines, check.
Stylish 19” wheels, check.
Dual exhaust, check.
It is a unique package that announces itself as a beast to the BMW fans of the world, while still retaining its polished, sleeper look to the unsuspecting guy revving his engine next to you at the light.
Inside, the car is wall-to-wall leather; seats, steering wheel, dash, armrest, all adorned. You can probably debate whether this car is a sports car first, and luxury car second, or vice-a-versa. Comfort was not compromised in either of the front seats, there was plenty of leg and shoulder room, yet you still felt connected. The climate controls were all easily accessible and within reach, but the seat warmer buttons were very small and hard to find without taking your eyes completely off the road. The cruise control and steering wheel adjustment knobs were both obscured from view by the steering wheel while driving. One feature clearly missing from the interior are the M Multi-function Comfort seats found in the M5.
Interior road noise was kept to a minimum, which depending on your perspective is either a plus or a minus. To the luxury-minded, the quiet ride is very relaxing as you feel insulated from the outside world, and that is a plus. But to the performance-minded, the road and engine noise is a good indication of how fast you’re going, and in this car it is hard to gauge that without actually looking at the speedometer.
The iDrive knob was slightly awkward to reach as the center console was placed in such a way that you are expected to rest your arm on the console, and operate the knob with just a flick of your wrist. Having long arms, however, means you either overshoot the knob, or you have to push your elbow back between the seats in order to reach it. Furthermore, the knob is difficult to reach directly since it sits vertically below the console.
Rear seat room was respectable for a coupe. Head clearance is bearable for someone 6-feet tall, but leg room is definitely in short supply, given that there is nearly a foot less in the rear. Clearly this is a driver’s car, so don’t expect your friends to line up for a back seat ride.
The M6’s power plant is a wondrously tuned 5.0-liter DOHC 40-valve V-10 engine. Pushing the car’s start button wakes a sleeping beast under the hood and you are greeted with a low, calming purr that you know is just waiting to turn into a real vicious growl. By default the car operates under reduced power (only 400 hp), which under most circumstances is all you ever need. But on that special occasion where you really want to feel its sheer pulse-racing power, simply press the inconspicuous button on the steering wheel marked M. Immediately you feel the engine get a little throatier as the full 500 hp becomes available. The only thing left to do now is hit the throttle and experience a child-like giddiness that overcomes you as you are thrown into the back of seat.
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Zero to 60mph comes in under 5 seconds, with 100 mph just a few heartbeats later. Acceleration was smooth and fluid, and it’s a good thing there’s a heads-up display(HUD) to show your speed on the windshield, because otherwise you’d never believe you’re going as fast as you really are! A nice feature of the HUD is its two different views. When the M button is disengaged, the display shows your current speed; when M is engaged you get your speed, current gear, as well as a ¾ circle power meter with green, orange, and red suggested shift points.
One of the hallmark features of the M6 is its SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox), the F1 inspired transmission that allows you to either manually shift the car yourself or leave it in fully automatic mode. It is borrowed from its big brother the M5, and includes the same 7-speed DRIVELOGIC configuration, 11 shift programs and Launch Control as its sibling. The shift paddles, which are attached to the steering wheel, are firm and easily engaged with only minimal pull required. Unfortunately, having the paddles connected to the steering wheel means that shifting while turning is difficult, as you need to follow the wheel around in order to reach them – it would have been better if they were attached directly to the steering column.
The various programming modes of the SMG allow the driver to fine-tune the shifting characteristics for the manual and automatic modes. Refinements can take you from a gear shift reminiscent of a propane truck, with slow, lurching transitions, all the way up to quick (sometimes jarring) performance-tuned shifts. One question begs to be asked, however, in a top-tier sports car, as this clearly is, why offer less-than- crisp shift modes at all? It is hard to believe that anyone able to own this car would ever settle for the lower-end shifting modes.
For the uninitiated, the SMG does take a little while to get used to. Much like the iDrive system, it has its benefits, but the first time you sit down at it you might find yourself thinking twice about what you’re trying to do. This manifests itself mostly during frequent shifts on challenging roads. The more you find yourself manually shifting the car (either with the paddles or the shift lever), the more you want to instinctively know what gear you’re in, and when it is appropriate to shift. In a manual transmission car, you develop a sort of sixth sense association between where the shift lever physically is and what gear it correlates to. You don’t even need to think about it. Shifter is over here, oh that’s 3rd gear. Shifter down here, that’s 6th. Having the heads up display showing you the current gear number is extremely helpful, but there’s initially somewhat of a mental disconnect between seeing that number, and having your brain automatically know what your next shift will be. Granted this all goes away in time, but first impressions are always important, especially when you’re plunking down close to a hundred grand for this car.
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The M6’s stopping power is as impressive as its takeoff. The large, compound, cross-ventilated disc brakes were always firm and reliable on the road and very impressive on the track. Under hard braking conditions on one particularly fast section of the track, the car did get a little light in the rear end and started to float ever so slightly, if only for a moment. As the brakes were eased off, and the approaching corner entered, the huge rear tires regained their grip and didn’t let go again.
The steering is quite amazing, as it uses a variable-ratio power steering system that fine-tunes itself based on your speed. This means the slower you go the more help the car gives you with steering. You turn the wheel just a little, and the wheels move more. As you increase speed, the steering will de-sensitize so that at high speed, you can continue to use smooth wheel movement without having jerky, potentially crash-inducing results. This feature, coupled with the DSC, is one of the main reasons this car is so easily drivable by people with a wide range of skills.
The Electronic Damper Control (EDC) has three levels of suspension stiffness to allow you to further fine-tune your ride. There wasn’t any real apparent difference between the off and intermediate settings, but when fully enabled, the car did tighten up; you could feel that there was even less than normal body roll when cornering. And while never being outright harsh, bumps in the road were more noticeably felt.
BMW has continued to provide the tools needed to have a fun and safe ride with its superb traction control. Turn the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) off, and it’s up to you to keep all 500 horses on the road. Downshift and step on the gas and you can expect the rear end to break loose for as long as you keep it floored. With DSC fully turned on, you could feel the car working to keep you on the road – and sometimes it was just a little too much. Accelerating through corners was noticeably “throttled”. However, press and release the DSC button and you enter a “toned down” mode where BMW does its best to keep you just on the safe side of insane. You could feel the car giving you a little more thrill in the corners, a little bit of slip to remind you that you’re actually still alive! Even in the rain the car felt extremely safe and secure in this mode, the whole time darting through tight, winding wet country roads, many of which were covered with leaves, branches, and other traction-stealing obstacles.
At 3909 lbs the M6 is no lightweight but it still clocks in about 100 lbs lighter than its M5 counterpart. Additionally, the roof panel is made of carbon fiber which acts to reduce weight and lower the car’s center of gravity (plus it adds to the bling factor). Cornering (especially with the EDC fully enabled) had almost no roll, and the car’s 50.2/49.8 weight distribution led to a very balanced, feel.
Without a doubt the M6 is a fantastic car. BMW has done an excellent job of providing a complete package of performance and comfort to the consumer. The car is amazingly fun to drive, and it feels solid and secure at high speeds. At the same time you feel pampered while sitting in the plush interior with amenities such as navigation, dual climate control and satellite radio at your fingertips.
One problem that BMW may have with this car is its slight identity complex. The M6 has so much power and so much luxury that the target demographic becomes somewhat limited. Clearly this car caters to the very rich performance-oriented enthusiast. But for anyone else, it may not fit the bill even if you can get past the 6-figure sticker price.
Identity aside, BWM has definitely thrown down the gauntlet for the high-performance luxury coupe market. It may be a long time before someone can truly step up to the challenge that is the M6.
View the BMW M6 Photo Gallery