ROAD TEST: BMW M6

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: BMW M6

BMW’s M cars are, as a rule, rather special. Despite the company’s slightly confused attempt to add SUVs to the M line up, the ‘proper’ M cars (the ones with a single number after the M… or in the case of the 1M, before…) are still very much the heroes of the piece. Here is an M6. We drive it. Quite a lot.

You have seen this before. We sure have – it is the very same car that we drove from Christchurch to Dunedin, with a detour to Cromwell, a while back.

After it did demonstration time in Dunedin, it made its way back up to Auckland. And into our clammy hands again! The audio settings, seat position and “M” button settings hadn’t even been changed. That really did make it feel like it was mine. I even went so far as to offer the suggestion that I had set it free in Dunedin, but it had found its way back to me; didn’t that make it mine?

Sadly, BMW were not going for that, so I had to resign myself to giving it back. Again. At least I would have one more week to REALLY make sure I liked it.

Outside

BMW always make sure that the exterior of its M cars are distinctive from the more ordinary garden-variety cars they are based on. They do this in a subtle way – by changing most of the exterior panels.

This may seem drastic, but it certainly works. The wider guards, various bulges, more aggressive intakes (all over the place) and angrier bumpers work a treat at making the M6 obviously different from a plain 6 Series, but still obviously related.

The massive alloy wheels look the part and, while the bright burnt-orange paintwork looked fantastic down in the South Island, it did look a little cockish in the confines of the city. Something to do with the quality of the light? Or maybe it’s just a cockish colour and we were so entranced by the car in our first time with it we really didn’t notice…

Still, the M6 can be had in other colours, but the cockish orange DOES make it really stand out. If you like that sort of thing…

Inside

The inside of the M6 is a far more subtle place than the outside. Black leather and carbon fibre dominate, with a hint of shiny black plastic and matt silver for good measure.

The quality of the interior is staggering, from the beautifully stitched leather steering wheel, with its delightful-feeling metal shift paddles to the perfection of the carbon fibre on the dash and centre console – the whole thing is spectacular.

The seats are firm, but brilliantly grippy and comfortable, while also being seemingly infinitely adjustable.

The stereo is ear-bleedingly thunderous and the ergonomics are pretty much spot on, apart from a few oddly-place minor buttons.

The biggest downside of the interior is one barely worth mentioning, for fear of seeming petty; the ventilated seats are fairly weak-kneed. They eventually become vaguely cool, but it takes time even to become noticeable.

Under the bonnet

This is where all M Cars are very special indeed, and the M6 is no different.

With a staggering 412kW and 680Nm on tap, the M6 is a beast when prodded fully into life, yet such is the flexibility of the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 that it is also capable of being an absolute pussy cat around town. Albeit one that spits, coughs and snarls with a big, deep-chested tiger baritone…

Showing just how good the pointy-heads in BMWs M division are, getting something so angry, insanely powerful and aggressive to behave itself so effortlessly around town is quite simply a remarkable feat.

The last M5/M6 boasted the mental V10 that went like a Stuka dive-bomber, sounded like all of World War II bundled up together and was a grumpy nightmare around town. This new twin-turbo V8 goes harder, doesn’t quite sound as good and is stupidly easy to live with at low speeds.

On the road

While being easy to live with around town is all good, the best bit about the 4.4-litre V8 is that it is spoon-bendingly mental when you wind everything up to 11 and give it a bootful.

Even at the legal limit the rear tyres struggle for grip in the dry as all that massive power and torque tries its best to throw the M6 backwards into the scenery. That is where the brilliantly calibrated stability control quietly steps in and sorts things out.

Forward momentum is barely compromised by the electronic intervention and the M6 thunders up to whatever speed you choose to lose your license at with a massive and mighty impressive bellow scaring the hell out of whatever is nearby.

Corners are dispatched with ridiculous ease, yet the M6 still manages to feel involving and engaging, mainly because – even with the clever stability control – the driver still needs to take charge and let the big BMW know who’s boss.

Driving the M6 around corners on the throttle is stupidly easy, yet sensible applications and quick reactions are necessary. Or you could just put it in Sport Plus mode and let the stability control act as a handy backstop…

Stupidly fun and capable for such a large car, the M6 is a joy to drive in any style at any speed. Again, with that flexibility thing…

Possibly the only chink in the M6’s startlingly complete armor comes in the form of the slick 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Under ordinary (i.e.: full throttle…) use, it is stunningly good, but the usual DCT bugbear of low-speed maneuvering is magnified by the M6’s big power, and creeping slowly into a parking space or the like is a lurchy, mildly embarrassing exercise.

Verdict

Spending four days with the M6 on the open roads of the South Island made us fall in love with its grand-touring capabilities, ballistic engine and mighty performance. Spending a week with it in the city only served to intensify that love.

The stupid ease with which it deals with city life is almost as impressive as its blitzkrieg performance and bellowing engine note. Almost, that is, because nothing beats that full-noise acceleration and angry, angry noise it makes…

BMW M6 Specifications

Price: $265,100 ($266,910 as tested)
Body type: 2-door coupe
Drive: Rear-wheel drive
Engine Type: V8 turbo petrol
Engine Capacity: 4395cc
Max power: 412kW @ 6000rpm
Max torque: 680Nm @ 1500rpm
Fuel Consumption: 9.9L/100km
C02 emission: 232g/km
0 to 100kph: 4.2 seconds
Front suspension: Double wishbone
Rear suspension: Double wishbone
ABS Brakes: Yes
Air Bags: 6
ESP: Yes
Air Conditioning: Dual zone climate
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
Satellite Navigation: Yes
Electric seats: Yes
Burglar Alarm: Yes
Panic Button: No
Wheel type: 18-inch alloy