2006 BMW M6

2006 BMW M6 - The formula is simple: make plenty of power, plenty of panache, and seating for just the driver and the occasional special passenger. Yes, yes, the M6 has a rear seat, and with cooperation from those up front, adults can in fact arrange themselves back there. But like the parcel-shelf rear seat in a Porsche 911, it’s best suited to stowing a case of Dom Pérignon and a couple pounds of beluga caviar for an emergency supply run to Sag Harbor.

Hardware: The subdermal M6 is structurally similar to, but not quite identical with, the M5 sedan. At 109.5 inches, the wheelbase is 4.2 inches shorter than the M5’s, and there are also tiny track-dimension differences, although overall length is all but identical. Sheetmetal distinctions are obviously more profound. There are fewer doors, and the 54.0-inch roofline is 3.8 inches lower than the M5’s.

Where the coupe holds the edge over its four-door counterpart is at the scales: At 3908 pounds, this M6 is 202 pounds lighter than the M5 we tested in our January issue [“Bahn Burners, Episode 39”]. A carbon-fiber roof panel contributes to this advantage, and also to a slightly lower center of gravity. But it’s interesting to note that for all the whittling by the M engineers in Garching, Germany, the M6 is 48 pounds heavier than the 645Ci we tested two years ago [“High-End Sports Coupes,” May 2004]. Mark it down to the M6’s bigger wheels, bigger brakes, and bigger engine.

But the V-10 makes the V-8 seem a little tame. With its short-stroke design (92.0mm by 75.2), variable valve timing, individual throttles for each cylinder, lightweight valvetrain, and various tweaks distilled from BMW’s F1 and other racing programs, the V-10 is, as we might say in Bavaria, a shcreamuh: 500 horsepower at 7750 rpm, 383 pound-feet of torque at 6100 rpm, 8250-rpm redline. It also emits sounds that can provoke mildly sociopathic behavior. This is true at any rpm north of idle, but more so as speed climbs, a sweet crescendo of temptation. Make that a well-nigh irresistible crescendo. No warning labels for this, by the way. You’re on your own.

With the power button punched and the seven-speed sequential manual gearbox (SMG) operating in its most aggressive setting, the M6 hunkers down and rips to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, 0.1 second quicker than the heavier M5. The coupe’s advantage continues as velocities increase: 8.9 seconds to 100 mph versus 9.4, 12.4 seconds at 121 mph in the quarter-mile versus 12.5 at 118. The times are similar to those we recorded for a Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet last August [“Lords of Envy”] and, more significant, the best we’ve ever clocked for a production BMW. (As a historic footnote, the first-gen M6 we tested 19 years ago, in July 1987, got to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds at 94 mph.)

Dynamics: The M6 is undeniably fast, but no one is likely to call it nimble. This is not to say it’s reluctant. There’s plenty of roll stiffness to keep cornering attitudes level, turn-in is prompt, and transient responses are brisk. Although the meaty Continental ContiSportContact 2 tires pulled a so-so 0.87 g on the skidpad, real-world grip seems abundant, giving the driver a welcome sense of confidence at high cornering speeds — very high cornering speeds.

For all that, this is a big car, and it feels like a big car, a sense magnified by the weighting of the variable-assist rack-and-pinion power steering. It’s quick — 2.4 turns lock-to-lock — but as speed increases, so does effort, an increase that doesn’t include increased feel. It all adds up to a GT coupe that is fast, purposeful, competent, and all but devoid of any sense of playful spirit, an impression that’s aggravated by stiff ride quality on lumpy pavement, the price of the M6’s athletic responses and limited suspension travel.

On the other hand, this coupe falls into what we once called the “personal luxury car” category, and its interior appointments give that description contemporary relevance. Leather, orchestral audio, nav system, power everything, and multiadjustable bucket seats that feel cushier than those in the M5, although no less supportive.

While we’re kvetching, let’s talk sheetmetal. From bows to backlight, this is an uncommonly handsome car. But what’s with that decklid? Either it was intended for some other car, or every new 6-series coupe is subjected to a rear-end collision before it leaves the factory.

Some of our guys point out that you could buy a Porsche 911 GT3 for this kind of money. Some of them also point out that they aren’t smitten with this car’s persona. But your humble narrator, a slightly older guy (and unindicted former exec), thinks otherwise. There are M6 elements that don’t resonate as happily as BMW might like, but at its core, this is a formidable luxury GT with capabilities that will probably exceed the needs (and talents) of the lucky few who can make the payments. It’s fast, sexy, capable, loaded with character — and as a limited-production item, it’ll undoubtedly become a collectible. Luxury-car buying doesn’t get any better than this.