BMW M6 – simply magnificent

By Frank S. Washington
Contributing Columnist
Union County Post

DETROIT – BMW’s M6 super coupe is a magnificent piece of machinery. No other description fits.
Except for quad tail pipes, extra big tires, bulging fenders to hold them and some discrete badging, there’s little outward difference between the M6 and BMW’s 645Ci upon which it is based. Only a true automotive enthusiast could tell them apart. What makes the M6 magnificent is its engine.
To say it is a compact 5.0-liter, 500 horsepower V10 is only part of the story. It can be programmed by the driver to run at 400 horsepower, 500 horsepower, or in 500 horsepower sport mode. Except for a couple of occasions, we kept it at 400 horsepower.
Then there’s the transmission through which all that power rippled onto the pavement. It was a seven-speed sequential manual gearbox (SMG). The best way to describe the SMG is that it’s a manual transmission that shifts automatically.
Or, the SMG could be shifted manually with either the center console mounted gear shifter, or with steering wheel mounted paddles. We tried both but for most of our test week we let the SMG shift itself.
But how to shift the M6 was only the beginning of the options we were given. The SMG has eleven driving programs. Stability control can be turned off and the suspension has three different ride settings.
The M6’s V10 is a race engine in street clothing. Maximum engine speed is 8,250 rpm. But it will not exceed 5,500 rpm when idling. In other words, we just couldn’t goose the engine. And when we first started the M6, its engine revolution per minute speed was also electronically limited based on engine oil temperature. The M6’s V10 engine will not allow its driver to hurt it. It will electronically shut off, if it is pushed to redline.
BMW says the M6 will go from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. That’s impressive but it is really abstract. Try this: from a standing start we accelerated somewhat aggressively (we did not have the gas pedal to floor). As we neared the end of the second block, the M6 was approaching 60 mph. That told us, if we had continued, that we would have easily attained 100 mph in less that four city blocks from a standstill. That’s awfully swift.
Just as important as how fast you can go is how fast you can stop. The M6 had massive four wheel vacuum assisted ventilated cross drilled antilock compound disc brakes. They slowed 19-inch tires fore and aft. We had way too much power to drive foolishly within the city’s limits. But a few times we purposely waited when approaching traffic lights to apply the brakes. There was never a moment when the car was at risk of going too far.
With a base price of $96,795, certain equipment is expected. The M6 had a navigation system, premium audio system, adaptive Xenon headlamps, park assist front and rear, Bluetooth that turns cell phone into hands free car phones, power doors, locks, windows, seats, tilt and telescoping steering wheel and on the list went.
Our test vehicle had three options: red merino interior leather, comfort access (the font seats lifted forwarded for easier access to the back seats) and a head up display. Add on a $3,000 gas guzzler tax. Our M6 was priced at $106,390.
The M6 is an investment that’s an awful lot of fun. With every new M6, an old one becomes a valued automotive heirloom. And the 2006 edition will certainly add to the lore of the BMW’s M-line.

Frank S. Washington can be reached at frank@aboutthatcar.com. Or, snail mail him at PO Box 23167, Detroit, MI, 48223.