BMW M6 Reviews

We answer the big questions about the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, including the most important one -- would you buy one?

Tuned BMWs have moved closer to their Mercedes and Audi rivals. If time is the ultimate luxury, then performance cars are a paradox. Flat out, even cars with modest performance ambitions can hit 100km/h in six or seven seconds. That used to be the supercar zone. Now, the quickest Italian exotics can hit the legal limit in less than half that.When the Bugatti Veyron achieved a sub-three second sprint time almost a decade ago, it looked untouchable. Surprisingly quickly, its rivals have caught up.The paradox arises because if you want to enjoy that engine and decide to give the throttle pedal your undivided attention, then in a matter of moments you'll have to ease off. All the fun comes in one quick blat. Premature acceleration, if you like. Keep going and you may end up serving time measured in months rather than seconds.Of course, there's more to luxury and performance than outright pace. That's the province of muscle cars and Friday night drag racers.On price, the M6 Gran Coupe sits above the M6 coupe but below the convertible, at $299,500. Rivals include the Aston Martin Rapide, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes CLS 63 AMG, Porsche Panamera and upcoming Audi RS 7 and Jaguar XJR. Compared with other Gran Coupes, it's a $60k premium over the 650i with a lesser version of the same engine and $115k more than the 640i, which has a turbocharged inline six.If a car can handle its socks off and rewards a driver, then pace per se becomes secondary. An example is the upcoming McLaren P1, spiritual heir to the maker's landmark F1 supercar from the 1990s. It does not claim to be the quickest in a straight line but the fastest around a track. Any track.There's a trade-off here between the sorts of fittings you may expect in a car costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and handling. Luxury materials and gadgets add weight, the enemy of agility. The most extreme supercars are stripped of all that stuff to mimic, albeit in a more manicured way, the rawness of race cars.Another type of performance car, though, where everything from the splendid cabin to the equipment to the engine are maxed out. These are epitomised by the tuned versions of mainstream cars produced by AMG for Mercedes, M for BMW and Quattro for Audi.Here, the point is to give the ultimate luxury statement a fitting level of grunt, so that the big engine under the bonnet is an engineering match for the 20-speaker megawatt sound system.These cars are increasingly popular, especially in Australia, which buys more of them per capita than just about anywhere else. Their success has spurred proliferation, with nothing too absurd to pimp. It's why the Mercedes G-wagen, a hardcore military offroader, is offered with a 400kW+ V8 in the G 63.In that car, the engine is way out of kilter with the vehicle's dynamic ability. It's a case of having more because you can. To a lesser extent, though, that's true of all these cars. One example is BMW's 6 Series line-up, which has an M variant for each of the three body styles offered: coupe, cabriolet and sedan.The M sedan, called the M6 Gran Coupe, has just arrived. It's one of those low-slung sedans makers like to refer to as a “four-door coupe”, hence the name. It's longer than the real coupe by more than 100mm and all of that is between the wheels to provide adequate seating in the rear. Unlike the coupe/convertible, it can carry five and offers decent legroom all round. In effect it's a 7 Series limo in a wetsuit, with all the bulges compressed out.In other respects, it is virtually identical to the M6 coupe/convertible and the M5, with the same turbocharged 412kW 4.4-litre V8 and seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels. It weighs 25kg more than the coupe but can reach 100km/h in an identical 4.2 seconds.Compared with the standard Gran Coupe, apart from the engine and transmission, the M treatment includes a high-performance chassis with unique axles, active dampers and an M differential to help put power down. It also gets a superb interior, with contrasting leather and Alcantara, a huge control screen and all the toys you can think of, including BMW's excellent head-up display.The M6’s exceptional level of spec extends to front-side and curtain airbags, multi-stage stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with six-piston front calipers, cruise control with braking function, active front head restraints, auto-dimming mirrors, several cameras, parking sensors, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitoring, heads-up display and auto high-beam function. Carbon-ceramic brakes are also available for an extra $24,000.The latest M5 and the M6 trio mark a change in direction for BMW M cars compared with the ones that came before. Typically, the M treatment produced a more focused result than its rivals at Mercedes and Audi. They traced their lineage back to race cars. An M3, for example, felt more at home on a track than the equivalent Mercedes C 63.The price for that was commitment; driving on the daily commute did nothing to reveal its depth of ability and could be uninspiring. The C 63, by contrast, would snarl and rasp its way along at any speed. The latest M5/M6 change to fall into line with their rivals. The defining characteristic of these cars, unlike previous Ms, is an excess of power.The M6 Gran Coupe is the same; it spins its wheels, finds grip momentarily, then spins them again in the next gear. On the road, particularly the damp and twisting back roads between Healesville and Phillip Island on the test drive route, that meant delicate throttle applications. Even then, the traction control light blinked non-stop.The power itself is impressive. Once the engine reaches its torque peak, not far above idle, it just keeps going without respite. Some of it, thanks to the electronics, results in forward motion. It sounds snarly too, especially in low gears. However, it lacks the soaring character of the V10 unit in the previous M5/M6, which meant it had to be driven with the revs in mind. Here, power is on tap and delivers constant excess.The result is a car that lacks a distinctive point of difference. The Gran Coupe, thanks to its length, is less agile than the coupe/convertible but I'm not sure I could tell the difference blindfolded, so to speak. The body feels rigid and the suspension firm, but on our country roads all that stiffness can unsettle the car and the ride is unbearable in anything except comfort mode.On a track, by contrast, even in Sport+ mode you are aware of the weight transfer in directional changes and how much of the car's ability depends on super-wide rubber. When it comes to braking, even with huge stoppers you notice all two tonnes. After a couple of laps the brakes are smoking and starting to lose some of their force.There are other downsides for the driver. The angle of the A-pillars means vision is restricted through corners and the rear window is a narrow slit, with fixed headrests no help.The 640i was a car I enjoyed a lot when I drove it last year and I expected to like the M6 Gran Coupe more. But the 640i is a more balanced result.No question, as a luxury statement the M6 Gran Coupe is right up there and the engine does its bit. But it shows BMW's M cars have joined the pack. Now I'm worried about what they'll do to the next M3. 

If an M5 sedan is too mainstream but four doors are a must for your driveway, then BMW's M-division has unleashed a new flagship that will fit your bill. BMW's latest M-monster is a four-door - the M6 Gran Coupe, a svelte and muscular coupe with easy rear seat access.Anything around $300,000 that doesn't have an ensuite and off-street parking is not really going to be considered value, but it depends on what price you put on stupendous speed or a features list that could take up the rest of this page. The exclusivity of just 20 cars being on the road might well be worth the extra $70,000 - that's a top-spec 1 Series or a mid-spec 3, remember - over an M5.The Gran Coupe gets quad-zone climate control system and roller sunblinds for the rear windscreen and rear side windows to set it apart from the coupe and add to the extensive features list: ventilated and heated leather seating, insulated windscreen, model-specific 20-inch M light-alloy wheels, alcantara rooflining with a leather trim centrepiece, adaptive LED headlights, full internet and sound system integration for smartphones and electric sunblinds for the rear windscreen and rear side windows.The BMW M6 Gran Coupe also brings with it a couple of sizeable options, among them a 12-speaker $14,000 Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound System, digital radio reception, a heated steering wheel and $4500 for BMW Night Vision with pedestrian recognition.Twin-scroll turbos - two of them - puffing away atop an already-potent V8 is recipe for rapidity, even in a two-tonne Teuton. The engine has variable valve timing and lift control on both sides, as well as direct injection, to generate 412kW and 680Nm (from just 1500rpm through to 5750rpm) to send through the rear wheels. On the other side of the powerplant equation is the fuel economy, which is a claimed 9.9 litres per 100km.New to the M6 range and arriving with the new coupe is the $12,000 Competition pack, available from July which adds 11kW, Competition wheels and gives more aggressivesuspension and power steering tune.The extra grunt takes the sprint to 100km/h down from the standard car's 4.2 second claim by 0.1 of second, or 0.2 quicker to 200km/h - given the "standard" car's gusto it wouldn't really seem worth the extra moolah.The drivetrain goodies also include the double-clutch seven-speed "auto" (with stop-start and launch control) and the active rear differential, which teams with the electronics to get the grunt to ground and distributed to whichever of the rear wheels can best use it.The trend of coupe-styled four-door machinery spawned the 6 Gran Coupe and the M version adds to the imposing presence of the mainstream car.  It has the visible carbon-fibre roof, aluminium door and bonnet panels and plastic front guards - all of which help the centre of gravity and keep weight to about 1.9 tonnes.The Gran Coupe gets a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic rear under-bumper diffuser that wraps around the four exhausts. The stance is low and muscled, with wider track, flared wheel arches and larger front air intakes, the brooding and imposing "coupe" sits just 110mm off the tarmac on 20 inch wheels wrapped in liquorice instead of tyres.Cabin space is for four (although there's a fifth seatbelt, the centre console is broad) and the four occupants are generally well accommodated.At 191cm I can sit behind my own driving position with only rear headroom being an issue, while cargo space is good - not grand - at 460 litres, with a split-fold rear seat function to increase that to 1265 litres should you need it.The full arsenal of safety features as you'd expect at this level - front, front-side and curtain airbags, multi-stage stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with six-piston front calipers, cruise control with braking function, active front head restraints, auto-dimming mirrors, several cameras, parking sensors, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitoring,head-up display and auto high-beam function. Or if you are hell-bent on slowing the earth's rotation, you can ante up $24,000 for carbon-ceramic stoppers.Sauntering out of the pit lane and the sense of quiet refinement, the comfort of a big lazy V8 and being snug down truly behind the wheel is a relaxed place to be.Lapping the Sepang track we're testing on doesn't give any sense of ride quality - for that we'll have to wait for local roads - but the clever steering and suspension systems do great things for the Gran Coupe's body control.The front can come under pressure if you're heavy on the brakes, and the rear can slip sideways under duress without too much provocation, but the extra bit of wheelbase and the active rear differential, which teams with the electronic nursemaids to varying degrees, makes it an easy catch with the hydraulic power steering.Some time on the wet skid-pan demonstrated the clever teamwork between the electronics and the clever rear diff, as well as the playful abilities and the immense outputs that can be employed when the restrictions are lifted.With 412kW and 650Nm on offer from the right foot it is an easy game to play, belying its size to some extent - it's no M3 in being nimble in the bends on change of direction, but the torque of the twin-turbo engine makes the M3 feel slow.The brutal straight-line force, which can be unleashed using launch control, slings the big coupe away from standstill to 100km/h in around four seconds, although BMW staffers say 3.9 in the right conditions is not impossible - I'd believe it.As a German ubercar for daily use, we'll wait for a taste of the ride on our roads, but its ability to play hard on a racetrack and obliterate tyres is not in any doubt. Lavish in cabin materials, with no shortage of gear, it's more sledgehammer than scalpel, but not often is blunt force trauma so entertaining.

BMW's M tag is far less exclusive than it once was but still signals high performance. Forty years ago in Munich BMW decided to step up its commitment to motorsport and create a specialist division. It focused on racing engines and one car in particular: the 3.0 CSL.With 270kW from a 3.3-litre straight-six -- and weighing a mere 1.1 tonnes -- it won everything European touring car racing had to offer. A few years later, BMW wanted a car to compete in a Formula 1 undercard race and made a mid-engined supercar called the M1. To meet the rules, it had to build at least 400 road-legal versions. As well as a stunning shape, the M1 was the fastest German sportscar of the time. Just 456 were made, so it's very collectable now. That car gave the division its name and within a few years it was turning out the M3 and M5 performance variants that cemented BMW's reputation as a driver's badge. When it applied M-ness last year to the 1 Series two-door, it wanted to reserve “M1” for the 1970s original -- or its heirs -- so it broke with convention and called it the M Coupe. Which suggests that behind the scenes BMW may be working on a new M1 supercar. In a way, that's exactly what it needs because the blue, violet and red tricolour is being applied increasingly liberally across almost everything BMW makes. That M Coupe saw the division embrace turbocharging for the first time, but any inhibitions about how far M could legitimately go had already been dismantled a couple of years earlier when it allowed offroaders, inherently non-racy vehicles, to qualify for performance tuning.The X5 M and X6 M were the result; amazingly capable SUVs but a long way from where it all started. There's more. To maximise the potential of the badge, there's now a sub-brand called M Performance. This is sort of M-lite, with a performance wand waved over the chassis but assembly on the standard line rather than specialist construction.VALUEThe prices start from $68,400 BMW M135I, $292,500 BMW M6 (coupe) and $308,500 (convertible). Its debut vehicles are powered by M's first diesel, a triple-turbocharged six-cylinder in the M550d versions of the X5 and X6. BMW admits this diversification was inspired by the success of its M Sports packages, which apply racy cosmetics such as sports seats and aero kits to standard cars.M Sport versions have just become available for the 3 Series launched early this year and BMW expects 40-50 per cent of buyers to opt for it -- on a car already available with a so-called Sportline trim. Depending on which model you start with, this can add $8900 to the price.M Performance parts are the latest twist. They leverage the M Performance sub-brand to offer buyers a selection of aftermarket add-ons. In effect, the M badge has been parlayed into a huge Sports-R-Us superstore. If it used to stand for Motorsport, perhaps it now stands for Marketing.In fact it's difficult to say what it stands for, so diverse are the offerings. The two latest are effectively bookends for the non-cosmetic side of operations. At one extreme is the M135i, an M Performance model that spices up the mainstream hatchback launched last year.For the price the M135i’s performance is sensational: 4.9 seconds to 100km/h (slightly slower with the manual). That's identical to the M Coupe, which was $30,000 more. At the other is the M6 Coupe or Convertible, which is the most expensive M you can buy and, aside from the V12-powered long-wheelbase 7 Series limousine, the most expensive BMW.TECHNOLOGYOnly a year after it debuted in an M car, they both use turbocharging. Thanks to emission regulations, turbocharging is needed to meet the challenge of getting performance and economy from smaller capacity engines. In M cars, it changes the character of their power delivery. Previously, you had to rev the daylights out of them before you could tap into their potential. With turbos delivering huge torque virtually from idle, that's no longer the case.It has made the M6, which is a mechanical twin to the M5 launched earlier this year, much more like its AMG rivals from Mercedes. The engine, downsized from the previous 5.0-litre V10 to a 4.4-litre V8, uses turbos to get 39kW more power and a whopping 160Nm more torque. The redline arrives 1000rpm lower, at 7200rpm, but peak torque is accessible across virtually the entire rev band, from 1500-5750rpm.It's some compensation for turbocharging's downside: lag between throttle and response. But what it means in practice is wheelspin on demand and power oversteer if you turn all the settings to max and take it to a track, as BMW did for the launch.The M6 Coupe can hit 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and twice that in just 12.6, making it BMW's fastest car. The Convertible, being heavier, is a fraction slower but still quicker than its rivals from Jaguar or Maserati. Of course, there's an option called the M Driver's Package, which lifts maximum speed from an artificially limited 250km/h to 305km/h. I've little doubt it could get there.DESIGNThe Convertible is heavier and less rigid than the carbon-fibre-roofed Coupe, but they are both the wrong side of 1.9 tonnes. The M6 has piled on 200kg since the 2006 original. It's a splendid luxury express with one of the best cabins I've seen in a BMW. However, it's a long way from where M started and although everything works -- the brakes held up well, for example -- I wanted to be less remote from the car.That's something you get more of in the M135i. Even though this is not a full-dose M car but an M Performance model, it's closer to the first M3 than anything bar the M Coupe mentioned above -- which is now, sadly, unavailable. The M135i looks like a frumpy little hatchback rather than a performance car and, initially, seems too softly sprung for a performance variant.DRIVINGThe Lakeside circuit in Queensland is much tighter and twistier than Phillip Island, where it took the M5. Any overzealous throttle use brought the tail out and the traction control light was almost permanently on. Disappointingly, there was less subtlety and feel to the steering, throttle and brakes than I'd like and where the M5 was a hoot at Phillip Island, the M6 felt large and weighty at Lakeside. I was acutely aware my daring depended on fat rubber and it seemed like hard work from behind the wheel. No wonder, given the speeds achievable. However, brilliant front-end grip means you can point it around corners with confidence. The rear can stutter a little, but it tracks through bends with superb composure. It's also relatively light, at 1.5 tonnes.The M135i’s engine -- a familiar 3.0-litre turbo six -- sounds great when pressed and comes with an unsampled six-speed manual or excellent eight-speed automatic. There are issues, such as tyre noise and wide A-pillars, but against rivals such as the Audi S3 it looks an absolute bargain.VERDICTWith more M cars on the way, including an M3 Coupe and Convertible rebadged as the M4, it's a vital reminder of where the whole M thing started.BMW M135IPrice: from $68,400 Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged 6-cylinder petrol, 235kW/450NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 8.0L/100kmBMW M6Price: from $292,500 (Coupe) to $308,500 (Convertible) Engine: 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol, 412kW/680NmTransmission: 7-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 9.9L/100Km (10.3L/100Km)

Topping out BMW's impressive M performance vehicle lineup are the M6 twins in coupe and convertible variants.They sell in the $300 grand bracket so will be, um, fairly exclusive with BMW hoping for about 50 sales a year of each. If you do buy one, you can feel good within yourself for contributing around $100 grand to the Federal Government's Luxury Car Tax so us wage hacks don't get stung as hard - as if.Inside is a treasure chest of goodies you simply don't get further down the food chain including safety equipment to keep you in your lane, change to high beam automatically and keep you entertained through a 12 speaker audio system.Did I mention internet connectivity, high end satnav, head up info display and park distance control. That's on top of the heated and ventilated leather clad seats. BMW hasn't held back with these puppies offering both variants comprehensively equipped.Both cars look sensational on the road, big, imposing and powerful all of which they unequivocally are. Roof deployment/stowage takes mere seconds in the heavier convertible, the one we prefer in styling terms. It looks the goods with the roof on or off. And the plebs get to see you driving around in what is the ultimate M-car.But they're heavy artillery tipping the scales at around the 2.0-tonne mark - old school big GT cars made for Euro autobahn burning. There’s seating for four adults in individual seats but the rears are tight even though new M6 has been redesigned to provide more rear seat room. The boot size is OK.The M6 is basically a shorter wheelbase M5 under the skin sharing the same powertrain and all the same dynamic technology and luxury kit. The cars have adaptive suspension, variable steering, multi mode transmission and adaptive limited slip differential with its own multi plate clutch.The flow of power comes from a 4.4-litre, V8 petrol engine with two, twin-scroll turbochargers, variable valve timing and variable lift, direct fuel injection and other technology designed to optimise performance both in sporty terms and emissions.The engine is good for a whopping 412kW and 680Nm, the latter at just 1500rpm through to 6000. The effect would be best describes as a rocket sled with this big coupe/convertible capable of clocking a 4.2-4.3 second 0-100kmh split.This while using petrol in the 10.0-litres/100km range. It scores an EU5 emissions rating and even has engine stop start to cut fuel consumption in city driving. Launch control is at the other end of the spectrum aided by the super slick shifting seven speed dual clutch transmission (with paddle shift).Naturally, safety isn't lacking either with a full array of primary and secondary equipment designed to either help avoid crashing or surviving in one piece if you're in one.Having said that, the cars belie their bulk in drive feel offering an engaging drive that's almost totally electronically modulated. You can't really tell except for the over active stability control system that intervenes too early and too often in all modes except off.Push the big coupe/convertible a tad hard and you can feel the brakes being applied, the power being cut or redirected from one side to the other rear wheel. It's exactly the same as in the M5 sedan. Apparently, there's a half off mode for the Dynamic Stability Control system that you need to nail for optimum driving.Dynamics on these cars and indeed most BMW M cars is carried out at Germany's legendary Nurburgring race track. It shows. Drivers can spend a good deal of time setting up their M6 or simply push the MDM (M Dynamic Mode) button for full-noise driving. And what a noise it makes - a stirring burble morphing into an angry V8 bellow when the taps are opened complete with a whip crackin' bang at full throttle upchanges.Their drive feel will appeal to the most discerning driver as will the level of luxury in the cabin.

Twin peaks … the M6 coupe and convertible stand at the summit of the BMW range. It may be the race that stops the nation but there is no way the running of the Melbourne Cup this month was going to stall BMW trotting out its all-new M6 coupe and convertible.The high-performance pair undoubtedly deserve their positions at the head of the BMW field with good looks backed by ground-breaking automotive technology. But are they sprinters or stayers? The answer is both.On the market at $292,500 for the coupe and $308,500 the convertible, plus on-road costs, the pair appeal to a limited audience, with BMW predicting sales of between 20 and 30 cars before the end of the year. The features list includes the ubiquitous BMW iDrive, which is linked to a professional satellite navigation system with a 10.2-inch wide-screen set-up. Also included are a plethora of multi-functions found in luxury vehicles these days. One carp is the odometer positioned low on the instrument cluster, making it difficult for a smaller person to read easily. There’s no such problem with the head-up display of info on the windscreen. Capping off the extensive crop of ‘fruit’ are features such as park distance control, cruise control with braking function, rear-view camera, high beam assist, lane change and departure warning, surround view with top view and side view, plus optional BMW night vision with pedestrian recognition.Thanks to BMW efficient dynamics, the M6 coupe is capable of reaching 100 km/h from rest in 4.2 seconds; the convertible is claimed to do the same in 4.3 seconds. As for staying power, despite a 10 per cent increase in engine output to 412 kW and 30 per cent boost in top torque to 680 Nm, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions have been cut by 30 per cent, compared with the cars they replace.The latter pair are put at 9.9 litres per 100 km and 232 grams per kilometre on the combined urban/highway cycle for the coupe and 10.3 litres per 100 km and 239 grams per kilometre the convertible. The ‘magic pudding’ recipe turns out to be a blend of a high-revving 4.4-litre V8 engine with M twinpower turbo technology, which all but cuts out turbo lag, connected to a seven-speed M double clutch transmission with BMW’s drivelogic and active M differential.The double clutch, essentially two gearboxes in one, ensures seamless shifts, producing rapid acceleration. Drivelogic, in full automatic or manual mode, offers three shift programmes – comfort, sport and sport+ – activated at the touch of a button. There’s launch control for optimum acceleration off the mark, low speed assistance and engine start/stop technology for fuel efficiency in town traffic.       Added to the mix are M tuned chassis technology, close to 50:50 weight distribution and high-end aerodynamics. The active M differential, with its variable locking ability between the rear wheels, ensures there’s optimum traction no matter the state of the road and weather conditions, or when accelerating sharply out of corners. Suspension damper forces are variable in three stages to suit driving conditions or wishes of the driver. Servotronic speed sensitive steering can also be set up to one of three settings to suit the driver.The centre of gravity of the coupe has been lowered compared to its predecessor by means of a carbon fibre roof, which is much lighter than metal version, while the boot lids, and in the case of the convertible, the roof cover are made from glass-fibre composite material.While four sports-style seats are on offer, the coupe and convertible are basically 2+2s, with limited leg room in the rear. There are no such limitations up front with super supportive seats stabilising occupants during spirited driving.A meaty M leather steering wheel incorporates multifunction buttons and fixed gearshift paddles, helping the driver maintain complete control of the vehicle. Cabin turbulence in the convertible with the roof down is not intrusive and with the cover closed produces far-from-claustrophobic conditions.  Load capacity of the coupe is put at 460 litres, while the convertible can carry 300 litres of luggage with the roof stowed and an extra 50 litres with it up. The roof can be raised or lowered remotely via a button on the key – 19 seconds to open, 24 seconds to close – or with a button on the centre console.There’s the suite of active safety features usually found in BMWs, consisting of dynamic stability control which calls on ABS anti-skid braking with cornering brake control, dynamic brake control, brake assist, brake drying function and start-off assist.The undoubted thoroughbreds were launched in south-east Queensland with the Big Day Out on wheels parading out of Brisbane city centre, through the suburbs, up and around Mount Nebo, through the Samford Valley and on to Lakeside Raceway.The steep twists and turns of the hilly terrain showed off the pair’s braking ability to its best advantage, the 400 mm ventilated discs up front and 396 mm versions at the rear keeping the big cars – close to two tonnes apiece – on the straight and narrow, so to speak.On the countless corners during track work at the historic raceway it was a case of brake, point, gun; brake, point, gun, the cars seemingly capable of continuing like this without suffering in performance until darkness fell and we all went home to tea.On the limit, BMW’s array of active safety features snapped the vehicles sharply to attention . . . the drivers also. If piloting a high-performance vehicle with the unrelenting concentration required can be a pleasant experience, this was one.As one BMW staff member commented: “Looks count in this class of vehicle.” There’s no argument on that score with the M6 coupe and cabriolet.

The orca of the BMW family has landed. And it's not half bad. The M6 is big and bulky but still deadly serious and seriously quick, with the sort of performance you rarely find in a luxury coupe or convertible.The downside is prices that straddle $300,000 and mean an M6 buyer can also consider a wide range of exotics - including Aston Martin and Porsche - and not just make a straight-out choice against a Benz SLS with the AMG treatment.After driving the M6ers at the global press preview in Spain I was not sure how they would translate to Australia and Australian roads. Driving on sand-slicked summer roads in Europe they felt heavy, slightly unwieldy and over-powered in a lot of conditions.But it's possible to drive an M6 in Australia without fear, and also to crack the whip and enjoy the experience - and whip-crack exhaust bangs on serious up changes - without worrying about your license. You can also cruise and collect some smiles, or just go for the whole luxury experience in a car that's wrapped up in leather, carbon fibre - including the roof in the coupe - and a thumping sound system.How does $292,500 sound? What about $308,500? If that's too rich for you, and it likely is, then the orca twins will only ever be a dream. But BMW Australia says the prices for the new Msters are actually slightly lower than the cars they are replacing, and also loaded with a lot more standard equipment.That means everything from a 2+2 cabin to the old-school folding canvas top on the convertible, which comes complete with a roll-up electric wind blocker just ahead of the boot that doubles as the back window when the roof is in place.The M6 deal is sweeter because so much of the car is shared with the M5 sedan, from the twin-turbo engine to the chassis and the latest iDrive infotainment system, but it's still a big and heavy car. BMW Australia says the most-likely rivals are the Benz CLS and perhaps the lovely SL roadster - which I drove and loved as the SL63 earlier this year - as well as the chunky and punchy Jaguar XK-R S hotrod.M6s will never be common in Australia but there are still plenty of people who want one and are prepared to pay their $300k. "We will deliver close to 30 cars this year. As for next year, we would expect to out-perform the predecessor model and that sold 65 cars in the first year," says Piers Scott, BMW spokesman. In total, BMW sold 156 of the outgoing model but it has - slightly - higher hopes for the newcomers."This is the most responsive turbocharged engine in the world. And the benefit is not just the performance, but way better fuel economy," says BMW Australia's M6 product manager, Christoph Priemel. The force-fed V8 is lifted straight from the M5, complete with 412 kiloWatts and 680 Newton-metres from 4.4 litres.There is no such thing as a manual M6, but the seven-speed double-clutch manumatic is driver adjustable between slur and speed shift and the car will thump to 100 in 4.2 seconds with a top speed - if you're prepared to pay a little extra on tyres and things.As Priemel says, the fuel economy is impressive with an official rating of 9.9 litres/100km kilometres for the coupe and 10.3 for the convertible. Look under the M6 and you find an M5, although the wheelbase is a little shorter despite a slight increase in length, the coupe is 20 kilograms lighter, and there is an active differential to improve handling. Extra work went into the M6 to ensure there was enough cooling for the engine room and a late change to the coupe brought a tiny spoiler at the tail edge of the boot.Orca looks big and tough, but still M6 sleek and purposeful. For me, the coupe is a little sweeter without the complication of the flying buttresses at the tail of the convertible, but the design is really about making an impact. That means an aggressive nose, giant alloys and the M division's signature four-pipe exhaust system.Inside, M tweaking includes special seats, a driver focussed wheel and a bunch of switches to control the various engine, transmission and suspension settings. Thankfully, the designers have worked with the engineers to add a pair of programmable M buttons on the steering wheel that allow you to drive sedately at the start, then switch to M1 for more fun, then M2 for extra excitement up to and including a full-on track attack with super-slick shifts and zero intervention by the stability control.We're never going to get an ANCAP rating on the M6ers, but they should rate a five-start tick with all their technology. They might be big and fast, but BMW has built in all sorts of airbags and electronic safety systems that go way beyond standard ESP. The idea is to have fun but always with a safety net, regardless of the roads or conditions. But the only safe place to really run wild in an M6 is at a racetrack. Full stop.The sun is shining on a lovely Brisbane morning as we head for the hills. And the promise of Lakeside raceway hot laps. Heading out of the city, the pod of orcas - close to $2 million worth - keeps close company and there is fun and big smiles as the drivers thump away from the lights and whip-crack the exhausts on the 1-2 changes.But things settle down quickly and there is time to settle into the comfy sports buckets, enjoy the punch of serious zircon, and also marvel at BMW's latest 3D satnav display. There's not a lot of boot room in the M6ers, and you could only carry kids in the back, but it's not intended to rival a Kia Carnival for family hauling.As the road climbs and turns twisty it's time to see what the suspension can do. And it's surprisingly compliant for such a heavy car with such big wheels. It's obviously not a Porsche, or even an SL, but this is a big GT car and not an all-out sporty.As I start to enjoy the drive, I realise the M6 convertible is much more helpful than the M6ers I had driven in Spain, which felt floppy and never really connected with the road. I now realise it was probably the very slipper Spanish roads.This time around, the M6 puts its power down well, turns relatively sweetly - it's not a Toyota 86 in size or response - and is always ready with a brutal twin-turbo thump. It's not a quiet car, but there is minimal disturbance with the top down at 100km/h and you get what you get with wide low-profile tyres on coarse Australian bitumen.The kilometre roll past as easily as you expect in a $300,000 car, and then it's time for Lakeside. The track is very fast with some serious corners, but the orca coupe is right in its element. There is more than enough power for anyone, the brakes handle things surprisingly well, the gearbox is a delight, and the steering has just the right balance between grip and feel.It's not as quick as I remember an Audi R8 or a Nissan GT-R, but it definitely lives up to the M heritage. The weight works against it, and the front wants to push wide at times, but it's a car you could happily thrash on weekends. Not that BMW expect many M6 owners to do it.The combination of road and track time has softened my complaints about the M6, and made me more of a fan. I'm never going to love it the way I do a Porsche Cayman, or crave it the way I do a Benz SL63, but the M6 is better than I expected and definitely better than I thought in Spain.Which just goes to prove that you should never pass final judgement on any car until you get it home. I was only lukewarm on the new M6 when I drove it in Europe, but now I can see it's a good thing and a worthwhile member of the BMW M family. But I'm still not sold on the deal when the price is so high.The M6 twins are not for everyone, but for some people they will be everything they want and need.

It's hard not to like the new BMW M6 twins. I know I shouldn't be attracted to the go-fast German coupe and convertible because they are big and heavy and thirsty and expensive and - let's be honest - selfish.But then I turn catch sight of the cars and crack the first smile, and when I hit the starter button and the twin-turbo V8 comes to life I'm forgetting all the rational stuff. And that's what moves people to park an M6 or a Porsche 911 or a Benz SL in the driveway.They don't really care that it will crack around the Ascari racetrack in southern Spain at ridiculous speeds, or that it will cruise for hours at 160-plus on the German autobahns, or that it is beautifully built and takes the mechanical package from the latest M5 in a totally different direction.They just want one - and they don't care that the bottom line is going to be around $290,000. "You have at least two cars in one," Siegried Friedmann, head of M6 development, tells Carsguide. You have a very comfortable car on one hand and you can run it like a real sports car on a racetrack. "It's three cars if you have the convertible, which is my favourite."The new Msters are very very expensive and that means owners can - and will - expect a lot. It's almost a given that the cabins are wrapped in leather, studded with a giant colour display, fitted with chilluscious aircon and a punchy sound system, with all the luxury that Chinese-car buyers can only dream about.But the M6 coupe also comes with a lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic roof and the convertible - old-school, with a folding canvas top - has space for four adults in the cabin.BMW has a history of hiding lots of nice stuff on the list of extra-cost optional equipment but about the only thing that's worth adding to an M6 - apart, perhaps, from special paint and a custom fit-out in the cabin - is the M division's first carbon-ceramic brakes.The special stoppers will migrate rapidly across the M-car range but they will never be cheap, adding around $18,000 - my Carsguide guesstimate - the showroom sticker.The M6 twins are really an M5 sedan after a - long and expensive - trip to the plastic surgeon. They're longer and lighter - 20 kilos in the case of the coupe - but with a shorter wheelbase to sharpen the handling.The mechanical package is taken directly from the M5, which means a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that makes 412 kiloWatts and 680 Newton-metres - so 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, top speed 305km/h, thirst 9.5 litres/100km - the M division's signature seven-speed double-clutch manumatic transmission, rear-wheel drive with an active differential, giant brakes and driver adjustable steering, transmission, engine and suspension settings.The attention to detail includes huge work to get enough cooling air into the engine bay, and even a tiny lip spoiler on the boot of the M6 coupe. "It's a totally new car and we have developed a good package. We have achieved everything. Actually, it even over-fills the requirements that we had at the beginning," says Friedmann.The M division has taken the basics of the 6 Series coupe and convertible and then added the usual muscle. That means bigger wheels, more aggressive noses, the rocket-launcher exhaust pipes, and M tweaking of the seats and wheel and transmission controller.The end result is just what you expect - a car that already turns heads now snaps them around. The review cars in Spain are bright blue for the convertibles and the coupes are a metallic goldy-red, topped by the black of the carbon fibre roof.The M6 twins should definitely be five-star NCAP machines, based on their airbags and enough safety acronyms - from the usual ABS and ESP to infinity - covering active and passive assistance for all the systems that can get you out of trouble. The most obvious one is the traction control, as any car as powerful as these Msters can be difficult to control if the road gets oily or you're struck by a sudden downpour.Strapping into anything from the M division guarantees a memorable drive, and my time with the M6s in Spain runs from a leisurely country loop in the convertible - mostly with the top up to combat blistering 40-degree heat - and a full-on Ascari thrash in the coupe.The most impressive thing is the cars' ability to cover long distances with almost zero fuss, whether that's cruising on a freeway at 120km/h, hustling up and down mountain passes, or just battling stop-star city traffic. The twins - ok, they're non-identical - have the rare ability to compact space into time and make life easier.But that's not what M cars are about. BMW's motorsport division made its reputation with rapier-sharp driving cars and the M6s are more like meat cleavers. Effective, without doubt, but not particularly subtle and very heavy and - yes - a little imposing.And that's what has happened to M in recent years, as the twin-turbo engine originally developed for the hulking X6 and X5 SUVs has spread through the M5 and into the M6. It's also meant more weight, more complication and less of the track-focussed intensity which made the original M3s - and even the V10-powered M5 - so special.Big, heavy, fast cars make a lot of sense in Europe and these Msters are brutally fast any time you can get the power to the ground. They are motorcycle-quick for overtaking, yet somehow manage fuel economy that is good for a mid-sized commuter car.They also have lots of X-box type things to fiddle and tweak, supposedly tailoring the car to the driver, but I find it's best to leave the engine-transmission-suspension in the baseline setup for everything but the track. The gearbox doesn't need any help, the suspension provides great grip while masking the cars' weight, and the engine is force-fed extravagance.By the numbers, the M6 should be impressive and it's easy to have fun. But I'm still wondering if M has lost the way, confusing fast for focussed. At the end of 36 hours of M6 immersion, topped by Ken Block-style fun at the track and then an economy-run dawdle home that's as relaxing as a non-M BMW, I'm impressed by the cars. They have usable 2+2 cabins that put them up against a string of impressive rivals, and I rate them ahead of some big names.But I'm not in love. The feelings are strong, and that's important for such emotional cars, but the M6 twins don't tug nearly as hard as the Mercedes SL63 AMG I drove last month, or the latest Porsche 911 and Boxster.The sun shone and we had a good speed. But the M6 is like a heavy steak and a beer when what you really want is a satisfying chicken salad with a mineral water.

I’ve often pondered the strange yet undeniable connection between going bald and buying a convertible.Are bald blokes trying to distract us from their follicular failings by driving something flashy and dashy, or are they, subconsciously, trying to draw attention to the fact by buying a car that apes their receding hairline with a receding roof?The launch of the staggering new BMW M6 Convertible is about to add more confusion to the issue by creating another potential sub-set of nude nuts: people who weren’t actually bald when they bought one but have had their hair removed from its roots by the sheer force of its acceleration.Even baldies like to tout the term "wind-in-the-hair motoring", but in the case of the rag-top M6 it’s more like tornado-in-the-hair transport.When you put your foot down in this V10-engined V-max machine you rip holes in the air around you, both with your pace and the race-bred noise that it makes.Anyone tall enough to have their head sticking above the line of the windscreen is in serious danger of being lobotomised as well as Yul Brinner-ised.The 5.0-litre engine huffs out a faintly ridiculous 373kW of power and 520Nm of torque and can hurl this highly luxurious grand tourer from a standing start to 100km/h in a supercar-standard 4.8 seconds.That figure is all the more implausibly impressive when you consider that the Convertible weighs in at 2005kg – up 220kg on the M6 Coupe.Logic, and indeed physics, dictates that two tonnes of car simply should not be able to move that rapidly, but this M6 forces you to redefine what you think you know.Overtaking maneouvres that would seem suicidal in other cars are performed with the flap of a paddle gearshifter, the flick of a right boot and an almost irresistible hoot of joy from your lips.And scuttle shake, that curse of all convertibles, which sees the frame flexing and the steering wheel shickering in your hands, is banished, entirely.Then there’s the fact that no two-tonne teuton-mobile should be able to handle, and change direction, as well as this car does.You’re always aware of the weight, obviously (and personally, it’s the reason I’d still choose a mere M3 over a monstrous M6) but it simply doesn’t hinder you, even through tight, twisting switchback sections of road.Throw in the marvelously meaty steering feel and you’ve got one hell of a car in your hands.The thing is, BMW have already been offering a very similar and slightly faster (4.6 seconds to 100km/h) car, the M6 Coupe, for some time, so why the need for this drop-top version? Is it just the ultimate bald man’s car?Well, no. The M men admit quite happily that this car isn’t really necessary, as such, in any logical way, but it does have a strong emotional element.And that emotion is linked, essentially, to the heart through the ears.As one M insider put it, "this is a sound machine".The mad, metallic shriek the V10 engine makes is impressive enough in the Coupe, but hearing it, untamed, with the roof down is something else again.It’s the kind of car that has you hunting for tunnels like a mole.And when you find one, it’s impossible to resist dropping it back to second and exploring the volcanic volume that erupts above 8000rpm.As wondrous as it is in most ways, the M6 Convertible does have its failings, including an A-pillar that’s so big you have to bob your head from side to side to see around it.I also still found myself wishing it had a manual gearbox instead of its super high-tech seven-speed SMG, which rolls back on hills because you can’t control the clutch take-up and, at full noise, changes cogs with all the subtlety of someone hitting you in the coccyx with a telephone pole.Indeed, in some countries – Canada and the US – they’ve wished this so hard that it’s coming true, with a conventional six-speed manual set to become available for V10 M customers this year.In the rest of the world, we’re told, there simply isn’t enough demand for a three-pedalled version. For shame. Then there’s the styling, which might politely be described as grandiose, or less politely as just gross.In the white livery the car was presented in at launch, it looks like a florid, Florida kind of car, which would make it a Miami sound machine, I guess.And yet, this is a car that you could buy despite its looks, not for them, just to get your hands on that engine.It obviously appeals to plenty of people, too, with the first production run already sold out in Europe, before it’s even gone on sale.The M6 Convertible will break cover locally at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next month before going on sale in December at a price tipped to be in the stratospheric $290,000 to $300,000 range.Stephen Corby is a senior roadtester for the CARSguide team whose work also appears in the Sunday Telegraph. A version of this review plus more news and analysis can be read in the Sunday Telegraph.