Five hundred and fifty-two horsepower (567bhp with the Competition Package) and 680Nm of torque are the two figures that should tell you all you need to know about the BMW M6 Coupe. In short, this is a very fast car – and offers effortless and instantly available performance.
Also available as a convertible, the muscular Coupe uses a carbon fibre roofskin to reduce weight and lower the centre of gravity; if you’re really in this for the enjoyment behind the wheel it’s the Coupe model that makes the most sense.
Twin-turbo V8 petrol engine
As we’ve already alluded to it’s the engine that makes this car what it is. The same unit as found in the legendary M5 model it uses twin turbos to produce even more power, and along with the excellent seven-speed automatic gearbox means the M6 Coupe can sprint from 0-62mph in only 4.2 seconds. Opt for the 15bhp more powerful Competition Package, which incidentally retains the same 680Nm torque figure, and that drops by a tenth.
No matter what state of tune the M6 is in, performance is dramatic and exhilarating. Don’t expect it to be too unruly though, as while the power is enough to smoke the tyres if launched aggressively, the M6 coupe has plenty of grip and traction, even if you can feel its considerable weight under quick direction changes.
,br>Leave the systems on if you’re not an experienced driver though, the M6 will swing its rear end out wide with abandon if provoked – especially in the wet – and you’ll need to be quick to reign it all back in.
Mid way through 2013 we saw the introduction of the Competition Package, which includes extra horsepower, chassis and exhaust modifications as well as changes to the car’s electronics that make for the fastest and most talented M6 available.
Genuine four-seater
Despite its Coupe shape the M6 is a big car, and relatively practical with it. The sloping roof does limit rear headroom, and while full-sized adults will likely refrain from calling it comfortable, for growing children there’ll be ample space – certainly more than in the Porsche 911.
A sweeping but driver-orientated dashboard layout makes it feel slightly more exciting than the M5 it is based on, but there’s no bespoke hand-made materials or components like those found in comparably priced Aston Martins. Still, that means everything will likely work with precision and without problem, for many years to come.
The boot’s pretty good too, offering 460 litres of space to fill, which is more than the VW Golf hatchback, and only a few litres shy of the Ford Focus Estate.
Efficiency
The reason for fitting the M6 Coupe with a turbocharged V8 engine wasn’t just for performance though, as efficiency was also high on BMW’s priority list. Along with the seven speed automatic gearbox, the 4.4-litre V8 manages to emit 232g/km. That may not sound particularly inspiring, but when you consider the Aston Martin V8 Vantage pumps out 299g/km it’s soon put into context.
The near 30mpg on combined economy isn’t to be sniffed at either – that same Aston Martin struggles to rise above 20mpg.
To find out what this car is like on the road, keep an eye out for the full BMW M6 Coupe review coming soon.
