BMW may one day build something to directly rival an out-and-out driver-focused sportscar like Porsche’s 911 but until it does, their M6 will suit many well-heeled buyers very nicely.
It’s tempting to think of this model as nothing more than a coupe version of the M5 saloon. After all, it shares the same 500bhp V10 engine, much of the M Sport technology and, as a result, very similar performance figures.
BMW say different, pointing out that a car has small but significant changes that give it an extra dose of driver focus: a fractionally shorter wheelbase, 50kgs less weight, wider and more aggressive tyres and a centre of gravity that’s lowered by 6cm thanks mainly to its gorgeous carbon fibre roof.
True enough, this car is a slightly sharper tool than an M5, especially if you specify the Competition Pack option that was fitted to the car I tried. For a couple of extra grand, you get Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres on wider rims and lowered suspension front and rear, with the ABS, stability control and M Differential settings altered to suit. Like the existence of the M6 model itself, this option is BMW’s attempt to move this top 6 Series model closer to Porsche’s 911 and further from the Jaguar XK and Mercedes SL rivals that would otherwise be its competitors. In truth, it sits somewhere in-between, more focused than, say, a Jaguar XKR but not a car you’d choose for regular trackdays.
No car I can think of better combines Grand Touring comfort with out and out performance aggression, qualities summed up by the standard seven-speed SMG sequential manual gearbox.
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