If one were to plot a curve that depicted the desirability of a sports car, it often peaks early, trails off gently and then accelerates to rock bottom. Most cars plateau there but a few begin to ascend again. Alfasuds, three-door Sierra Cosworths and Honda NSXs are now starting to look very interesting as indeed is BMWs 6 Series, a car that has emerged from its cheap and cheerful phase and developed into something collectible. The top M635 CSi version (known elsewhere simply as M6) long represented the pinnacle of BMWs coupe aspirations.
Two decades later, its back, and how.
The old M6 was a formidable thing, packing 286bhp from its 3.5-litre V6, enough to propel it to 60mph in 6.2 seconds. From there, its shark nose would run on to a top speed of 149mph.
The 16mpg average fuel consumption wasnt anything special but when a car looked as good as the M6, who cared? The latest £84,475 version shifts the goalposts to another dimension. Its powered by an engine that features two banks of five cylinders, together developing 507bhp and more than 500Nm of torque. Itll rocket to 60mph in 4.4 seconds and if the electronic limiter didnt call a halt to proceedings at 155mph, the car would comfortably exceed 200mph.
Despite this, its more economical, safer, bigger and cleaner than its predecessor. In real terms its not even any more expensive. Its hard to escape the realisation that weve never had it so good. Although the old M6 was often thought of as a less pure sports car than the equivalent M5, this is no longer the case.
Whereas the original M6 was, in effect, a 7 Series coupe, the latest version takes a contemporary 5 Series chassis and as such offers a stiffer, lighter and more compact body. It doesnt take a genius to figure out that this is one focused perforrmer. The attention to detail reinforces this impression. Like the lightweight M3 CSL, the M6 has a carbon fibre roof.
Unlike the M3, its SMG sequential manual gearbox sports no fewer than seven speeds and the enormous brakes will haul it from 62mph to a standstill in just 36 metres, a full 19 metres less than that which the Highway Code deems possible. Around Germanys legendary Nurburgring circuit, the M6 regularly turned in sub eight minute laps during testing, the mark of a true supercar performer.
"The M6 contrives to make many far pricier sporting cars appear silly and pointless"
The M6 looks a degree more muscular than other 6 Series models but the overall effect isnt outrageous. A deeper front valance houses air intakes for the engine and brakes, plus there are swooping sill finishers and a rear valance that incorporates a diffuser. The four telltale rear exhaust pipes are the big giveaway that this is no ordinary Six, and four exclusive M colours Indianapolis Red, Sepang Bronze, Interlagos Blue and Silverstone are offered alongside three other regulation 6 Series hues. Inside, there are fully adjustable M sports seats trimmed in Merino leather and available in Black, Silverstone or Sepang colour schemes.
As an option, the hide can also be finished in Portland Natural Brown or, if youre really brave, Indianapolis Red. The dashboard is trimmed in leather and the headlining is Alcantara. The M6s Mdrive Manager allows the driver to pre-select specific settings for the Power button, SMG gearbox, stability control system, electronic damper control. As seen on Chevrolets Corvette, the M5 also features a Head-up Display projected onto the lower section of the windscreen.
The default setting shows vehicle speed and a rev counter, the data flashing at the driver when the next gear needs to be selected. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via the worlds first production seven-speed sequential gearbox. The Drivelogic system changes gears around 20 per cent faster than the somewhat unsatisfying earlier iteration of the SMG gearbox as fitted to the M3. Eleven different change patterns are offered, six of which allow the drive to alter the speed and response characteristics of the gearchange in manual mode and five that govern the rules of the automatic mode.
The sixth pattern in manual is reserved for the Launch Control function, giving the likes of you and I the opportunity to replicate BMW test drivers 0-60 times. In theory at least. A revised DSC stability control system has also been developed specifically for the M6. This features three settings, the default mode offering the full safety net of electronic features.
An M Dynamic mode allows the enthusiast driver to let it hang out a little, the system allowing a little sideslip and opposite lockery. For the genuine hooligan and determined tyre fryer, a third press of the button disables the system completely although if it takes a very skilled and committed driver to wilfully break the traction of the monster 285/35ZR19 rear rubber and hold it there. Core driving functions are located in or around the steering wheel and a simplified version of the iDrive system offers a still enormous amount of driver control with just a few nudges, taps and twists of the serrated metal mouse. The dashboard design is otherwise rather low key, the analogue dials being rather disappointingly small.
If the exterior is jam-packed with design details clamouring to catch your eye, the opposite is true of the cabin layout. Yes, it all hangs together very well and seems well built but nowhere does your eye alight approvingly on a signature feature. Still, BMW claim the 6 Series has the largest luggage capacity in its class and theres ample room for a pair of golf bags and a suitcase. The M6 was never designed to be practical.
Nor was it designed to be a future classic, yet this car could end up being just that. Some cars are just destined for greatness and, given the way it makes far more expensive sporting cars appear silly and pointless, BMWs M6 might just be one of them.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: BMW M6
PRICES: £84,475 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 357g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 4.2s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Euro average) 19mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front and side airbags, DTC traction control, DSC stability control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4820/1855/1373
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