A rocket on wheels

BMW always produces cars that are great to drive, but with its M division, driving enjoyment catapults you from great to spectacular.

The latest offering from the auto-maker’s M stable is the M6 Gran Coupe, a 560-hp sports sedan that replaces the M5 as the marque’s flagship model.

The M6 Gran Coupe media drive event was incorporated with the M Track Days at the Sepang Circuit recently, so journalists also grabbed the opportunity to drive other models such as the M5, M6 Coupe, M3 and the X6 M.

All of the driving was dynamic, comprising circuit driving as well as special stations for slalom (M3) and stability control (M6 Gran Coupe). Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time for an on-road test drive, but at this point who cared?

Well, to whip out the hidden beast in an M car, you need to drive it on a track, and the Sepang Circuit, with its high-speed sweepers and tricky corners, was exactly the venue to do so.

The night before the track drive, the M6 Gran Coupe was introduced to us motoring journos and I’d have to say that it’s one of the most alluring sport sedans (BMW would like to call it a four-door coupe) on the market.

The long bonnet and low roofline, as well as the awesome 20-inch wheels give the M6, which is 113mm longer than the Coupe version, a look that bedazzles.

The roof is made of CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic) with a visible carbon fibre structure and a dynamic recess in the centre. The rear window extends well into the narrow C-pillars, resulting in a dynamically stretched silhouette.

At the rear end are stylish tail lights as well as twin exhausts on each side and a diffuser that is also made from CFRP.

The interior is equally gorgeous, and I’d say even more elegant than the exterior. It’s more luxurious than sporty at first glance, but at least you get sports seats that hold you nicely and firmly in place when you put pedal to the metal and fling yourself wildly in and out of the curves. The fascia houses a classic-looking speedo (which reads up to 330km/h) and a tachometer.

There’s a three-spoke multi-function M steering wheel that contains various control buttons, including M buttons for different driving programmes, plus there are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Customers can choose whether they want three or just two seats at the rear. But if you really don’t have four others to take along on a regular basis, I’d suggest the two seat option just because it looks way cooler.

While the M6 looks more like a driver’s car than a limo, the rear passengers still enjoy good comfort and space and will sink into the bucket seats. The centre console extends all the way to the rear-seat cushion, offering touch buttons for climate control and air vents.

There’s a long list of safety and comfort functions you’d expect from a BMW such as Night Vision with pedestrian recognition and a dual-zone climate-control system. And of course you can connect your smart phone in the car and make use of Internet-based apps and services.

There are also a variety of options available, such as a high-end entertainment system from Bang & Olufsen and a Soft Close Automatic function for the doors, again reflecting the car’s luxury status.

The M6 gets its power from a 4.4-litre V8 direct-injection engine featuring a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers. The engine fails the aesthetic test with all the cooling gadgetry for the turbochargers on both sides, and a plastic cover with the M logo concealing the rest of the mess. Too bad they don’t make nice “M Power” engine covers like they used to in the olden days.

Nevertheless, the main thing should be the car’s performance and, believe me, it earns straight As here. The maximum power output is claimed to be 560hp between 6,000 to 7,000rp while maximum torque, available right from 1,500-5,750rpm, is claimed to be a whopping 680Nm. Transferring all these forces to the rear wheels is going to be tricky, I thought.

The M6 comes with a 7-speed M DCT (Double Clutch Transmission) along with a Launch Control function that helps you achieve the 4.2-second 0-100-km-dash performance. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to use Launch Control during our acceleration tests at the circuit, but even so the M6 rocketed forward with powerful, lightning-quick gear changes. Well, you could buy the car just for this, if not for its excellent design.

Top speed is electronically limited at 250km/h, but you can unlock it with the optional M Driver’s Package, which will power it all the way to 305km/h.

The good thing about M cars is that despite the supercar performance, you can still get good mileage if you drive it like a normal road car. The M6’s average fuel consumption is approximately 10km/litre, while the average CO2 emission is 232g/km (Euro 5). There’s even an auto engine start-stop function – the one you’d find in fuel-efficient eco-cars.

But let’s get back to the dynamic driving. Located around the gearshift lever are various control buttons used to configure all powertrain and chassis functions. They include the DSC mode, engine performance characteristics, Dynamic Damper Control mapping, M Servotronic responses and an M DCT Drivelogicshift programme. You can store the settings on one of the two M Drive buttons on the steering wheel. There is also the Active M Differential with the rear axle distributing engine power between individual wheels to maintain maximum traction.

The front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension with fat tyres on 20-inch wheels provide tonnes of grip. But switch off the electronics and it becomes a power-drift maestro if you overfeed the gas while exiting corners.

Although the car is more than five metres long and the wheelbase almost three metres long, the M6 handles brilliantly. The variable-ratio steering is hydraulically powered rather than electric, and offers great precision and feel, adding to the driving enjoyment the car provides.

Instead of the standard high-performance braking system, as an option customers can order the carbon-fibre compound ceramic that is lighter and more resistant to heat and wear than conventional discs (but with identical stopping performance though). Six-piston Brembo calipers do the job in front with the 400mm discs while the rear discs are almost as large (396mm).

There’s a slight slack for the first inch of pedal travel or so, but once the pads start gripping those discs you can’t ask for more stopping power.

After a short but highly entertaining encounter with the M6 Gran Coupe (we did just a few half-laps at Sepang) and the day coming to an end, the first thought than crossed my mind was that I want to drive this car more.

“You should have made this a two-day event,” I told the BMW rep who hosted our trip. “With a car like this, I can drive it all day long.”

 

 

BMW M6 Gran Coupe specs

 

 

 

BMW Thailand does not plan to officially launch the M6 Gran Coupe here but individual orders are welcome. The starting price in Germany is €128,800 Euros (Bt5.23 million). 

 

Engine: V8 32-valve twin turbo

Displacement: 4,395cc

Bore and stroke: 89.0x88.3mmCompression ratio: 10.0:1

Max power: 560hp/6,000-7,000rpm

Max torque: 680Nm/1,500-5,750rpm

Transmission: 7-speed double clutch

Ratios: 4.806/2.593/1.701/1.277/1.000/0.844/0.671

0-100km/h: 4.2 seconds

Top speed: 250km/h (electronically limited)/305km/h with M Driver’s Package

 

Fuel consumption:

City: 7.6l/100km 

Highway: 14.0l/100km

Average: 9.9l/100km

CO2: 232g/km

Suspension (f/r): double wishbone/multi-link

Steering: powered rack-and-pinion

Turning circle: 12.5 metres

Brakes (f/r): vented discs/vented discs

 

Dimensions (mm)

Length: 5,011

Width: 1,899

Height: 1,393

Wheelbase: 2,964

Track (f/r): 1,631/1,612

Weight: 1,875kg

Wheels (f/r): 9.5Jx20/10.5Jx20

Tyres (f/r): 265/35 R20/295/30R20

Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres

Price: €128,800

Importer: BMW Thailand