I’ve had a thing for the BMW 6-Series ever since “Spenser: for Hire” shared the airways with Mötley Crüe. While Robert Urich had a cool Mustang, Avery Brooks had a vehicle worthy of his icy-cold demeanor: a white BMW 635CSi. Could there ever be a better vehicle in which a man could do the right thing by any means necessary? There is now. The BMW M6 has tons of M-tuned street cred and many of the right moves. Many, but not all.
The M6’ silhouette screams greatness without saying a word. The generous space between the front wheels and firewall, its swoopy lines and perfect proportions make for a killer profile. The model's lowered stance and wikkid 19” rims add animus aplenty. Unfortunately, viewed from any other angle, Bimmer's streetwise badass looks like a short-bus dumbass. Bangled lumps and bumps and disjointed details do nothing to help the model's G-force gravitas, and much to remove it.
The M6’ love-hate theme continues within. The cockpit has the perfect amount of flair for a top-dollar German coupe. Occupants are surrounded by decadent materials, from aromatic leather to slick burled wood to brushed aluminum accents. A sumptuous pair of endlessly supportive bucket seats coddle the most demanding derriere. The M-series steering wheel is the stuff of legend; its beefy rim, intuitive buttonage and fancy trimmings are a hand magnet for the sporting pistonhead. When it comes to sybaritic helms, no other carmaker comes close.
And that's it. At a robust $104k asking price, why isn’t the dash wrapped in leather, the headliner in Alcantara and the seats cooled by fans? While we’re at it, give the carbon fiber roof its walking papers and put a power moonroof in its place; the 3900 pound M6 should be as concerned with its grand touring weight as McDonald’s is about their clientele’s clogged arteries.
From here its best to forge on with the usual complaint about iDrive; a stern taskmaster who neither listens to your voice commands nor has the kindness to let you watch the road while adjusting the stereo or HVAC. No matter how BMW spins their collective propellers over this feature, technology was never meant to enslave, especially on a high performance grand touring coupe. Mein kingdom for a rheostat!
Wishes run deep in the M6, deepest of all within the SMG trans-mishap. Farago mightily proclaimed the latest SMG to be the world’s worst transmission. Be it in grandma mode or full-tilt boy racer tuning, every torturous upshift sends the driveline thudding, clunking and wincing in pain. SMG combines the spastic behavior of a beat up automatic transmission with the teeth chattering smoothness of a fried clutch. It is, quite literally, the worst of both worlds.
One bit of Bavarian technology works as intended: the Corvette-esque heads up display puts relevant information in an honest-to-God user-friendly format. So good, in fact, it helps the driver make sense out of the SMG’s nonsensical behavior. And when you find the right stretch of tarmac, you’ll find something wonderful in this sea of darkness.
The M6 takes to curves like a teenager to MySpace. The stiff chassis, sticky rubber, poised suspension and 500hp V-10's colossal twist turns the BMW M6 into a tenacious corner carver ready to consume your soul without missing a beat. Words cannot do justice to the handling perfection that is the M6. When you push its limits, the M6 encourages you to dig deeper, surrendering yourself to the siren song of its flat cornering and near limitless torque curve, a powerband that extends all the way to a mind-numbing 8200rpm.
This is where the M6 gets a new lease on life, where the cohesive sum becomes greater than its disjointed parts. Even the SMG makes sense, putting the power down with mad F1 downshifting skills. The precisely weighted steering speaks to you like your four-wheeled soul mate. Excitement uber alles baby!
But this whip is still down for a low stress interstate jaunt. the ride quality is respectable even with rubber band thin sidewalls. Extensive sound insulation keeps the stellar thirteen speaker audio system in the forefront, Even the bustled trunk is large enough for a relaxing week in wine country. Combined with the sporty ambiance of its 2+2 coupe configuration, the BMW M6 leaves its luxo-sport competition in the weeds.
But BMW’s M6 is still a machine in dire need of an exorcist. With its attention to detail comes the devil of belabored styling and infuriating technology. Such fine road manners come at the expense of a bi-polar transmission and an engine with a lusty appetite for gas (12/18) and even oil (begging for more after 3000 miles). Even with the demons in situ, the BMW M6 is one of the finest sporting coupes on the road. Can you imagine its potential if BMW ever deigned to learn from its mistakes?
[Sajeev and RF discuss the BMW M6 below.]
Does idrive really stand for ‘You may think you’re in command but really you run about as much as GM’s board of bystanders does’.
All the journalists I have read have bitched about the SMG and idrive for years, you’d think BMW might take a look at it.
I recently spent some (passenger) seat time in an M6.
There are something like 7 I-drive accessible transmission settings, and one can be assigned to each of the suspension settings and to each of the two power settings.
The V-10, uh, noise, was not unlike that of a fart-canned civic.
I would absolutely trade even-up for my GTI, but there’s no way I’d pay six figures for one
HEATHROI:
With the Germans it’s usually either “our way or the highway”. But I still think that SMG won’t be there for long.
About the design:
I think the 6-Series had a lot of potential. I really like its looks EXCEPT for this unholy ass. This ruins the whole design for me. It looked already horrible on the 7, but it’s even more destructive on this 6.
I would think a 335 offers 90% of the car for 40% of the money. And you can skip the iDrive, Bangle-butt and SMG.
Go into any BMW dealership and ask for a vehicle quotation without I-Drive. Be prepared for the “canned” sales presentation that includes the phrase, “yes, some older drivers find it complicated”.
Sajeev, please check out a manual 335, no I-drive, and no active steering.
Sajeev,
I’d like to echo Johnny’s sentiment:
please check out a manual 335, no I-drive, and no active steering.
Sajeev,
“…short bus dumbass…” clever wordsmithing, but as the father of an autistic son, I think these types of phrases should be avoided in the future. No hard feelings; I enjoy all of your reviews, and this one is good as well.
Is it just me, or does the side shot of the M6 shown in your pix look like a 2 door version of the current Pontiac Grand Prix? Pontiac seems to fancy itself as the American BMW, but what is BMW thinking here?
Labrat:
The side shot reminded me of the last gen Rustang. Seems like Lexus has stolen the BMW styling playbook and won’t give it back.
But BMW’s M6 is still a machine in dire need of an exorcist. With its attention to detail comes the devil of belabored styling and infuriating technology.
Perhaps this is “you get what you pay for” taken to an extreme. Maybe you are getting too much because you pay too much. Would Bimmer charge the same 104k without the “differentiator” that is I-Drive?
Mhmmm… Say 75k without the needless carbon roof (doesn’t change the weight balance? Who cares about the sixty or so pounds?) I-Drive, SMG or half the options? I’m sure a lot of people would be interested.
335i, No I Drive, no active steering, annnnd… ditch the run-flats.
FWIW, I don’t think we should worry about mildly offensive humor. Personally, I think Jay Shoemaker’s, uh, fornication depreciation phrase should have stayed also. If I remember correctly, Jay didn’t say underage–just virgin.
No one is allowed to call a design “aged” because it makes me feel old.
And take out “badly-bangled butt” from all past and future reviews because some of us are unshapely Americans self conscious about our arses.
Jalopnik can’t say “ass-engined nazi slot car” anymore either.
and cars pollute and are bad *for the children* so this should be The Truth About Puppies and Rainbows.
I’d take a base 911 or a Cayman over an M6 anyday.
Top Gear – BMW M6 vs. Porsche Carrera S vs. Aston M. Vantage:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p4PTxOv4JFY&mode=related&search=
whats the matter with run flats? seems like a great idea to me!
in so many words: it’s another overweight, unpretty german autobahn stormer with a transmission so bad that the whole car can be considered seriously flawed.
is it a motor vehicle, or a combover?
Defintely see these around Boston.
Cool from the front & sides, but that back is really wrong, and I don’t usually guff about such things. But it looks like a fat girl in a dress with a big bow on her ass.
Really. Its much worse in person.
Interesting that in the Top Gear link that the 911 spanks that ugly ass in a big way, with less HP.
For a second there I was thinking of “Vegas”, in which Robert Ulrich drove a ’57 Thunderbird and parked it in his kitchen. At least, that is how I remember it (I was around 3 years old at the time it aired).
From the side view my first reaction is “nice Pontiac” (or as nice as a Pontiac gets, I guess).
In a dark colour, most of this cars horrible bulges are concealed and parked curbside, it exudes menace like a slammed GNX. Whatever JL says about the GT500, this is What Darth Would Drive. Y’know, after throatcrushing various whitecoated iDrive gits.
do doo doo doo-doo and I want it painted Black…
Jimlongx,
I’m personally not offended by sajeev’s comment, but know of many people in my situation that would send serious flamers back for that comment. My intent was just to minimize that type of comment; musta backfired. Sorry for the distraction. Back to talkin’ ’bout cars….
Thank you all for reading. Hope everyone is having a great New Year.
Does idrive really stand for ‘You may think you’re in command but really you run about as much as GM’s board of bystanders does’.
HEATHROI: wow, that might be too harsh an assessment even for me!
The V-10, uh, noise, was not unlike that of a fart-canned civic.
NICKNICK: it’s about midway between a Honda and the last-gen BMW M5.
Sajeev, please check out a manual 335, no I-drive, and no active steering.
Johnny Canada: I’m planning on it.
Is it just me, or does the side shot of the M6 shown in your pix look like a 2 door version of the current Pontiac Grand Prix?
labrat: Nah, the Grand Prix still has a FWD orientation and its sheetmetal shows it. The M6 has presence, for better or worse.
And we’ll try to keep the potentially offensive references down, thanks for not taking it personally.
Would Bimmer charge the same 104k without the “differentiator” that is I-Drive?
Jazbo: odds are I-drive isn’t much cheaper than the other nav-audio systems out there. I’m not sure why it is so much more than a 2003 M5, did inflation really get that bad after 3 years?
And take out “badly-bangled butt” from all past and future reviews because some of us are unshapely Americans self conscious about our arses.
NICKNICK: unless your last name is Bangle, nobody’s gonna take offense to the comment…even if your ass is the size of the Grand Canyon! :-)
whats the matter with run flats? seems like a great idea to me!
JD: stiff sidewalls induce more road noise and reduce ultimate handling prowess. I still can’t believe the Corvettes get such respectable numbers with run-flats…put a REAL set of summer tires on and they become an absolute monster.
If you can afford this car, you can afford AAA. Or a tire changing butler.
In a dark colour, most of this cars horrible bulges are concealed and parked curbside, it exudes menace like a slammed GNX.
No way man, that’s an insult to the GNX!
Its worked before, but the M6 can’t hide behind black paint…it can hide behind the shadows and astigmatism for sure. :-)
BMW somehow forgot everything they knew when the last 6 series defined “gorgeous coupe” in the 80’s. Am I the only one that sees a 911 profile with a trunklid lumped in the new one?
Note to BMW-your cars used to involve the driver, not hide him behind microchips. Learn from yourself.
is it a motor vehicle, or a combover?
It’s more like your rich, stuffy uncle trying to get his groove back after he gets divorced. I don’t care what other vehicles Chris Bangle has penned, he is undoubtedly the worst thing that’s ever happened to BMW.
A pity that Audi doesn’t make an RS6 coupe.
Since Spenser for Hire was broached, can somebody tell me where old BMW’s go to die? I cut my teeth thinking the 2002tii was a hot ride, but noting that other bathtubs preceded it (1600, 2000, 2000 four door) I just wondered what happened to all of them. RUSTMONSTER COMETH?
ok, segueways to modern steel and corrosion resistant times. “New” Old Bimmers still disappear. Do they get so expensive to repair that they are just scrapped?
As the “Gold Plated Porsche” author will attest, Porsches are kept alive using extreme measures, old Mercs are relegated to worshipful masters with money, and Ferraris never die, they just turn into bondo. But I haven’t seen the same devotion lavished upon old Bimmers. Would I want an old BMW faithfully restored to showroom new? No. Oops, never mind.
I used to see one every day at my previous job so I got to examine the car close every day. I think the car is not bad looking till you get to the back. There is that awful hump that they call a trunk. Looks like it was added on. Hate to burst BMW’s bubble but Pontiacs look an aweful lot like BMWs. Not sure who is copying whom. Not sure who approved the look but they might want to reconsider this whole “flame” surfacing”.
I saw a Mercedes recently that had the hump now too.
As for the interior its tight. Front seat is kind of claustrophobic. I-Drive? Not going to go there but basically it sucks. Nothing new there. Not sure what rocket scientist decided to use Windows to control a car (yes Windows).
The back is all but useless. We are talking 911 Carrera useless here kids. Even kids would not fit in the back of this thing never mind an adult. But its a sport coupe so I will cut them slack.
Now as for the colors, I think BMW has the “MOST BORING” color palette on the planet. I thought Porsche’s was bad but this is worse. Like 6 shades of silver/gray/black, white and a couple of blues. Just what the world needs, another silver/gray/black/white BMW. How dreary can it get. When my friend spoke to the dealer the sales clown was not sure you could get it in custom colors ala Porsche. Than after checkin they said sure for $4800 you could have any previous BMW color. Porsche does this as well + color to sample and is a bit cheaper.
If I am going to drop 100K large on a new German car its going to be a 911 not this.
I noticed that if you open the trunk of any 6 series and step back and imagine what the rear lines might have looked like without the hump, there is a wonderful design buried within. Too bad there is no I-drive-ectomy available.
(…) While we’re at it, give the carbon fiber roof its walking papers and put a power moonroof in its place; the 3900 pound M6 should be as concerned with its grand touring weight as McDonald’s is about their clientele’s clogged arteries.
*Sigh*…Americans…this is the kind of sentiment that lays at the basis of the bad cars the big 2.5 build.
All the journalists I have read have bitched about the SMG and idrive for years, you’d think BMW might take a look at it.
I’ve never driven it but as the review says, things work out perfectly when you drive this car in anger…
Still, they probably should cancel out some gearbox settings, and make a real city mode. BMW has already promised the M3 will have an improved SMG gearbox
Anyway, I’ve read that they’re going to make a 6-speed manual version of the M5/M6, which, strangely enough, will be sold exclusively in the USA. Apparently the Europeans didn’t complain as much. Both of which made me wonder if this was still reality as I used to know it.
I’m just waiting for the M3. Eventhough I don’t have the means to buy it yet…ah well, maybe in 4 or 5 years…just maybe.
JJ,
Adding a moonroof to the M6 is more in keeping with its luxo-sport character…and in case you didn’t notice, this is still a 2 ton GT, not a Z06.
Great article overall! It’s too bad the microchips and Banglation cloud the picture…but when one experiences this sonorous V10 ripping through 7 tightly spaced gears on the open road, this is one impressive machine. For me, though…I’ll stick with my E39 M5.
It’s like an Aston-Martin for flashy rich people without an A-M dealer nearby. Just to be a contrarian, I’d love to see this as a spacious retro shooting brake instead, a la “giant M roadster” (last gen).
I find the overall 6 design to be a little “baller” or “comic bookish” for my tastes. They look great in pics, but in person they are just…odd. The big butt (badonka-trunk?), wildly giant wheels. Love this color, btw. Best the brand offers.
ok, segueways to modern steel and corrosion resistant times. “New” Old Bimmers still disappear. Do they get so expensive to repair that they are just scrapped?
Quite possible. I’m on an A8 forum, and people seem to part those out when they are due for a 2nd tranny and timing belt replacement around 200k. Whereas “flaming ball of crap” owners can afford another 100k of repairs as long as the GM powertrain soldiers on.
Man, if the M6 looked like an Aston, dealerships would have to fend off buyers with a taser.
I own an M6 among other cars,and have driven it on the Nurburgring, The Tail of the Dragon and a bunch of otherplaces.
A couple of observations:
(1)iDrive: If you use the voice activation , like most owners do, then the complexity disappears. You can say ” CD track 5″ or “FM” or “Dial number” and it understands you without
training. Few owners have problems with it.
(2) In Canada, where I live , you can get full Alcantra dna leather dash on the BMW individual program..I have a ruby black car with all that stuff on it.
(3) SMG…
It is far from perfect in normal road conditions, granted, but its brilliant on a track. I ran 1,000 km on the Ring using SMG level 5 and it was simply staggering. The car is heavy for sure, and I will have the opportunity to compare as I am picking up a GT3RS and running on the Ring later this year..
In norma road conditions yu can shift smoothly but it requires some skill to life slightly on the throttle.
As far as speed is concerned,I had the car delimiited at Hartge and ran a long stretch on the autobahn with a pair of M6s at over 200mph. It was rock solid.
Not sure how to post a link here, but I posted a video on YouTube of my high speed run..just search under M6/ronan/200mph,autobahn and it should pop up. You can see the instruents too as I used two cams.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
not sure if this works
This is the M individual interior in my car.leather dash.alcantra headliner…[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n29/RMcG/IMG_3359-1.jpg[/IMG]
When Car and Driver first reviewed this 6 Series, there was a pic of the rear fender side view with the trunk open…that fender was pure 911. I used to like BMW design, in the pre-Bangle-butt, pre-“flame surfacing” era. My last generation 540i was my all-time favorite car, that is, until it went out of warranty and I found out how truly painful maintenance bills could be…
I’ve been searching for a picture to back this up, but haven’t yet found one…
Every time I look at the back-end of the 6 series, it screems Stratus! at me. I owned a 95 Stratus, and it’s not quite that, maybe it the newer ones…
That’s all I can think of, “Stratus, Stratus, Stratus!” Such a shame for a Bimmer. sigh
You know, I don’t get what is up with the endless iDrive critiques.
The system was designed (like Mercedes Command and Audi MMI) to solve the problem of having a dashboard with 300 buttons. The fact is, if these systems didn’t exist and these luxury vehicles kept the same level of feature content, auto writers would complain about how many buttons there are (like the 50 on the nav system bezel on a Porsche).
Here is the thing though; I know plenty of BMW owners (including myself) who think iDrive works just fine. In fact, I appreciate having the ability to set my car up exactly how I wish. Regardless of what Jeremy Clarkson says, you don’t need to set the headlight shut off delay every time you get in the car; most of iDrive’s menus are ones that the owner will touch once or twice and then forget about.
In the few days that press folks get with a press car, I could see how iDrive might come off as generally useless. The problem is that the system was not designed to leave a great impression over a weekend; it was designed to be efficient, flexible and powerful for use on a day in and day out basis by someone who owns the car. While there are BMW owners who do not like it, you will notice that criticism of the system among them is far lower per capita then how the press beats up iDrive in virtually ever Bimmer review.
gakoenig
I’ve always sort of had the same impression of iDrive. But even with long-term owners (case in point, my mom-in-law’s E350 Merc’s COMAND system) many of them never read the manual, let alone take the time to adjust all the settings the way they’d like. I just showed her the power rear sunshade yesterday…she’s had the car for over a year. On her previous Merc, a mentally disabled friend of hers introduced her to the heated seats after 5 years of ownership (speaking of being pwn3d!).
There is probably a happy medium, a way to not overburden the majority of users who never use it to its potential, while still allowing “power users” to customize everything how they want. Forcing everyone through the same levels of interface for simple tasks can be burdensome to a lot of owners.
I’ve driven an iDrive car (or four) for weeks on end, and never, ever once enjoyed the experience of working my way through the menus. Main beefs:
1. It’s distracting, as in unsafe. I like to keep two hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.
2. It’s less intuitive than manual interfaces. You try and tune the damn radio. How is a sub-sub-sub-menu easier to manipulate (at speed) than a standard radio head unit? answer: it isn’t. Hence the fact that many of the basic iDrive controls have standard manual “backups.”
3. It’s provides far too much choice, which makes it confusing for people who don’t give a rat’s ass about 80% of the options. (As gakoenig just told us.) Customization should be done by the dealer at delivery (synched to the key?), then disappear forever.
4. It CAN be done better. Maserati QP is an excellent example of button integration.
I also like to keep my hands on the wheel, and after having had two of the cars, (M6 and previously the 645Ci), I found that the use of voice control makes all the difference.
On the M6 I have the M button preprogrammed for the performance stuff , and the only thing I generally use the iDrive controller for is to change settings. I have the radio stations preselected so simply talk to it. Ditto the phone.
This have been a subject of a fair amount of discussion among BMW owners onthe various boards, and the general consensus is that, while it is not initialy intuitive, once you get used to it ,its actualy fairly convenient.
No question that there are better interfaces, but I do not think this one is as impenetrable as the various reviews have concluded.
I do think the voice control has been given short shrift.
I never paid any attention to BMW cars until Chris Bangle started making designs. The 2006 3 series, 2004+ 5 series and 2005+ 6 seires are great looking cars IMO. The only thing I don’t like about the 6 is the trunk. The rest looks great.
I’ve heard from so many people that the 2003 and before 5 series was the best and the e60 looks terrible. I’m a complete 180 degrees. The old 5 was bland and the new is curvy and appealing, same with the M5 and M6.
The SMG while not as good as DSG still worked fine form me in a 545 and M3. Not much worse in shifting than I am except for slow and lazy shifting it can be a tad abrupt.
There’s a powder blue one of these parked on my block and I think it looks quite nice actually. Perhaps not would I would get for the money but better than a lot of other bimmers. and Ronan… thats freakin fast!
Glad you liked the video:)..We planned it for 4am on a Sunday morning near Aschaffenburg;dry conditions,no wind, and no trucks, and we knew the road fairly well. Hartge were a bit worried about tires but figured it wold be ok for a short period.
I will do the same run in the GT3RS when I get it. I have a video of the M6 on the Ring also but its a bit long. It worked very well.
So Ronan…what does it cost to ship a car from North America to Germany? Or did you do Euro Delivery?
Also, the full leather/alcantara is available in the US…but I think Sajeev’s point was that for north of $100k, it should be standard, as it was on the $75k E39 with the no cost luxury (wood) interior.
Well, I am not going to say that iDrive is perfect, but I will counter your points.
1- I too, like keeping both hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road, but what does that have to do with iDrive? Messing with any of a vehicle’s secondary features requires one to remove a hand off the wheel and probably glance down at a radio, HAVC, nav or cell phone system. With iDrive though, the interface is large, easy to see and placed so your eyesight deviates as little as is practically possible. And you can’t tell me that big honking iDrive knob is harder to find then a TickTac size button buried among a panel of other chicklet size buttons.
2- Yes, iDrive IS less intuitive then a manual interface… but the point is that feature content on cars has grown so exponentially that if BMW offered a manual interface for every feature in the car, you would be awash in those aforementioned TickTac size buttons. There is only so much dashboard real estate; the most commonly used functions get a dedicated manual interface (HAVC temp control and fan speed, some radio controls). Then there are tiers of menus and sub menus that other features need to get relegated to based on how often they are accessed.
Take the radio tuning. How often does a vehicle owner actually use the radio tuner? The vast majority of people I know have 3-5 pre set stations that they rotate through and (in a BMW) scrolling through those pre sets is as easy as using a voice command or flicking a button on the steering wheel. Remember- iDrive is designed for people who own the vehicle and use it daily; tuning the radio is a “First week of ownership” activity and once stations are pre set, the system is wonderfully efficient.
3- I will agree with you on this point. BMW could take a lesson from Apple and OS X; this is an operating system with a beautiful, intuitive, easy to use interface. Underneath it though, is full up UNIX. Apple has done a phenomenal job of hiding all that power while still making it accessible to a point where my mom uses a Mac and all my code writing, geeky friends also use a Mac and each camp is extremely happy. Perhaps BMW needs to do a better job explaining the philosophy behind the system so people can understand that instead of feeling overwhelmed by choice. They could also tune the interface a little better to make advanced options not share screen space with more mundane features.
4- I have not played with Masarati’s system. I do think Audi’s MMI is a bit better, if only because they don’t have as many options and they have dedicated buttons for the common sub-features.
Still though, my main point stands; why is there a major delta between the amount that automotive journalists critique iDrive and the amount that BMW/iDrive owners critique the system?
@Freeman – Here’s a pic of a Pre-Bangle Plymouth Breeze..
http://www.carcreditcity.com/auto_pictures/1030.jpg
DoctorV8.:
I do Euro delivery on most of my cars, and its free (apart from the robbers at Porsche who are charging me $5k to pick up the GT3RS).
Mercedes ,BMW and Porsche have very well-developed programs and will provide insurance at a reasonable cost.
Most of them wil do a factory tour also, and arrange vacation planning if you need it.
You can get it at your dealer.
You just drop the car back when your are finished and it imported like any other car.
webebob
i know a guy who buys 7 to 10 year ols exotic BMW’s like this for pennies on the dollar, pristine examples that i swear were never even driven in the rain. He wante me to buy one too. I dunno… a 10 yr old BMW 6 or 7 series, just smells like big big repair bills… i dunno, tho – these are fabulous rides!
Nice Bangle designs: Z4, 3-series, new X5
Fugly Bangle designs: 6-series, 7-series, X3
In Russia… YOU work iDrive.
We’ve done euro delivery on a couple of 5-series’ over the years and its always been awesome. Being able to drive your own car on the autobahn is a great experience. I’m not sure if it still works out this way, but the cost savings of picking it up at the factory basically paid for the trip.
Ronan: awesome video. How much does it cost to run your own car on the Nurburgring?
The RIng is very cheap.about Eur 16 a lap…or an annual ticket is good value if you are doing more that 60 laps a year.
the essential website (must read) if you are contemplating it is here:
http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/
You need to plan for it and it is VERY challenging.
So, how does one adhere to BMW’s strict break in guidelines while driving in Germany? I know I don’t have that kind of self control. Even here, it was tough keeping the revs down for the first 1200 miles on my E39 M5.
I took the car at Munich, drove to Hartge in Beckingen to get it delimited, and the drove Berlin through to Vienna, thats exactly 2000km. Had it serviced at Denzel in Vienna, drove down through Salzburg , through Stuttgart to see the Mercedes Museum and then to the Ring. I ran 3,500 km in a week. I wanted th car Ring worthy and adhered to the guidelines.
I DID run through a set of pads every day and a half on the Ring….and on my last day had a slight altercation with the Armco.nothing to serious. its a tough place.
hey webebob,
well, there’s a E30 style 1989 325i convertible in my garage, if you want to see an older one still running on the road. engine (which has 160,000 or so miles on it) and transmission still strong.
as for maintenance, timing belt must be replaced every 4 years or 50,000 miles. i just had that done a couple of weeks ago. otherwise, just basic car maintenance (changing fluids, filters, brake pads, spark plugs, etc.). it is not hard to work on.
If I were to buy a new BMW, id take euro delivery. Why not? Fun, the same cost, ur own car (for better or worse), having said that i do prefer not to travel much when i go to europe – i prefer to stay in one or two places, usually the center of the old cities where driving is at best, discouraged. But why not have ur new ride with u?
So, how does one adhere to BMW’s strict break in guidelines while driving in Germany?
You cowboy up and ignore them.
Break in guidlines are a relic from an era where manufacturing processes were messy and parts needed wear in to fit properly. Those two conditions are no longer valid. In fact, some engine builders believe that full piston travel (i.e. full RPM operation) is essential on a new motor.
Of course, people will argue this point, but I drive my new cars like I stole them and they don’t burn too much oil, the performance is as expected and I’ve never had a problem.
I’m with Ronan.
I had a BMW with iDrive, hit the voice button, said, “Map. Malibu. Thank you.”
And that was it. I had three different ways to get to Malibu in front of me.
Also, I guessed at what to say — and it worked.
By the way, those who criticize the carbon-fiber roof for “only saving 60 pounds” are forgetting that weight saved up high is substantially more effective in terms of CG. You want to do all you can to save weight in a roof, worry way less about it in the exhaust system.
And boy, am I flattered that one poster referenced my “Gold-Plated Porsche” book. I’m famous!
(1)iDrive: If you use the voice activation , like most owners do, then the complexity disappears.
Ronan: I tried the voice command and it didn’t recognize my voice. I haven’t had that problem on Mercedes and Lincoln and GM nav units, so I was a little ticked off. I’m sure if I tried it a few more times…
(2) In Canada, where I live , you can get full Alcantra dna leather dash on the BMW individual program.
Its an option here too, but why is it even optional at this price?
(3) SMG…It is far from perfect in normal road conditions, granted, but its brilliant on a track.
No arguement there. If I lived in an area with less urban sprawl the M6 would be an absolute joy to drive.
Ronan: one more question….how is your M6’s oil consumption? I saw a lot of thirsty V-10s on the M5 and M6 forums.
Regardless of the back of the car, that engine is gobsmacking. The top gear video where the 911 spanked the M6 was on the torturous twisty roads of the Isle of Man in crappy weather, perhaps not the M6s strongest element.
Seeing it on das autobahn compressing time and space..whoa. I repent. I’ve seen the light.
Really. I gotta repost this link in case anyone missed it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
Its the most amazing in-car-cam video I’ve ever seen.
There are a bunch of HQ videos of M6 v. ___ (Gallardo, AMGs etc) where everything else appears to be vanquished to be enjoyed from there.
Sajeev:
Oil consumption is heavy during the run in period …I litre in about 2,000 km; but they do a complete oil change then. Since then, ( I have 11,000km on the car), I have put in two litres of oil. Definitely heavier than any other BMW I have owned.
Gas consumption is fairly wild …and in track conditions is just unbeleivably thirsty. I was getting about 3mpg onthe Nurburgring, admittedly flat out with no traction control and using the most aggressive settings for everything. In city driving its about 10mpg.
(Thats why I drive a Smart ForTwo around the downtown in Toronto:)
Still ,because the Ring is so brutally hard, the superfast gearchanges were a boon..I will have some trapidation with the Porsche. I wanted to wait for the DSG but there is no guarantee of any early appearance inthe RS cars,so its a goold old heel and toe challenge.
INterestingly enough. my wife hated my 645 which was a 6 speed and had a truly hard to manage clutch, unlike my earlier E39s, and she found the M6 fairly easy to handle.The seats are a BIG upgrade in supportiveness.
It is an ugly car. From its Prozacian headlights to the awkward dash to the junk yard replacement trunk it is butt ugly.
Thanks for your honest take on the M6 as an owner, Ronan. And I’m still insanely jealous you took it on the Nurburgring; 3mpg, oil burning and all. :-)
Your’re welcome:)
The Ring is the most addictive place on the planet..I intend to keep the GT3RS there fairly permanently..(thats assuming I can keep it in something like one piece..
Still,when Sabine comes whacking by sideways in the M5 Ring taxi,its an experience…
doctorv8:
January 8th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
So Ronan…what does it cost to ship a car from North America to Germany? Or did you do Euro Delivery?
I’m not sure about Germany, but shipping a large car-sized container from LA to Benelux runs about $1000 including insurance. They used to go to Rotterdam, but now it’s Antwerp.
about $1000 sounds right. I will get the Porsche ex-factory like I did the M6 so the trip back to Canada is built into the price. Howevwer, will send it back to Germany later after its plated here at some stage and use it as a Euro car..
The M6 will spend the rest of its life in North America though:)
(sorry for the OT)
$1000 isn’t bad. How about temporary registration and insurance?
Man, I would love to take my cammed C6 Z06 to Germany and break the double century on the Autobahn.
A few observations about the M6:
1. Styling has got to go; so is the weight.
2. Don’t compare this to a Porsche; if you loved styling, you would not want to be caught dead in the Porsche’s low-rent interior and 40-year old exterior. Last week’s test-drive further confirms this for me.
3. The M6’s engine is world class. But if you loved the engine, you must take it with the SMG. Get used to it, and you won’t go to any track without it. Thuis transmission was designed and made for this engine. Anything else won’t come close.
Be careful what you ask for in a 6-speed. Check the latest comparo (can’t remember which mag) featuring the 6-sp M5. It resulted in 4.7 s 0-60 and mid-13s 1/4, same numbers as old M3. Remember, the 6-sp is not designed to maximize the power and torque curves of a high-revving V10.
4. The I-drive is not bad if coupled with all voice-commands (a la Acura MDX or RL). Imagine operating EVERYTHING with your voice alone.
5. $110K is expensive. If for pure performance, you can get a Z06, Evo MR, and a dozen sets of track tires for the price. If you want luxury w/o performance, there’s a M-B. If you want both, get a Maserati.
Forget Porsches…they’re just MORE overpriced German cars.
I’m not a Bimmer hater. Afterall, my DD is an M3.
AHAA!
I’ve figured it out!
I could not put my mind on what other vehicle I had seen the homely butt of the M6 appear on before, but yesterday commuting home I saw the car I was thinking of.
Check it out–> Toyota Solara
Separated at birth!
When I was dissing on the way this car looked earlier, I was also getting a sense of deja-vu.
On the commute home, it was revealed to me…
The back end is stunningly similar to a Toyota Solaris.
Check it out!
I think you meant COMELY. The rear end of the Solara is gorgeous and reminds me of a coachbuilt coupe from somewhere in the 30’s or 40’s era of Hollywood glitz. Same would go for the stunning tail-lights of the 6…now if they could only do something about the Bangle tumor protruding trunk and the droopy/dopey headlights…these days BMW gets sooooo close and then botches it royally. Example: the latest generation 7-series which, with a simple flick of the knife, went from hideously disgusting to absolutely stunning.
I personally love the styling of the 6-Series/M6, and looks are purely subjective. I wish the SMG was more like DSG however, and while there’s the new 6 speed traditional manual option I’ve heard that saps some of the performance since the stability control was calibrated to work solely with the SMG, or something like that. Still, this is a dream car, and the best in its class in my eyes. I’d never choose an SL55 AMG over an M6, or an SL550 over a 650i (well maybe I’d take an SL65 AMG over an M6…)