One of the
biggest perks of being an automotive scribe is having the chance to get behind
the wheel of just about any vehicle being sold in Singapore, be it for a day or
even a week. Most of the time, I find myself test driving rather mundane bread
and butter cars, however, every once in a while (when the stars align) I get
the keys to a really special vehicle for an equally special amount of time
(three days to be exact) – cue: the BMW M6 Gran Coupe.
Yes, for 40
over hours (subtract away six hours of sleep per day and some rather
unfortunate actual office work time) I was cloaked in the epitome of BMW M
Engineering. This here folks, is without a doubt one
of the best vehicles I’ve driven in a long time. BMW M has created an awesome
machine forged with impressive mechanicals; software and dressed it in a killer
tux in the shape of the 6 Series Gran Coupe’s body.
The M6 Gran Coupe is
just the latest to get BMW's full-blown M treatment; it joins the M6 Coupe and
M6 Convertible in its series
Personally,
I already adore the standard 6 Series’ aesthetics, the coupe-like silhouette,
the limo-ish long front overhangs, those broad and
deeply edged shoulder lines cumulating in a taut rear end that again emphasizes
the width of the car as a whole.
M, of
course, went to town with their rendition of the ultimate 6 Series, giving the
car huge air-intake vents upfront for an intimidating facade, flared wheel
arches front and back to give the body further aggression and presence. To
round it up, there are also the obligatory M requisites like carbon-fibre roof, quad exhaust tips, M badging on the front, side
grilles, tailgate, and within the cabin to further elevate the M6 from its
brethren.
With prices
starting from $601,800, calling the M6 Gran Coupe’s cabin lavish is a little of
an understatement. Nearly every panel is wrapped in exquisite bovine hide, the
seats in the test unit I drove were draped in the same coral red leather that I
had fell in love with ever since the 435i I tested late last year came with it
as well.
Although
performance-oriented, the cabin is not devoid of comfort amenities
The cabin’s
headliner is a combination of leather and Alcantara
suede with a column of hide effectively bisecting the roof. It might sound
simplistic in words, but once you see it in the flesh, it’s a nice touch that
gives the M6 an air novelty. That said, everything
else that isn’t covered in cow is armoured with
carbon fibre just in case you forgot you’re in an M.
Wearing the
M badge doesn’t just mean the cabin has to look good; it has to also reward the
driver with an outstanding driving experience. The M6 is no exception to this
rule but due to the coupe-like low roof line, getting in and out of the car
might take some getting used to if you want to avoid bumping your head. But
once you do settle down into the low, cosy cabin
though, everything else starts to fall into place pretty well.
Curiously,
the M6 Gran Coupe’s steering is larger with longer and thinner spokes compared
to the one we get in the M3, though it still feels exceptionally good with the
adequately sized paddle-shifters perfectly positioned.
BMW's seven-speed DCT
is an automated manual, with two computer-controlled clutches
The
semi-bucket-esque seats do the job of holding you in
place very well and offer an extensive list of adjustments to ensure you get
pretty comfortable behind the wheel. Line of sight might be slightly
compromised for some due to the rather small cabin windows and windscreen but
that’s easily solved with an assortment of cameras and sensors in the fore and
aft of the car.
At the
heart of the M6 Gran Coupe is a massive BMW 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
petrol unit that never ceases to put a big, really big grin on the face of this
editor. Bringing to the table 560 horses, 680 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 5,750
rpm, the Gran Coupe sprints to a 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and will hit an
electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
