BMW M6 Gran Coupe 2013: Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $299,145
Options fitted (not included in above price): Digital radio tuner (DAB+) $950; BMW Individual paint $4800
Crash rating: TBA
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 232
Also consider: Audi RS 6 Avant (from $225,000); Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG (from $263,000)

Any car that rattles the windows of the family abode as it backs down the driveway is a car that promises good things. And with the key components of BMW's M5 underpinning it, the M6 Gran Coupe is just such a car.

The thunder and bark of the twin-scroll turbo-fed 4.4-litre V8, which develops 412kW and 680Nm, is heard and felt at speeds barely above idle. At idle it's quiet and you'll hear not a peep from it cruising on a freeway either -- certainly not over the noise from the tyres. At higher speeds and with deft use of a heavy right foot the engine delivers a full orchestral arrangement of forced induction brass and bent-eight percussion.

Mated to the V8 is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which operates with the efficiency of a manual transmission but handles the chore of shifting for the driver. Unlike other dual-clutch transmissions, the M6's provides little 'creep' in traffic and launching smoothly on a light throttle setting can take a little finesse. As I found with the M5, the transmission is not as smooth as the ZF eight-speed automatic found in other BMW models.

That said, however, the DCT in the M6 changed gear quickly when the lever was dragged across for sequential shifting via the paddles. It's aimed more at driver satisfaction than passenger comfort. First-time users will look fruitlessly for a 'Park' detente. The system demands you activate the electric parking brake before switching off the engine.

During the entire week the car was in our possession the rain never let up -- and wet bitumen is not the ideal environment to explore the dynamic ability of a car as potent as the M6. On damp roads wheel-spin was easily provoked, although the stability control quickly and effectively strangled torque whenever there was any sign of compromised traction. This is a car that will test its tyres to their limit with very little provocation. The M6, with a surfeit of speed entering a corner will oversteer, but mostly it was a neutral-handling car with precise and prompt steering.

If you're buying a car as conspicuous as the M6 Gran Coupe, you probably want to be reminded of that from the driver's seat as well. Surely most drivers of this car will have the suspension calibrated to 'Sport' through the M Drive Control -- since the ride comfort in that mode isn't that firm anyway -- and 'Sport +' for the steering. That will give you the feedback through the wheel, the crisp turn-in and optimum grip and handling. You can even program this into one of the two M Drive buttons on the left spoke of the steering wheel.

Conversely, you can set suspension, steering and drivetrain to 'Comfort' or 'Efficient' -- but the steering feel, in particular, is a pale shadow of what's on offer in either of the two 'Sport' settings.

The driving position is intimate (but busy). Everything is close at hand and mostly intuitive to operate, which is a blessing. BMW designers have combined classic styling in the instrument binnacle with a modern, organic look for the gear shifter and the sweeping centre console -- thus arranging the instruments and controls in a sweeping, panoramic array close to the driver.

The head-up display shines a tachometer graphic onto the windscreen at night, in addition to the speed reading. As with most cars sourced from Europe, the M6's indicator stalk is located on the left of the column -- perhaps the one flaw in an otherwise excellent driving position. A bit of a stretch, the button to release the boot from the driving position is located low, on the right of the driver's footwell.

Streaming audio from a smartphone, once it's paired, is an entirely automatic process. There's no mucking around with nudging either the phone or the car to communicate every time you turn the key; the M6 just talks to the phone and pipes the music through the audio system. And pairing the phone in the first place is simple also.

The seats are really snug, but not aggressively so. Seatbelts retract from the squab rather than the B pillar, which is an improvement once you're used to it. Rear-seat accommodation delivers marginal legroom, and there's no toe room under the front seats either. On the plus side, the headroom is adequate for most adults.

But even average-sized adults will need to duck the head while climbing into the rear seats. That's due to the M6 Gran Coupe's low roof/high waistline, which doesn't provide the same field of vision that the M5 does, but there are surround view cameras that overcome that problem with angles from overhead, to the rear and looking sideways from the front. These proved invaluable pulling out of side streets on blind corners, or backing up when the rear window was frosted over.

During the week in our possession, the M6 Gran Coupe posted an average fuel consumption figure of 17.4L/100km. That's almost as startling as the car's performance, but considering it only hit open-road speeds on one brief occasion, that's better than the result for the previous generation Audi RS6.

Still, with the M6 Gran Coupe costing close to $300,000 buyers will need deep pockets. And can the extra $70,000 (over the M5) be justified for a car that's not as practical and provides little extra in the way of performance? For some the answer will inevitably rest with two of the car's more obvious qualities -- style and exclusivity.

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