Introduction

BMW M6 – 2007 Review: Driving the BMW M6 might remind you of the Batmobile. After all, like the M6, the Dark Knight’s ride bristles with technology. But once we put the BMW through its paces, another car came to mind: The Green Hornet’s sleek, sophisticated and powerful Black Beauty. Like the Black Beauty, the M6 is capable of slipping quickly and quietly through the thick of freeway traffic. Or you can unleash the BMW’s power in demanding situations. Sleek styling cloaks a machine that’s as much finesse as brute strength. You can almost picture Bruce Lee as Kato behind the wheel.

What We Drove
BMW provided us with an M6 Coupe equipped with the seven-speed sequential manual gearbox; a standard six-speed manual transmission is available at no extra cost. Base price for the coupe is $102,295, including $695 destination charge and $3,000 gas guzzler tax. Among the options were $3,500 Merino leather, $1,000 head-up display, $500 HD radio, $595 satellite radio, $300 carbon fiber interior trim and $1,000 comfort access system. All told, our test vehicle was priced at $109,190. Dealers almost always add a premium onto the price of cars like the M6. Expect a waiting list unless there’s one on the lot.

Performance
With 500 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque, the only question to ask about performance is: How much can you use at any given time? Acceleration is rapid to blindingly fast. Zero to 60 mph is achieved in less than five seconds. The 5.0-liter V-10 pulls strong from just off idle all the way to redline. BMW is coy about this engine’s relationship to the V-10 it used to build for Formula 1 race cars. But with stepless variable valve timing, a special lubrication system and 10 individually controlled throttles, “inspired” sells it short.

Our test vehicle had BMW’s SMG, a seven-speed, semi-automatic transmission. This is a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal. Sophisticated electronics engage the clutch, blip the throttle and hydraulics change gears in less than 100 milliseconds. The driver can select manual – paddle shifters or a stick – or automatic, and adjust how quickly it shifts. It’s a techno marvel, except for one annoyance: Shifting at lower rpm from first to second often caused the car to lurch. It’s far less noticeable from second to third and practically not there with higher gear changes. Still, not the ultimate driving we expected.