Since BMW released the 6-series Gran Coupe last year, I’ve been going on and on raving about how gorgeous it is. I put aside how irrelevant a vehicle it is on the current market, or how confusing BMW’s latest naming scheme has become. It’s easily the best-looking 4-door currently for sale in my eyes. Short of supercars such as the Lamborghini Diablo or the Ferrari F40, few cars have had me craning my neck to get a second glimpse in traffic. The 6-series Gran Coupe has done it. The second I saw the high-performance “M” version of the sleek 4-door at the auto show, I knew I had to drive one. When I was received the email about the opportunity to test a 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe for a couple days, I literally had a huge grin on my face.
When purchasing a car, some logic is required. Budget, requirements, interior space, fuel mileage; there are tons and tons of factors that must be taken into account. Not in the case of the M6 Gran Coupe though; there are tons of more practical, better-valued choices out there. The reason to buy one though is how bonkers it is. It’s this incredible blend of insanity, beauty, and utter perfection that makes it worth every dime you spend on it.
Powered by BMW’s twin-turbo V8 putting out 560-horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque, the M6 is a weapon in a line. I programmed the “M1” drive mode to have everything in “Sport Plus” mode with assists off, and it obliterates nearly anything else on the road. The 7-speed double-clutch gearbox delivers properly quick shifts, although I would have liked a little more sound. The S-tronic in newer Audi applications is a little bit more satisfying in terms of its downshift blips. The M6’s transmission shifts flawlessly and predictably, but is just a little bit too quiet. One colleague commented on how the M6 sounds like it’s right out of a Need For Speed game, and I can’t say I disagree. When 100 km/h is achieved in four-seconds flat, it’s hard not to relate to video games.
My M6 Gran Coupe tester came with a $160,000 price tag. It’s a little hefty considering the base car is in the $125,000 range, but this one came completely loaded. Starting with goodies like carbon ceramic brakes and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, the M6 has pretty much everything imaginable. The ventilated front seats are part of a $10,500 Executive Package that includes a bunch of other toys, but I discovered that they don’t cool quite as well as ventilated seats in other cars. Just to compare a quick fact, we had a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado at the same time as the M6 and the seats in the truck were much better at keeping my behind cool on a 35-degree day.
I consider myself an audiophile, so names such as Burmester, Mark Levinson, and Bang & Olufsen typically have me looking for top-quality sound. The “premium audio” system in my 2013 328i doesn’t exactly deliver, but the optional Bang & Olufsen in this M6 Gran Coupe is positively phenomenal. High, midrange, and low sounds all come out perfectly, and the system delivers everything flawlessly. I’m not a huge fan of the multimedia interface in the car, but it definitely gets the job done. The navigation system is high-resolution (thanks to a 10.3″ display), but could definitely benefit from a touchscreen for destination inputs.
It’s the little things on the M6 Gran Coupe that increase its appeal. The pillarless windows and swooping roofline add to its appeal as a big coupé. The carbon fibre roof and quad exhaust tips make it look absolutely evil, and the sound from said exhausts when the car is pulling away from you in Sport Plus mode only confirms that theory. The Frozen Silver paint job may be optional and higher-maintenance, but it gets so many looks it’s a must-have for a car as unique as the M6. The beautiful Merino leather is the perfect complement to the Frozen Silver, but would also look perfect on a black car. I’ve said it before; unique paint jobs may be beautiful and all but I can’t see myself ever buying a car that isn’t black.
Fuel consumption isn’t exactly something that should be considered on any car bearing the prestigious M-badge, but this one surprised me. In spirited driving, I managed to get under 14L/100km. I know that’s not a number to be proud of by any means, but considering it’s a bi-turbo V8 on a car that’s considerably porkier than a Corolla, it’s not so bad. Naturally, the car requires premium fuel, and anybody who will tell you otherwise has no business being around one of these.
The Gran Coupe won me over. It’s not the most expensive car I’ve ever driven, nor is it the fastest, or the most beautiful. I’ve recently been spending a lot of time with a 2014 Audi R8 S-tronic, and it isn’t nearly as satisfying as the M6 was. As I filled up the tank at the gas station around the corner from BMW, I suddenly began feeling sad. I knew that after those last few minutes, I would be bidding adieu to the Gran Coupe. Before driving it, I already knew I would like it a lot, but not this much. I’ll conclude this story with a statement that I never thought I would make about this car; the 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe could very well be one of my favourite cars on the road. I must have one.
2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe Gallery
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