New drop-top offers programmable power
What is it?
After two years without one (how
did we survive?), the BMW M6 convertible will be back in showrooms in
late June. “It's the fastest convertible we've ever made,” said M brand
manager Matt Russell. If you measure “fastest” by top speed, BMWs have
been electronically limited to 155 mph for some time, which is pretty
fast. But if you look at 0-to-60-mph times, it should take just 4.2
seconds, a few tenths quicker than the old model. The M6 also does it
more efficiently, with a 30 percent mileage improvement.
Sharing
most componentry with the M5 sedan and its triplet, the M6 coupe--both
coming later this summer--the new M6 convertible adds glorious top-down
hightailing to the performance of its tin-topped siblings. The new
drop-top gets the same meat-eating 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the M5 and
M6, which hit 560 hp from 5,750 rpm to 7,000 rpm, while peak torque
lays across a long, ludicrously flat 500-lb-ft plateau, from 1,500 revs
to 5,750 revs. Power goes seamlessly through a seven-speed M dual-clutch
transmission and thence to the Active M differential, an electronically
controlled multiplate limited-slip unit. Just about everything in the
powertrain can be electronically controlled through a phalanx of
driver-prescribed settings. It's like being your own powertrain
engineer.
Together with the M5 sedan and the M6 coupe, the body
into which this powertrain is bolted is “the stiffest and most rigid
we've ever made,” Russell said. BMW is very proud of the fact that the
rear subframe is bolted directly to the chassis, with none of those
soft, squishy bushings to sap performance. BMW uses more
ultra-high-strength steel for stiffness, combined with damper technology
that has advanced enough to make such a stiff structure driveable every
day. (Interestingly, while going on at length about how stiff the whole
thing is, BMW would not quote any figures for torsional rigidity or
bending resistance that even the lowliest Saturn lists.)
The power
soft top can be raised or lowered under way at speeds up to 25 mph and
takes just 19 seconds to go down and 24 to go back up. A fairly useless
glass wind blocker raises above the rear seats.
What is it like to drive?
Yes,
that is a very powerful, very torquey engine and, yes, the dual-clutch
transmission is easily the quickest, smoothest-shifting unit ever bolted
into a Bimmer. But the beast still weighs 4,508 pounds, the heaviest of
the M5/6 triumvirate. So it's not a sports car and it maybe even
outweighs the sporty two-door moniker.
So what is it? It is the most-tied-down gran tourer ever made, how about that title?
You
can program in three modes of engine-throttle response, three modes of
damper stiffness, three different steering weights, three shift programs
and three settings for the stability control. You can store two of
these complete custom settings and recall either of them instantly with
the touch of the two M buttons on the steering wheel, M1 and M2,
instantly prepping the M6 convertible for action--or inaction, depending
on your preference. In addition to that, there are still more settings
for various comfort and sport parameters available, too.
We spent
a thoroughly thrilling afternoon driving an M6 convertible in the hills
above Santa Barbara, Calif., and tried them all. The sport-plus setting
for throttle response was almost too quick and required a big
adjustment to driving style to master smoothly. The steering settings
just seemed to add some weight to the system without changing the actual
feedback to the driver's fingertips. The comfort setting for the
dampers was still a bit stiff for daily commuting, but this is an M6,
after all, so that's what buyers want.
That broad torque plateau
was most impressive in passing maneuvers, ladling out torque in huge
dollops at the touch of the throttle. Off the line, a launch-control
program helps get you that 4.2-second 0-to-60-mph time.
But
regardless of how brilliantly BMW engineers have integrated all of this
power and managed all of this torque, the car still weighs more than two
tons. It is a gran tourer, but the emphasis is on the gran.
Do I want one?
What
a great time to be in the market for something such as this. There are
so many possibilities: the new Mercedes-Benz SL and the Porsche 911, the
Aston Martin V8 Vantage convertible, the Jaguar XK and the Maserati
GranTurismo. Sports-car purists will want the 911, but for those seeking
more comfort, room and road presence with their performance, there are
many choices. The M6 convertible stickers at $113,995, so it's not for
the faint of heart, but, like any of those cars, it will make the heart
beat faster.
2012 BMW M6 Convertible
On Sale: June 23
Base Price: $113,995
Drivetrain: 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 4,508 lb
0-60 MPH: 4.2 sec
Fuel Economy (EPA): 14 city/20 highway/16 combined mpg (mfr est)
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