Top Speed

Most powerful M6 on its way while BMW M subsidiary continues to consider its own supercar

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:00:00 GMT

The new generation BMW M6 is preparing to rev its way to dealerships in Summer 2012 after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and its promising to be the most powerful super-coupe in BMW’s history. Its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine with 552 HP and 502 lb ft of torque makes it capable of running its owner to their job on a daily basis, as well as running the track in superior fashion. That being said, a BMW insider has stated that the M6 should not be referred to as a "pure sports car." That designation should be left to the super car that the BMW M Division is trying to develop, again.

"M wants to build its own car. BMW has a great heritage of super-coupés and the M6 is the latest part of that. But we also want to do something that we can call a ’super sports car’."

By the time this M Division super car is ready to be launched, BMW is hoping it will take on vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with ease. BMW and its M Division have been trying to come up with a business case for the future super car for a long time, using the BMW M1 Hommage (pictured above) as a starting point. When that concept first debuted in 2008, it was rumored to get a powerful V10 5.0 liter engine capable of delivering 600+ HP, even though the original 1978 BMW M1 only pushed out 270 HP.

We figure that if BMW can attempt at least a happy medium between the original 270 HP and the rumored 600 HP, then the M Division’s super car may be a tough contender in the tough "pure sports car" market. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

gallery: 2012 BMW M6

gallery: 2008 BMW M1 Hommage

Most powerful M6 on its way while BMW M subsidiary continues to consider its own supercar originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 19:00 EST.

BMW M6 GranCoupe

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

After unveiling the 6-Series Gran Coupe at the end of 2011, BMW has started testing the most powerful version in the series: the M6 Gran Coupe. Interested buyers will have to wait until the end of 2012 before actually laying their eyes on it, but we can assure you that it will be worth the wait.

As with any other M6 model in BMW’s line-up, the Gran Coupe will be distinguished by a more aggressive and sportier look compared to the standard model. The list of changes will include more aggressive front and rear fascias with the usual M-type elements, larger wheels, and, of course, a quad-exhaust system.

As far as power goes, the M6 Gran Coupe will be powered by the same turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 engine found in the M6 Coupe with about 600 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque on tap. What’s better is that BMW will be offering the M6 Gran Coupe in both coupe and convertible versions.

gallery: 2013 BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe

BMW M6 GranCoupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 19 January 2012 18:00 EST.

BMW M6 Convertible

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Spy shots for the BMW M6 Coupe are splattered all over the internet at this point, but now our spy photographers have moved on to the drop top version of the sports car, which looks to be just about ready for its closeup. This near-final M6 Convertible caught testing looks stunning in gray, a change up from the black M6 Coupe testers pictured before. Its debut should a few months after the M6 Coupe’s official debut in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show.

As with the coupe version, the M6 Convertible will be distinguished by a larger air dam, a lower bumper, a new bullish nose, and a bulging bonnet with air intakes positioned at each corner. At the rear, it will receive new quad exhaust pipes, a wider track, and a new bumper with an integrated rear diffuser.

In terms of power, BMW has opted to transfer the turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 - first used in the M5 - over to the M6. This engine will provide the sports car with 600 HP and about 550 lb-ft of torque. up from the M5’s 560 HP. Those extra ponies won’t matter as much since the top speed as been electronically limited to 155 mph. The 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in under 4.5 seconds.

UPDATE 12/23/2011: BMW has confirmed that the most powerful version in the 6-Series line-up - the M6 Convertible - will be making its world debut in just a few weeks at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, along with the ActiveHybrid 3.

BMW M6 Convertible originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 23 December 2011 11:00 EST.

BMW B6 Biturbo Coupe by Alpina

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 1 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

While many are sitting back, patiently waiting for the arrival of the BMW M6, German tuner Alpina has been hard at work on a project that will shed some light on the future model. Their new B6 Biturbo Coupe may not be as impressive as the upcoming M6, which is rumored to deliver about 600 HP, but it’s here now. Plus, we’re sure Alpina left enough room for a new tuning package for the M6.

But back to their Alpina B6 Biturbo Coupe. The B6 is an evolution of the old 507 HP B6 cabrio, but uses an aluminum twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, equipped with MAHLE pistons and a high-performance cooling system. This setup is give for a total output of 540 HP and 516 lb-ft of torque. With the extra power, the B6 Biturbo will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and will hit a top speed of 198 mph. Alpina has also opted for a Akrapovic titanium exhaust system that will make the car sound better than ever and, of course, a new set of 20" Alpina Classic rims fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

For the aerodynamic updates, the B6 BiTurbo Coupe has been fitted with a front spoiler, an integrated carbon fiber front splitter, and a rear spoiler with an optional rear wing. The interior was also revamped with a sport steering wheel, hand-stitched in LAVALINA leather, blue illuminated entry sills, a navigation system with preparation for Bluetooth mobile phone, USB audio interface, Xenon lights, and LED fog lights.

gallery: 2012 BMW M6

BMW B6 Biturbo Coupe by Alpina originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 1 December 2011 14:00 EST.

BMW M6

Ashfaaq@topspeed.com(Ashfaaq) — Thu, 1 Dec 2011 09:00:00 GMT

There seems to always be hype and rumors circulating around this car, and it’s increased since the F10 M5 launch is around the corner. Traditionally, the M5 and M6 have shared a lot of similar kit, mainly, the same engine and gearbox. This would explain why potential buyers and M fans are looking at the new M5 through a microscope – to gauge what surprises the top of the range M car will bring. The new M6 will have a lot to live up to based on the outgoing V10 model. The beast showcased the fruits of BMW’s F1 escapades, with the use of lightweight composite materials in its construction, F1-derived V10 engine, and adjustable suspension. While it wasn’t everyone’s favorite in the looks department, no one could take anything away from its scintillating performance. The new 6 should be much better to look at and even better to drive, according to the info we have managed to amass.

UPDATE 12/01/2011: Up until now, we have only heard lots of rumors about the upcoming BMW M6, but we can officially confirm that the M6 Cabrio will be launched in June 2012 and it will be followed by the coupe version three months later. BMW is also preparing an M version for the upcoming 6-Series Grand Coupe. It will be launched in 2013. (Autofans)

Hit the jump for the full read.

BMW M6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 1 December 2011 09:00 EST.

Spy Shots: BMW M6 Convertible in its Final Stages

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Tue, 4 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT

It seems BMW has gotten the look of the BMW M6 just right after the questionable design used on the previous generation, so now it’s time for the Convertible version of the sports car to get testing. Our spy photographers were available to capture the drop top Beamer in a gray exterior paint, looking just about ready for its official debut.

The upcoming BMW M6 will feature a more aggressive design language defined by a larger air dam, a lower bumper, a new bullish nose, and a bulging bonnet with air intakes positioned at each corner. At the rear, the model will get quad exhaust pipes, a wider track, and a new bumper with an integrated rear diffuser. 20" wheels seal off the package.

As for the engine, BMW will be using the same turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 used in the M5, however, the M6 will get about 600 HP, up from the M5’s 560 HP.

gallery: 2012 BMW M6 Convertible

Spy Shots: BMW M6 Convertible in its Final Stages originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 10:00 EST.

Spy Shots: Next BMW M6 starts losing its camouflage

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 1 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMT

The most powerful version in the BMW 6-Series line-up has been caught testing once again, this time wearing less camouflage than ever. The new BMW M6 will be launched by the end of this year and will be offered in both coupe and convertible versions.

Like with the BMW M5, the M6 will be powered by a 4.4-liter V8 bi-turbo engine that delivers a total of 560 HP and 502 pound-feet of torque. It is expected to hit a top speed of about 186 mph, while the sprint from 0 to 60 mph is expected to be made in under 4.5 seconds.

The latest spy shots reveal the design of the front spoiler that is clearly more aggressive than the current 6-Series. Next to this, the new M6 will be distinguished by quad exhaust pipes, a wider track and bumper with integrated rear diffuser, and of course, the hallowed M6 badge.

gallery: 2012 BMW M6

Spy Shots: Next BMW M6 starts losing its camouflage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 1 September 2011 09:00 EST.

BMW M6 PD550 by Prior Design

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Tue, 5 Jul 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Prior Design knows a thing or two about tuning BMW models, having done so with their previous works on the new 6-Series and the M5.

Taking their experiences in hand, the German tuning firm has introduced their new program for the BMW M6, one that features an astoundingly flashy lime widebody kit.

Among the features included in the M6 package include a new front bumper lip, a pair of fenders, a pair of side skirts, a rear spoiler, a roof spoiler, and a trunk spoiler. According to Prior Design, all the parts included in the program are from Dura-Flex Epoxy Fiber Reinforced Plastic. This particular material comes with a top-grade surface finish that provides above-standard flexibility and high stability. And as an added option, customers can also avail of a new quad-tip exhaust system with an exclusive lime green finish with black racing stripes running along the center of the entire vehicle.

The powertrain for the M6 remains untouched, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference, especially for a car that already features a 5.0-liter V10 engine. This engine produces 500 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque with a 0-60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Flashy digs with a powerful engine? Sign us up!

BMW M6 PD550 by Prior Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 July 2011 10:00 EST.

In Canada, it pays to speed in a Ferrari F430 Scuderia

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Back in September, a Canadian resident saw his $235,000 Ferrari F430 Scuderia confiscated after it was caught doing 124mph in a 37mph zone. Apparently, the owner of the Ferrari was racing a $75,000 BMW M6 that was also confiscated during the whole speeding ordeal. The two morons almost hit a mother walking with her children, so we don’t blame the Canadian police for taking away the two vehicles and giving the idiotic drivers 15-day driving bans.

"Our laws now work to take vehicles away from reckless drivers before they hurt someone, because they are demonstrating no regard for the safety of themselves or others on our roads," said one of the policemen. "This is probably the first time it’s been used at this level. We decided to use this particular new [forfeiture] section on this particular case, and I’m glad we did."

But there’s always a silver lining to every dark cloud. In this case, that silver lining comes in the form of an auction that saw the Ferrari F430 Scuderia being sold for $306,000 - quite a boost from its $235K price tag. The money will be divided between the vehicle’s owner and the government in an 80/20 split which is surprisingly fair considering the danger the driver put pedestrians in. Basically, the driver of the Ferrari walked out of there with more money than he paid for the car originally. We’re figuring, after the subtraction of the $235K, the owner saw a profit of about $10K. Depending on the fines given to him for his ignorant spectacle, he could actually make money on this deal.

The BMW M6 will be auctioned sometime next week. You never know, this guy may be able to turn a profit as well.

In Canada, it pays to speed in a Ferrari F430 Scuderia originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 29 November 2010 13:00 EST.

G-Power M6 Hurricane RR

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Meet the new M6 Hurricane RR - the world’s fastest 4-seat coupe. Based on a BMW M6, the Hurricane RR is G-Power’s latest full speed creation. It may look familiar, considering this is practically the same kit that was blended in to the BMW M5 juts a couple of months, but this latest masterpiece is just a tad faster, making it that much cooler.

Following in the footsteps of the M5 Hurricane RR, the M6 can now develop a total of 800 HP and is capable of hitting a top speed of no less than 230 mph. This increase was attained by adding the same bi-supercharger system to the V10 engine as found in the previous Hurricane RR. This setup is cooled using a dual-flow, water-cooled charge air cooler system and works with a new set of lightweight, precisely balanced Mahle high-performance forged pistons.

The result of all that work is a sprint from 0 to 60 mph made in 4.35 seconds, from 0 to 124 mph in 9.5 seconds, and to 186 mph in 24.9 seconds. The latter being the only time that was an improvement over the M5 Hurricane RR, albeit slightly.

Check out the full story plus the press release after the jump.

G-Power M6 Hurricane RR originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:00 EST.

Another rendering of the 2012 BMW M6 Coupe pops up

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Wed, 6 Oct 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The BMW Concept 6-Series Coupe is becoming a popular choice among car artists to flex their rendering muscles and work on what the next-generation BMW M6 ought to look like. We’ve already seen one rendering a few weeks ago that was based on the just-revealed Concept 6-Series Coupe. This time, Bimmerpost’s Alpine325ci takes a stab at his own version of the future M6.

Just like most of the M6 models we’ve seen in the past, Alpine325ci incorporates a number of design elements that are usually found in the M6, including a redefined bumper, fresh side skirts, and allow wheels, all of which he decided to add to the Concept 6-Series Coupe. Comparing it to the other rendering we saw before, Alpine325ci’s take looks fresher and less intimidating than the other rendering. Make no mistake, both score aces on our scorecard, although if we’re going to pick one, we’d choose this by a very slight margin.

Another rendering of the 2012 BMW M6 Coupe pops up originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 09:00 EST.

Artist renders 2012 BMW M6 Coupe

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:00:00 GMT

BMW’s Concept 6 Series Coupe will only be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show next week and we already have some renderings of what the M6 Coupe could look like. We don’t want to say the artist was a little overeager with the rendering – it actually looks pretty awesome – but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to wait for the Concept 6 Series Coupe to be unveiled first. Not that it matters; we’re just saying.

In any case, the 2012 M6 rendering, courtesy of a very promising artist from Bimmerboost, doesn’t look a whole lot different from the 6-Series Concept Coupe with the exception of a new front bumper sans the longitudinal grilles present on the latter, the quad exhaust tips on the rear, and the addition of side skirts. Apart from that, we’re thinking that, as always, the biggest difference between the 6-Series Concept Coupe and the M6 lies on what’s under the hood of both cars.

We still have no idea what powertrain the 2012 M6 Coupe will come in, but it could come in something along the lines of a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with a few tweaks here and there to increase the car’s overall output. Like we said, all of this is still conjecture so we won’t dwell too much on it.

Artist renders 2012 BMW M6 Coupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 23 September 2010 14:00 EST.

End of life for the BMW M6

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona) — Tue, 7 Sep 2010 15:00:00 GMT

After 14,152 units built, it’s the end of the road for the BMW M6. The sports car, in both coupe and convertible versions, was officially given the axe by BMW after six years of production for the coupe, and five years for the convertible.

The BMW M6 is powered by a 5.0 liter V10 engine that delivers a total of 500 hp at 7750 rpm and 383 lb-ft. of torque at 6100 rpm. The car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds for the coupe version, and in just 0.2 seconds longer for the convertible. Their top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The BMW M6 Coupé and BMW M6 Convertible received worldwide acclaim as dream cars for automotive enthusiasts with sporting ambitions. Out of the 9,087 coupes sold and 5,065 convertibles sold, a record of 3,528 coupes and 3,247 convertibles were sold on the US market. But the U.S. market shouldn’t mourn the loss for too long; the next generation 6-series will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September, and we can only hope to see an M-series spawn from that generation.

Press release after the jump.

End of life for the BMW M6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 15:00 EST.

Video: Andrew Bynum introduces us to his pimped-out BMW M6

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Being somebody that earns millions and millions of dollars to play basketball certainly has its perks, one of which is that the person can afford just about any car that catches his wandering eye.

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is no exception to that. With a salary of $13.8 million for the 2010-2011 season, Bynum can practically open the doors to any dealership in the world and drive off with that dealership’s most expensive ride. Yes, it’s unfair, but we’re not 7 feet tall and we certainly don’t play professional basketball for a living. Tough luck, eh?

In any case, of all the cars that he can choose from, Bynum decided to opt for a pretty nice ride, a modified-to-the-brim BMW M6. Apparently, there are other endeavors pro ballers enjoy as much as putting the ball to the hoop; tuning up their already expensive sports cars.

Read the rest of the story after the jump.

Video: Andrew Bynum introduces us to his pimped-out BMW M6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 20:00 EST.

Video: Driver drifts BMW M6 straight into a ditch

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:00:00 GMT

One thing you can always count on from people with fancy rides is that, somehow, they’re going to end up showing off their cars to anybody willing to take a look at them.

Of course, showing off your car requires that you at least have the right frame of mind when doing so. Basically, you have a clear idea of whatever it is you’re bound to do. Otherwise, you’re just going to end up like this dude.

Driving a spanking expensive BMW M6, the driver of the car, who we assume is also the owner, performs a drift for the camera only to have his risky daredevil attempt backfire on him as he overshoots his drift. This sends his M6 spiraling straight into a ditch. We don’t know the extent of the damage the car sustained, but with the way it fell through and with the abrupt stop shortly thereafter, we’re guessing that the owner of the car is going to have to spend more than he bargained for in repairs.

Lesson learned, folks. Unless you know what you’re getting yourself into, it’s best to keep the driving stunts to the professionals who get paid to do it.

Video: Driver drifts BMW M6 straight into a ditch originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 30 July 2010 22:00 EST.