automotive.com®...where your car search begins

2013 BMW M6 Debut

Germany takes a stab at making a muscle car

2013 BMW 6-Series Research Click to hide

By Jacob Brown | March 06, 2012

What's New

The 2013 BMW M6 is not a sports car. It's a German musclecar, a crafted grand tourer with taken completely over the top by way of BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, pumping 560 horsepower through a seven-speed dual-clutch sequential automatic transmission. It's not designed to go around the Nurburgring the quickest; it's meant to provide all the luxury you could possibly hope for in a $100,000 car while having more power at the tip of your toe than you'll likely know what to do with. The BMW M6 is the latest M car, coming in convertible and carbon fiber-roof coupe, designed to maximize the amount of molten rubber one can leave on pavement in the shortest amount of time.

Who It's For

The 2013 BMW M6 will likely be cheaper than Mercedes-Benz's CL and SL63 AMG, yet those are its closest competitors. It'll invariably be cheaper than an Aston Martin DB9 or V8 Vantage, or even a Maserati GranTurismo, yet it'll be quicker and packed with more technological gadgetry than the owner may be able to use. And yet, as we stated, it won't be a track car. The BMW M6 is a touring vehicle for the person who has it all except for enough power. As a six-figure car, it'll likely come from the factory however the person who orders it wants it.

Key Features

Besides the engine and transmission, which the M6 shares with the BMW M5 super sedan, here are some other cool features in the M6:

An estimated 23 mpg highway, which is terrible, but still 30 percent better than its predecessor.
A contoured carbon fiber roof on all coupe models equipped without sunroofs.
Optional carbon ceramic brakes so it can stop as well as it goes.
Unique styling touches, including 19-inch M wheels, a "power dome" hood, and larger front air inlets.

What We Think

For anyone who might have had reservations about the previous BMW M6 over its odd styling, poor fuel economy, or even its V-10 engine noise—which sounded too much like a diesel farm tractor at low speeds—all of those issues have been rectified with the 2013 model. Sure, it lacks some of the uniqueness it had, as the new car's V-8 is based on the same basic design as the one in the 650i, but BMW went the extra mile to separate it with gobs more power, tons of tech, and the potential to hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, according to BMW's very conservative estimates. We're in love with this car, but at more than $100,000, it's likely to stay a grocery-getter for the rich instead of what it ought to be: a tire-shredding destroyer of long distances.

Back to Auto Show Coverage: