BMW M6 F12

The Bmw M6 F12 F13 is Bavaria’s answer to its competitors’ powerful muscle cars. The M6 is available in three variants, almost as much as the 6 Series – as a coupe, a convertible and a four-door GranCoupé. But that’s where the similarities end.

The 6 Series looks a lot like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe as a competent grand tourer, while the M6 is carved from the same meat as the aggressive cattle developed by Mercedes-AMG in the S63 and S65 coupes.

The old 6 Series was apparently designed by a team of blindfolded chimpanzees who threw parts into a bathtub in a BMW parts warehouse. So this time around, BMW has given it a more sensible look, and abandoned the notion that it’s a sports car. No worries, though – it moves even better now.

The BMW M6 F12 convertible is without a doubt one of the most intriguing cars in BMW’s ever-expanding lineup. Not only does it continue to sell strongly after being popular for the better part of a decade, it also exists in the same class in its own small market place.

Both the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet and the Audi A5 Cabriolet are much cheaper, while the Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet is much more expensive. So, depending on how you look at it, the 6 Series Cabriolet is either great value for money or rather overpriced.

But one thing that can’t be disputed is that the 6 Series gets access to some of BMW’s finest engines. Buyers can choose between a pair of straight sixes or a pair of V8s, and all options deliver the level of performance you’d expect from a big tourer.

So, to find out if the 6 Series Convertible is right for you, keep reading our comprehensive review covering driving impressions and interior quality.

Appearance

The grille now has nine slats instead of 10 to create larger openings.

In addition, all versions get standard adaptive full-LED headlights with a slightly more angular shape. These are joined by new side mirrors with integrated indicators in thin strips of light. Down below, the updated front air dam boasts an improved design and LED fog lights on each upper edge. The updated side windows are exclusive to the four-door model and have the Gran Coupe name embossed on them near the rear doors.

Buyers of either model can choose from a palette of new colors including: metallic Jatoba, metallic Cashmere Silver, metallic Glacier Silver, metallic Mediterranean Blue and metallic Melbourne Red.

Interior

Considering the price of the new BMW M6, its interior doesn’t really look quite special. Most of its components, like the younger BMW models, look rather spartan. The thick transmission tunnel annoyingly eats up the space needed for the driver’s right leg, but the cabin at least has enough room to store luggage such as phones, sunglasses, wallets and more.

The coupe’s seats are nicely shaped and certainly comfortable, as the BMW’s driving position can be adapted to any height and build.

The dashboard of the BMW M6 Convertible has the same streamlined layout as most other BMW models, so all the switches are easy to find. That’s mainly thanks to the iDrive controller, which controls the 10.2-inch high-definition screen with DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and satellite navigation. If you want Apple CarPlay, unfortunately, it’s an optional extra. At least the menus are logical and the dial controls are much easier to use on the move than the touchscreen.

The 6 Series Convertible is a big car, so it’s no surprise that there’s plenty of room up front. Head and legroom are ample, and the car is wide enough to give both people in front elbow room.

The rear seats, however, are another matter. Adults can only squeeze in, but only for short trips.

As far as loading goes, it’s actually a pleasant surprise. It may not be very tall, but it’s long and wide, giving you 250 liters of space with the roof up and 200 liters with the roof near the trunk.

Up front, there’s storage for carry-on luggage, a pair of cup holders in front of the gearshift lever and a huge opening under the armrest. A wireless charging point for compatible mobile devices should be added.

The interior of the new 2018 BMW M6 has sport seats upholstered in Merino leather, steering wheel with paddle shifters, carbon fiber inserts on the front panel, modified dashboard and sill plates with understroke. For a fee you can get heated steering wheel, standard navigation system and Bang & Olufsen audio system. In addition, the car can be equipped with a night vision system with pedestrian recognition, marking tracking system, rearview camera, as well as infotainment system with the ability to access the Internet.

Engine

As part of a master plan to remove the confusing legacy of the past 6 Series, BMW M6 Convertible launched this car as the first convertible. Ignoring the ridiculously fast M6 for a moment, there are three engines available.

The best BMW M6 engine in our opinion is the 313-horsepower six-cylinder diesel found in other BMW models (640d). If you absolutely need gasoline, you can choose between the 320-horsepower six (640i) or the 449-horsepower V8 (650i). There’s not much difference between the two, but they have a whopping 520 Newtons per meter of torque, making it perfect for overtaking peasants when you’re running late for the Masonic lodge disco. Mind you, the 640i’s lighter front end and high speed make it a bit more fun.

The BMW M6 Cabrio series carries over the engine lineup from the coupe version. The entry-level is the 640i (a three-liter inline gasoline engine with 315 hp), one of two available gasoline engines. The other is the 650i, a true 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 that develops no less than 442 hp and 0-100 kilometers per hour in 4.6 seconds.

When it comes to diesels, the 640d is the only way to go: a 3.0-liter twin-turbo unit, with 308 hp, available for stylish and economical cruising. And zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 5.5 seconds.

Depending on the market, each version can come with the xDrive all-wheel drive system. It also gets an eight-speed automatic transmission from the outset.

Competition M6

The BMW M6’s base specs already have 552 horsepower, and like most M cars, there’s a package for “hotter” enthusiasts that adds horsepower, boosting output to 591. BMW updated the 6 Series in 2015 with changes to the bumpers, air intakes, and headlights, and the M6 inherited those changes as well. However, there was one bespoke change, to the Competition M6 package, and let’s face it, who doesn’t like a horsepower number that starts at six?

That’s not all: this new “Competition Package” for the M6 Convertible is more … competitive. The springs and shock absorbers have been upgraded, as have the transverse stability stabilizers. The electronically controlled M limited-slip differential gets its own ECU, the stability control program has its own setup, as does the steering, while there’s an exhaust system from Akrapovic.

When we say the suspension is “modernized”, remember we mean “stiffer”. The dampers are still adaptive, so you can feel on your heel how stiff they are. The chassis, like the steering and engine/transmission response, can be put into Comfort, Sport or Sport+ – individually or together, as you wish.
For those of you looking to maintain the standard M6 , you won’t be disappointed with the 552 horsepower performance it gives you, not to mention its extensive equipment list. Double wishbone double wishbone front suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, aerodynamically tuned M-Performance bodywork, a four-pipe exhaust system and plenty of M6 designations are standard on the outside.

Inside there’s Merino leather upholstery, electrically adjustable front sports seats, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a Harman and Kardon stereo. Meanwhile, like the rest of BMW, the M6 gets iDrive with satellite navigation, DAB, Bluetooth and USB. and the addition of a 10.2-inch screen.

We’ve taken the M6 Competition package in our review, and no matter how we tweak it, the dry result is an enjoyable car. You see, unlike other cars of this architecture, the M6 doesn’t have to drive particularly well, and freed from those obligations, it remains for its money the best car on this platform. The handling, even in comfort, is tight, and if you flick the settings further, it only gets more impressive.

The 4.4-liter V8 has noticeable lag at low revs, but after a short pause, an inordinate amount of pushing and kicking arrives. The M6 Competition Pack is one of those cars that lets you overtake everyone on the road.

Power in the M6 Competion Pack increases to 441 kW and BMW has also added 20 Nm more torque, meaning the 4.4-liter turbo V8 engine develops a pleasing 700 Nm. The Competition Pack includes an upgraded suspension and special electronics for the differential and stability control systems.
Oh, there’s also a loud Akrapovic
exhaust system. The resulting performance increase is noticeable, as the M6 Competition package saves 0.3 seconds from its 0-100 km/h time. Subsequently, it passes the four-second barrier with a claimed time of 3.9 seconds. The top speed limiter is also disabled, allowing it to accelerate to an incredible 305 km/h.

All this excess does not result in a loss of fuel efficiency, as the M6 Competition Pack requires only 9.9 liters / 100 km. The range, thanks to the 80-liter tank, exceeds 800 km.

The M6 Competition Pack is designed for places where there are no speed limits. Places like the Autobahn in Germany or the race tracks in Sochi – that’s it. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the city or on the hills.

Press the gas pedal sharply and the car shifts through several gears in an instant before attacking all your senses. The sound of the Akrapovic exhaust system barks aggressively, like an angry Doberman ready to tear into its owner. The driver is pinned to the back of your seat with savage force, like Dwayne Johnson just dropped a huge elbow on your chest, while your eyes struggle to cope with where to focus when the scenery starts to blur beside you.

Just don’t look at the speedometer, as you’ll be intimidated by how fast you’re actually going. It may have been easier for BMW to make the digital speedometer reading on the head-up display appear in batches of 20 km/h, because that’s about all you’ll ever see.

BMW equips many cars with adaptable suspension that can be adjusted electronically, with a simple switch in the cabin. Nothing is different in the M6 Competition Pack, you can fiddle around in ECO or Comfort mode, and it’s reasonable. It might even make you think it can be used every day on all but particularly bad stretches of road.

But you’re buying an M6. Economy mode and ECO? Seriously, that’s like throwing a ball to your hyper collie and then expecting him to calmly reach the ball, pick it up, and return in slow strides to you. What he really wants to do is run absolutely everywhere and then pass out in a ditch from exhaustion. That’s exactly how life flows in the M6 Competition Pack.
The only things that matter are the Sport and Sport+ modes and the amount of slippage the M-differential will allow before catching you. It’s probably a smart move to leave the electronic leash on, as this car has a tendency to bite if you run out of talent. This is mainly due to the amount of torque that shoots out when you press the gas pedal.  This is a 6-series after all, and its primary focus is a big GT cruiser, not a sports car.

The M6 Competition Pack isn’t just an add-on for the M6, only the price reflects that. It costs more than a “normal” M6. Is the tweaked suspension, power upgrades worth the bragging rights? Well, if you’re thinking about spending more than 1.6 million rubles on a car, it’s probably worth it.

The M6 Competition Pack also gives you a little extra exclusivity, turning it into a driver’s car that can still handle the everyday hustle and bustle, albeit tougher than the M6. You have to be a serious BMW fan. When you look at what’s available in this price range, though, think of the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT.

Electronics

All cars come with BMW Professional Multimedia with top-level satellite navigation on the aforementioned 10.2-inch display, enhanced Bluetooth with wireless phone charging, Wi-Fi hotspot preparation, BMW Connected Drive, which includes online services, and BMW Advanced Loudspeaker audio system with a 20GB hard drive. The M6 only adds a more powerful Harman Kardon audio system to that list, which is optional on other cars.

Additional features include a TV function, online entertainment, AppleCarPlay support and an absolutely phenomenal Bang & Olufsen Advanced Audio System with 5.1 surround sound, 16 moving center speakers and acoustic lens technology with a gigantic 1200 watts of power.

Features

For a soft-top convertible, the 6 Series Cabrio manages to significantly reduce engine, wind or tire noise to a minimum – a strong feature of a car of this type. As with the coupe, the Cabriolet gets leather seats with electric controls, as well as front and rear parking sensors for easy driving, and maneuvering.

As for the comfort of the BMW M6 car, the rear seats can be quite comfortable, especially when the roof is folded down, but they should not be considered when planning long trips. Thus, the 2 + 2 arrangement is more of a nomenclature advancement, don’t take it for granted. The quietness of the cabin is due to the posh materials and glossy finish. Inside, there’s a sense of quality and refinement wherever you go, with leather-trimmed seats and dashboard. You can choose from customized Merino or Nappa leather if you wish.

The soft top convertible has class supremacy thanks to its compactness, and the 6 Series has made the most of it: the roof only needs 50 liters of trunk space, so there are at least 300 liters left for luggage, an impressive figure among its competitors.

Storage space in the cabin of the 2017 BMW M6 is also ample for everyday carry-on luggage. The 10.2-inch iDrive Display is standard on the 6 Series Convertible, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, a HiFi surround sound system and professional satellite navigation.

You can add a DAB tuner, ConnectedDrive services, TV function and Harman / Kardon (or even Bang & Olufsen) audio if you wish.

Options

F12 versions start with the SE, which has 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, leather seats, heated front seats, front and rear parktronic and a 10.2-inch infotainment system with satellite navigation and DAB radio.

Then there’s the Sport, which is only available on the 650i. This adds 19-inch wheels, comfortable front seats with lumbar support, nicer leather and darker chrome lines in the interior and bodywork.

At the top of the range is the M Sport (available on all but the M6), which gets sporty modeling inside and out, but without the optional kit.

If you go all-in and order the M6, you’ll also get adaptive LED headlights, quad exhausts, bigger brakes, an upgraded stereo system, and sporty “M” touches inside and out.

All 6 Series Convertibles have traction control, stability control and the usual choice of airbags. Automatic emergency braking is available as an option along with lane departure warning. Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the 6 Series, but it shares the 5 Series with the platform scoring five stars. As for safety, Thatcham Research gave it five stars for theft resistance and four for burglary resistance.

Dakota leather upholstery, electronic steering, multifunction steering wheel, ConnectedDrive navigation, built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless charging capability, plus an audio kit and LED spotlights.

Difference between restyling and prerestyling

New LED headlights and fog lights, nine grilles instead of 10 (for improved cooling) and a redesigned front bumper with a full-width vent are the main changes at the front.

At the rear, there’s a bit more chrome on the trunk and larger exhaust pipes on the six-cylinder models. A new wheel design and several new paint options round out the exterior changes, while on the inside there are more gloss, leather and LED highlights than before. The BMW ConnectedDrive satellite navigation system is standard.

Aerodynamic improvements (including more streamlined mirrors) helped slightly improve the 6 Series’ fuel economy. All gasoline models come standard with a sport exhaust system with a switchable valve that reduces or pressurizes the system.

Generations

Generation 3 – restyled

03.2015 – 04.2018

3 generation

03.2012 – 02.2015