With 560bhp and 680Nm on tap from a 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8, the M6 Gran Coupe goes like a lightning bolt on steroids.
The suspension’s Sport Plus mode is predictably the most extreme, to be reserved for use on tracks as well as on smooth, challenging B-roads.
As with the chassis, the 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that the M6 GC shares with its M5, X5M and X6M siblings is both a pussycat and a monster, depending on how you use it. Around town, it’s torquey but docile, easing the big M6 GC away from the lights with just a muted purr to suggest its true potential. There’s a lot of low-end urge, endowing the M6 GC with a powerful, easy languor as it whisks you through traffic.
The 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is friendly, although it requires some delicacy when moving off. That’s unlike the more temperamental twin-clutch boxes in some other ultra-powerful cars, which can get jerky at low speeds.
But floor it once the road opens, and the car morphs into a bellowing, snarling beast. The engine note hardens from purr to yowl, the volume ramps up, the vehicle draws breath for a split-second (there’s just a hint of turbo lag below 2500rpm) and then hits you with a ferocious, immense wave of sustained acceleration as all 560bhp and 680Nm from its mighty V8 motor are set loose.
And as you flick the right-hand steering-mounted paddle to change up at the 7200rpm redline, you’ll find that the gearbox which at lower revs delivers slick, politely unobtrusive upshifts now serves them up with a thrilling kick.
Flat out, the M6 GC will demolish the century sprint in 4.2 seconds and hit a mind-blowing 305km/h (with the optional M Driver Package, which removes the standard 250km/h limiter).
And how does the M6 GC handle corners with that chassis and power? In a word, brilliantly. With the suspension in Sport Plus mode, the nose darts into bends with no discernible inertia, the whole car feeling agile yet reassuringly planted and totally dialled into each corner. The huge grip from those fat rear tyres (a whopping 295-section) allows you to come on the throttle very early, making the rear end squat into the tarmac and giving the car a bit of rear-led attitude through and out of the bend. All that is achieved without the tail ever threatening to step out of line.
The steering is usefully quick-witted, nicely linear and very accurate. Feel is somewhat lacking, though its selectable assistance does help somewhat. We found Comfort ideal for daily use, while Sport adds a bit more heft (just enough to focus the mind when seriously attacking the bends). Sport Plus, however, is overkill, making the helm unnecessarily heavy.
Drive the M6 GC hard, feel it dance down a B-road, revel in its instant high-rev throttle response and monstrous thrust, and you’ll totally forget that this is a 5m-long, 1.9-tonne luxury saloon, so comprehensively does it shrug off its weight and size. And the answer to my own question at the start of this article? A resounding “yes”.
This article was first published in November 2013.
2013 BMW M6 Gran Coupe 4.4 (A)
ENGINE 4395cc, 32-valves, V8, turbocharged
MAX POWER 560bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 680Nm at 1500-5750rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 4.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 10.1km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 232g/km
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