M6: A disaster for BMW?
Discussion
I think the reason is they didn't make it 'beautiful' enough.
Given the lineage...people have always lusted after 'the big BMW coupes' mainly (aside from performance) because they were SO achingly beautiful for their time: 503, 3200CS, E9, E24, E31...
All big, over-priced etc...but all OUTRAGEOUSLY "different - yet excessively beautiful" for the their own era.
The current six series isn't a 'bad looking car' (on the scale of things) by any means...but somehow it has lacked that "When I grow up I want to be able to have one of thoses" factor?
I remember as a kid, growing up in a house without a toilet and seeing my first E9 3.0CS and thinking..."God! I'm going to work so hard at school that one day I can have one of those!" And with my first 'proper' pay cheque I went out and bought one! (that very same car, that I then owned for 13 years, was recently sold here on PH classifieds by someone, by the way!)
I wish they'd run with some of the concepts we saw before it came out?
www.sfondideldesktop.com/Images-Cars/Bmw/Z9/Bmw-Z9-0001/Bmw-Z9-0001.jpg
Given the lineage...people have always lusted after 'the big BMW coupes' mainly (aside from performance) because they were SO achingly beautiful for their time: 503, 3200CS, E9, E24, E31...
All big, over-priced etc...but all OUTRAGEOUSLY "different - yet excessively beautiful" for the their own era.
The current six series isn't a 'bad looking car' (on the scale of things) by any means...but somehow it has lacked that "When I grow up I want to be able to have one of thoses" factor?
I remember as a kid, growing up in a house without a toilet and seeing my first E9 3.0CS and thinking..."God! I'm going to work so hard at school that one day I can have one of those!" And with my first 'proper' pay cheque I went out and bought one! (that very same car, that I then owned for 13 years, was recently sold here on PH classifieds by someone, by the way!)
I wish they'd run with some of the concepts we saw before it came out?
www.sfondideldesktop.com/Images-Cars/Bmw/Z9/Bmw-Z9-0001/Bmw-Z9-0001.jpg
Edited by derin100 on Monday 22 January 23:31
BRoCceRs said:
All Ms seem to be a financial disaster for the first owner.
No, generally M3s have been pretty good until late in the product cycle. First six months after launch you can make a profit, first year you can get your money back, second year only lose 15% or so.
A different story if you bought an M3 in the last year it was made, however.
M6 will not and has not been a disaster for BMW as they have sold all their cars to the BMW dealers for their usual margin. Yes early customers have taken the brunt of depreciation but the cars now at Cira £60k are fantastic value for money.
In light of a post yesturday please go and find me a 200MPH plus car with a premium brand for £60k that is less than 3 years old......
I can also assure you that the recentley launched M6 cab will have no problem selling either. in percentage terms the M6 residuals fare better than most other brands.
If you like pain then go and buy a SL65 for List price!!!!!!!!!
In light of a post yesturday please go and find me a 200MPH plus car with a premium brand for £60k that is less than 3 years old......
I can also assure you that the recentley launched M6 cab will have no problem selling either. in percentage terms the M6 residuals fare better than most other brands.
If you like pain then go and buy a SL65 for List price!!!!!!!!!
johna8tdi said:
I think the problem in the UK is the "drivability" or rather lack of.These cars are either go or NO go, there is no inbetween ground,this makes them a hard everyday car to live with IMO.
Sorry but that's rubbish, I use mine everyday and it is the perfect GT, very comfortable if you want to cruise but equally happy tearing up the tarmac. You clearly haven't driven one for any length of time. A bargain if you ask me!
Must admit i'm quite tempted now. Currently running an e39 M5 as the family runaround, and was gonna chop in that and the fun car for a 996TT as i need the rear setas for my daughter. I have the new M3(cab) on order, but that could still be 18 months away. M6 is a LOT of car for £57k!
hunttheshunt said:
johna8tdi said:
I think the problem in the UK is the "drivability" or rather lack of.These cars are either go or NO go, there is no inbetween ground,this makes them a hard everyday car to live with IMO.
Sorry but that's rubbish, I use mine everyday and it is the perfect GT, very comfortable if you want to cruise but equally happy tearing up the tarmac. You clearly haven't driven one for any length of time. A bargain if you ask me!
I've never driven one, but although they're very capable over a wide range of tasks I agree somewhat with john88tdi. I love BMWs high revving n/a philosophy, but if I think about driving an M6 every day, the SMG box is less than ideal and there's a relative lack of instantaneous smack-in-the-back power you get from bigger engined/supercharged rivals.
I think you've got to be really hardcore to want the extra shift speed/precision of the SMG box, and the extra top end performance the V10 has over its rivals, to live with the (relative) downsides of them the rest of the time. The crap range due to the fuel consumption and small fuel tank are further compromises I suspect 99% of people aren't keen enough to take on in what is a predominantly sensible large coupe.
I would buy a BMW M car because I wanted a normal car that can also go fast. I think they took it too far with the M3 CSL and M6. A bit like that Mitsubishi Evo FQ 400 thing. Impressive but stretching the idea a bit too far.
Sorry, I don't wish to seem overly defensive, the M6 is far from perfect, but for £60K I think you will be hard pressed to find something better for it's all round ability.
There are plenty of videos of M6's out dragging a stock 996tt and an SL55, both great engines so not sure the comment about highly tuned n/a BMW engines holds water. SMGIII is far far better than most other paddle shifters but granted it has it's faults. That said...pressing on isn't one of them.
Borrow one for awhile and I think you will change your mind, otherwise I don't see how you can pass judgement/write off the technology
There are plenty of videos of M6's out dragging a stock 996tt and an SL55, both great engines so not sure the comment about highly tuned n/a BMW engines holds water. SMGIII is far far better than most other paddle shifters but granted it has it's faults. That said...pressing on isn't one of them.
Borrow one for awhile and I think you will change your mind, otherwise I don't see how you can pass judgement/write off the technology
The SMG is perfectly usable everyday in all conditions.
I've never had mine in Drive Mode (stupid auto stylie) so can't comment on that, however if you drive it like a manual, using the paddles then it's no different that driving any manual car, but with the extra advantage of much quicker shifts, the throttle blip on downshift & the added bonus of 7 gears to play with.
I've never had mine in Drive Mode (stupid auto stylie) so can't comment on that, however if you drive it like a manual, using the paddles then it's no different that driving any manual car, but with the extra advantage of much quicker shifts, the throttle blip on downshift & the added bonus of 7 gears to play with.
pentoman said:
I've never driven one, but although they're very capable over a wide range of tasks I agree somewhat with john88tdi. I love BMWs high revving n/a philosophy, but if I think about driving an M6 every day, the SMG box is less than ideal and there's a relative lack of instantaneous smack-in-the-back power you get from bigger engined/supercharged rivals.
Edited by Zod on Wednesday 24th January 11:15
Big coupes are generally hard on depreciation..look at the Mercedes CL and you will see a similar pattern. I was aware of this when I bought my 645 and later the M6.
I have zero regrets..this is a spectacularly fast car and I have run it hard. It has superb roadholding..(a bit big for track use,but perfect for road use), but I think even earlier versions of the M6 depreciated fast.
I have zero regrets..this is a spectacularly fast car and I have run it hard. It has superb roadholding..(a bit big for track use,but perfect for road use), but I think even earlier versions of the M6 depreciated fast.
About £28.
Hardly matters since you can spend from now till then quoffing Southfork's finest at a frankly profane rate whilst just about pretending it's a family transport.
I have never driven a vehicle which combines such a phenomenal road based damping and handling balance with Porsche Turboesque thrust, practicality, comfort, luxury, gimmick- festery, arresting visuals, a cultured snarl from the chase scenes of an early 70's 'Frisco backdrop and yet allows me to extract every last nuance of metallic catharsis from east european moshmeisters 'System of A Down' - all whilst treating the pitiful, socialist arse clampage so ravaging Albion with the sociopathic, hell spawned contempt it so comprehensively deserves.
By the time a further torque or fifty have been liberated I think it will be more charming than a bloke with a basket, pan pipe and nest of puffed up, fang bearing vipers.
Hardly matters since you can spend from now till then quoffing Southfork's finest at a frankly profane rate whilst just about pretending it's a family transport.
I have never driven a vehicle which combines such a phenomenal road based damping and handling balance with Porsche Turboesque thrust, practicality, comfort, luxury, gimmick- festery, arresting visuals, a cultured snarl from the chase scenes of an early 70's 'Frisco backdrop and yet allows me to extract every last nuance of metallic catharsis from east european moshmeisters 'System of A Down' - all whilst treating the pitiful, socialist arse clampage so ravaging Albion with the sociopathic, hell spawned contempt it so comprehensively deserves.
By the time a further torque or fifty have been liberated I think it will be more charming than a bloke with a basket, pan pipe and nest of puffed up, fang bearing vipers.
derestrictor said:
About £28.
Hardly matters since you can spend from now till then quoffing Southfork's finest at a frankly profane rate whilst just about pretending it's a family transport.
I have never driven a vehicle which combines such a phenomenal road based damping and handling balance with Porsche Turboesque thrust, practicality, comfort, luxury, gimmick- festery, arresting visuals, a cultured snarl from the chase scenes of an early 70's 'Frisco backdrop and yet allows me to extract every last nuance of metallic catharsis from east european moshmeisters 'System of A Down' - all whilst treating the pitiful, socialist arse clampage so ravaging Albion with the sociopathic, hell spawned contempt it so comprehensively deserves.
By the time a further torque or fifty have been liberated I think it will be more charming than a bloke with a basket, pan pipe and nest of puffed up, fang bearing vipers.
Hardly matters since you can spend from now till then quoffing Southfork's finest at a frankly profane rate whilst just about pretending it's a family transport.
I have never driven a vehicle which combines such a phenomenal road based damping and handling balance with Porsche Turboesque thrust, practicality, comfort, luxury, gimmick- festery, arresting visuals, a cultured snarl from the chase scenes of an early 70's 'Frisco backdrop and yet allows me to extract every last nuance of metallic catharsis from east european moshmeisters 'System of A Down' - all whilst treating the pitiful, socialist arse clampage so ravaging Albion with the sociopathic, hell spawned contempt it so comprehensively deserves.
By the time a further torque or fifty have been liberated I think it will be more charming than a bloke with a basket, pan pipe and nest of puffed up, fang bearing vipers.
Good to have you back
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