Discussion
I've had a 997 Carrera S and now an E60 M5, so it's close.
The complexity etc of the power settings are no problem at all.
When you tun the engine on, it defaults to 400bhp.If you want 500bhp, you just press the power button.
Alternatively, press the M button on the steering wheel and it will switch to whatever settings (suspension, gearbox etc) you've pre-programmed.
It's actually very easy after the first 30 minutes or so of fiddling.
I do lots of miles and, personally, I quite like to have a few toys to play with.
The complexity etc of the power settings are no problem at all.
When you tun the engine on, it defaults to 400bhp.If you want 500bhp, you just press the power button.
Alternatively, press the M button on the steering wheel and it will switch to whatever settings (suspension, gearbox etc) you've pre-programmed.
It's actually very easy after the first 30 minutes or so of fiddling.
I do lots of miles and, personally, I quite like to have a few toys to play with.
I've done 38k miles in my 996TT. I've also done 5k miles in an E60 M5 and about half a dozen laps hooning a PHer's M6 around Bruntingthorpe airfield.
The M6 is a performance bargain. The only way they could improve it is a larger fuel tank.
As for the settings and complexity it's quite easy. My preferred set up is to set the "M" button to P500 sport, gearshift speed 5 (of 6), suspension to the sportiest setting and the traction control to M Dynamic mode. The car is now ready for psycho mode when the mood takes.
Then for everyday use, just leave the gearshift speed in 5 and press the power button to get P500 as soon as you've switched the engine on. Having spoken to a tuner of these cars, his opinion is that P400 makes no difference to fuel economy and is really there to allow the gearbox to work in auto mode when in traffic (auto mode in P500 is appalling).
Note, don't judge the car on auto mode, everyone drives them as a manual, auto really is for traffic jams.
The other difference you'll note is the power comes far higher up the rev range, so you have to work it harder than the turbo.
DAZ
The M6 is a performance bargain. The only way they could improve it is a larger fuel tank.
As for the settings and complexity it's quite easy. My preferred set up is to set the "M" button to P500 sport, gearshift speed 5 (of 6), suspension to the sportiest setting and the traction control to M Dynamic mode. The car is now ready for psycho mode when the mood takes.
Then for everyday use, just leave the gearshift speed in 5 and press the power button to get P500 as soon as you've switched the engine on. Having spoken to a tuner of these cars, his opinion is that P400 makes no difference to fuel economy and is really there to allow the gearbox to work in auto mode when in traffic (auto mode in P500 is appalling).
Note, don't judge the car on auto mode, everyone drives them as a manual, auto really is for traffic jams.
The other difference you'll note is the power comes far higher up the rev range, so you have to work it harder than the turbo.
DAZ
I commute in my M6 regularly.
Having 'learnt' the ways of it's quirky 'box, my conclusion is akin to that proffered by Steve Sutcliffe towards the end of his long term (Autocar) tenure of the same.
Namely, that in a world jam packed with £80-£150k new or slightly soiled tins of chucktastic uber schnell viggenry, it is the M6 which not only saves you £20-70k cash in the first place but in no way skimps in the crazed bastardo delivery dept and thus endears itself greatly.
Of course the usual suspects have more immediate 'wow' but in the more cerebral stakes of middle aged punterdom (whilst still keen to stave off those stereotyped, automotive valedictories, as it were -) this car is a truly great proposition in all the key areas of hyper GT box tickage whilst developed sufficiently to store myriad technical surprises as familiarity develops.
Personally, I save the hyperdive button for special ocassions - progress via mode P400 can be a lush mode for a relatively soporific dollop of vectoring - with sequential pulls (select S4) and minor lifts o'throttle, progress can be perty dang smooth and there is still enough grunt to play with new pretenders to the old E39 M5 crown...
The sportier settings are just insane: the automotive equivalent of a Tuffnell Startocaster, best left unplayed, untouched... in fact, don't even look at the circled M button! The effect? Broadly, see Porsche and X50...
My only regrets are like His Dazness remarks - hopeless range c/o pitifully small juice box but afaic, a 7th gear which is too tall to allow 200+ in anything under 2 and a bit miles.
Which is precisely why you need a suitable 911 Turbo as well...
But as a GT, only the 599 would make me coo from Munchen into Maranellese, matrimonial misery... (I hope never to sample one.) That aside, the M6 is the most ridiculous performance bargain out there.
Hopelessly Biased du Nord.
Having 'learnt' the ways of it's quirky 'box, my conclusion is akin to that proffered by Steve Sutcliffe towards the end of his long term (Autocar) tenure of the same.
Namely, that in a world jam packed with £80-£150k new or slightly soiled tins of chucktastic uber schnell viggenry, it is the M6 which not only saves you £20-70k cash in the first place but in no way skimps in the crazed bastardo delivery dept and thus endears itself greatly.
Of course the usual suspects have more immediate 'wow' but in the more cerebral stakes of middle aged punterdom (whilst still keen to stave off those stereotyped, automotive valedictories, as it were -) this car is a truly great proposition in all the key areas of hyper GT box tickage whilst developed sufficiently to store myriad technical surprises as familiarity develops.
Personally, I save the hyperdive button for special ocassions - progress via mode P400 can be a lush mode for a relatively soporific dollop of vectoring - with sequential pulls (select S4) and minor lifts o'throttle, progress can be perty dang smooth and there is still enough grunt to play with new pretenders to the old E39 M5 crown...
The sportier settings are just insane: the automotive equivalent of a Tuffnell Startocaster, best left unplayed, untouched... in fact, don't even look at the circled M button! The effect? Broadly, see Porsche and X50...
My only regrets are like His Dazness remarks - hopeless range c/o pitifully small juice box but afaic, a 7th gear which is too tall to allow 200+ in anything under 2 and a bit miles.
Which is precisely why you need a suitable 911 Turbo as well...
But as a GT, only the 599 would make me coo from Munchen into Maranellese, matrimonial misery... (I hope never to sample one.) That aside, the M6 is the most ridiculous performance bargain out there.
Hopelessly Biased du Nord.
Hi Big Brin,
My dad went from an M6 into a 997TT, both cars are totally different in their characteristics but both amazing!!
The M6 needed to be pushed harder to get the best from it but the engine note and pull at the top of the rev range was unbelivable.
As you can imagine the 997TT has much more torque available (in every gear, and any revs) and overall on the same piece of road would creep away from the M6.
An interesting observation that we have both made was that the build quality of the M6 was much superior to that of the Porsche. The Turbo has many rattles and has been back at the dealer for a few niggling problems.
With regards to the programming of the power settings in the M6 - no problem, like someone else said, spend half an hour setting up your iDrive then all you have to do is push the 'M' button on the wheel when the mood takes you, 9 times out of 10 the 'M' button was engaged!!
Hope this helps, anything else you want to know, just ask
Thank you all; very useful and reassuring.
The first thing I need to do clearly, is to have a go in the M6.... I am not overly enammered with having to rev the bollox of a car to get it to go and I love massive amounts of low down torque. So I guess I will need to find out for myself. Like I say, very good comments. Thanks.
Rgds, Brin
The first thing I need to do clearly, is to have a go in the M6.... I am not overly enammered with having to rev the bollox of a car to get it to go and I love massive amounts of low down torque. So I guess I will need to find out for myself. Like I say, very good comments. Thanks.
Rgds, Brin
I have both an M6 and a GT3 RS. As a high speed cruiser I love the M6, though it clearly has a lot more weight compared to the RS. You get quickly used to the SMG, and mine was delimited and tightened up at Hartge in Beckingen..and is rock solid at high speed. 
Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 27th November 22:32
Here is a bit of vid I made in germany... http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
RDMcG said:
Here is a bit of vid I made in germany... http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
Magnificent, I've seen this before on the M6Board... 
Now, why did I buy one...
RDMcG said:
I have both an M6 and a GT3 RS. As a high speed cruiser I love the M6, though it clearly has a lot more weight compared to the RS. You get quickly used to the SMG, and mine was delimited and tightened up at Hartge in Beckingen..and is rock solid at high speed.
Love the plates.Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 27th November 22:32
RDMcG said:
Here is a bit of vid I made in germany... http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
Who says speed kills...Two questions - what is it you're following that seems to get away fairly easily, and what sort of mpg do you get doing 205mph? I do realise that the second questions is fairly low down the list of priorities at that speed!
dan101smith said:
RDMcG said:
Here is a bit of vid I made in germany... http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTMKkPxei0I
Who says speed kills...Two questions - what is it you're following that seems to get away fairly easily, and what sort of mpg do you get doing 205mph? I do realise that the second questions is fairly low down the list of priorities at that speed!
I drove one today after driving a 997 turbo y'day, about 30-40 min in each. M6 was over unfamiliar roads so maybe bit hard to really compare. I was more excited by the M6 than the turbo. Maybe that's because I expected the turbo to be super and much better than my GT3. The M6 is a big car and I guess I expected big car dynamics, my other car's a e39 540. However, to drive imo the M6 shrinks in size and body felt very well controlled. Very responsive to the throttle. Engine was excellent, sounded powerful, and great on the blips on the down change. M6 is really fantastic car, high quality materials and solidly built. Drive one if you get the chance. I'm tempted, 2nd hand mind you, depreciation too steep on a new one.
Zod said:
RDMcG said:
I have both an M6 and a GT3 RS. As a high speed cruiser I love the M6, though it clearly has a lot more weight compared to the RS. You get quickly used to the SMG, and mine was delimited and tightened up at Hartge in Beckingen..and is rock solid at high speed.
Love the plates.Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 27th November 22:32
The Porsche is the better pure driving car and wins hands down as a track car,but if I were going away for a long weekend I would use the M6 which is more af a GT. The steering and general go_kartness of the Porsche is phenomenal but its not ideal for cruising and the constant vigilance to avoid breaking the front splitter is a pain.They are very different cars indeed.
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