Launching a luxury rocket
Australians will get their first peek at the fastest accelerating and most expensive example of open-top motoring in the BMW family, the M6 Convertible, next week when the Australian International Motor Show opens in Sydney. The 373 kW V10 M6 Convertible accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds and will cost you $295,000 for the base model.
BMW feels that the M6 Convertible stands alone in the market without any direct competitor and that’s hard to argue with when you look at its pedigree and the high level of creature comforts.
The new M6 measures 4,871 millimetres or 191.8 inches in length and that makes it well over 5 centimetres longer than the BMW 6 Series Convertible. Much of the extra length is taken up with an optimised rear air dam.
The cockpit
The view from the driver’s seat is definitely worth the price tag. All controls are arranged on or around the steering wheel and the new M6 comes with a head-up display that presents driving information essential to the driver directly in their field of vision, with the driver being able to determine at the touch of a button what information they wish to see; either the standard display or M specific details.
The automatic drive function, in turn, makes fast cruising an outstanding experience of both comfort and performance, SMG enabling the driver to shift gears either on the selector lever or via paddles on the steering wheel. And the interruption of power when shifting gears is reduced to an absolute minimum in both the manual and automatic mode.
Transmission
Drivelogic in BMW’s SMG transmission offers the driver no less than 11 driving programs for an individual SMG gearshift tailored to his style of motoring. Six of these 11 programs my be pre-selected within the manual gearshift function (S mode), with the driver choosing gears by hand.
The only exception is Launch Control for maximum acceleration from a standstill. The shift manoeuvres required in each case are completed independently by the transmission at the ideal gearshift point and with optimum slip control.
Adding to this freedom in choosing gears manually, the D-mode offers another five driving programs with automatic transmission.
High-performance brakes for a high-performance car
Reflecting the enormous power of the engine, the BMW M6 Convertible comes with a high-performance brake system featuring cross-drilled, weight-optimised compound brake discs. As a result, the Convertible comes to a halt from 100 km/h within just 36 metres, while its stopping distance from 200 km/h is less than 140 metres.
Two-stage brake lights at the rear help to prevent bumper-to-bumper collisions: Whenever the driver presses down the brake pedal hard, the area lit up in the lights is larger than usual, urging motorists following from behind to brake harder, too. And another safety feature is the use of very bright, fast-responding light-emitting diodes free of wear and not requiring any maintenance.