You might be tempted to say: what kind of madness is this? Comparing a proper sports car with a sports saloon? The M6 will definitely win this, no video needed.
Yeah, you might have a point there but, the comparison was made because these cars are really close one to another, performance wise. Both of them have the S63Tu 4.4-liter V8 engine with 560 HP and 680 Nm of torque, both of them have the DCT gearbox and both of them have been properly designed by the M division of BMW.
The differences between these 2 cars are almost insignificant on paper. One has 4 doors and one is a coupe, the latter being just 135 kg lighter than the M5. That is almost all the difference there is.
Will that prove to be decisive on a race track? As the guys over at Car and Driver Magazine found out, yes, it was. On a straightforward drag race, the M6 wins it by a full second when going up to 150 mph, but until they reach that speed, the differences are a lot smaller. On the 0 to 60 mph run, the M5 is slower by just .04 seconds and on the 100 mph sprint the M6 wins by just 0.2 seconds. That is really close.
The circuit race is a different story. Because of the chassis and the overall shape of the M5, the saloon feels heavier and is harder to maneuver than the M6. That will make the difference when going for a lap time. The more accurate steering of the M6 and the sportiness of the car will allow you to claim first place when going against the 5er.
The fact that the M5 is so close to the M6 is not a bad thing for the 6er. It is rather a great statement for the M5. It says that BMW created a sports saloon that is almost as quick as a proper sports car. Yes, we said proper sports car because, even though the M6 is considered by many to be outclassed by cars like the 911 and the GTR it isn't always as it seems on paper. When taken to the streets, in real life, the M6 might surprise you as we've already discovered.
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