2014 BMW M6 Review

We’ve escaped the heavy traffic now and we’re free to notice that the BMW M6 wants to protect us from the city rather than fill us with adrenaline. Since the driving experience isn’t too direct, you’ll be over the speed limit before you get to enjoy yourself.

The city is a place where a Jaguar XKR will offer you a bit more feel than the BMW M6. Of course, we really couldn’t recommend the Brit over the M6, as it simply feels outdated.

Well, at least you won’t look silly when parking, as the Surround View camera system and the aforementioned well-mannered nature of the car offers you a pretty easy process.

Experiencing all this “stop again, turn right, turn left” city traffic madness in a BMW M6 really makes you stop in the middle of the road and start playing with the Professional Navigation System. The iDrive is now more intuitive than ever, so you won’t need too long to find the nearest city exit. Before you hit the open road, make sure you set up the two M buttons on the steering wheel properly.

These are basically memory buttons that allow you to store the powertrain, suspension, steering and gear change settings of the BMW M6. They also remember your preferences for the DSC, BMW’s name for the ESP. The usual trade is to have one set up for a comfortable all-day-long scheme, with the second ready to engage attack mode. Time to see which of the two suits the car better now.

Naturally, we start in the warm-up mood and the M6 feels particularly pleasing to drive in this mid-range manner. As the miles start gathering on the odometer, the GT impression starts showing itself more and more.

The BMW M6 can easily be judged by its seats, which are comfortable, pretty massive and offer support during the corners, but only to a certain extent.

Speaking of corners, there’s a wide, long left-hander surrounding us right now. We’re talking to it via the hydraulic steering and the conversation is pretty nice. There’s enough feel here, but just as long as we don’t try to bring things past eight or nine tenths.

Of course, you will feel more poised than in an M5. That’s because the platform has been changed in many places. The tracks are a tad wider, the wheelbase is considerably shorter. More changes await to serve you in the suspension department, where the bushings are updated and there are new forged aluminum parts.

Alas, once you pass this limit, the handling changes from sporty to a feel that’s just not precise enough. The BMW M6 is eager enough to follow your commands, but the body control at the limit just isn’t precise enough. Here’s where you feel the full 4,365 lbs (1,980 KG) of the thing fighting you a little bit.

If you enter a corner at full throttle, the mass of the car makes the experience a bit intimidating. This is what makes the safety part of the M6 driving experience a mixed business.