The speedo needle is passing the 240 km/h mark as I keep the throttle pinned, expecting the German gentleman’s limiter to kick in at around 250 km/h. Surprise, surprise, the needle passes the 260 km/h mark and the surge to terminal velocity is relentless. No limiter then? Fine by me as the scenery streaks by at an indicated 290 km/h… A fast-approaching turn and self-preservation put an end to the fun. Best part – it was all legal on a stretch of autobahn outside Munich.
The plan
Arriving early at the international launch of BMW’s ConnectedDrive technology in Munich, another journalist and I were given the keys to a M6 Gran Coupé for a day. The plan was to visit Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s holiday home high in the mountains close to Salzburg. This gave us the opportunity to experience the car’s high speed ability on the way.
The car
The M6 Gran Coupé shares its underpinnings and powertrain with the standard M6 Coupé (see track video here) and the M5, which means it also has 412 kW and 680 N.m of firepower. The addition of rear doors and a slight increase in wheelbase ensure that it is a proper four-seater. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in my opinion this is the best looking large M-car by some margin.
In true M-car style, there are a myriad of settings for the gearbox, suspension and steering to adjust the response from motorway-cruiser lazy to race-track sharp. Finding your personal favourite setting (and saving it to memory) may take a few weeks, but it should make tech junkies happy. The ride is firm yet cossetting enough to make genuine, high-speed continent crossing plausible. As the M6 Coupé has been extensively covered on the ‘web and print, this article focuses on one area that is not (legally) accessible to South Africans – terminal velocity.
The experience
Germany is one of the only places in the world where you still find unrestricted stretches of tarmac to enjoy your high performance car. Therefore, it’s no coincidence that so many high performance vehicles are manufactured here. Contrary to what you might think, the autobahn is one of the safest roads according to the statistics (please inform our authorities of this fact); let the arguments commence…
The feeling of freedom flooring the accelerator of the M6 Gran Coupé was immense. No lingering guilt and no looking over one’s shoulder (except for faster fellow road users, which were very unlikely given our chariot). The soundtrack of the V8 turbopetrol under full load is muted, which is disappointing, but there is nothing disappointing in the way it gathers pace. Hot hatches, probably doing 220 km/h, are passed as though they are standing still. The Gran Coupé is completely unfazed and feels supremely planted. It is even possible to have a normal conversation at these speeds. The road manners of the Germans need to be complimented as the fast lane is kept clear for fast approaching rocket ships like the M6.
High-speed driving requires immense concentration, spatial awareness and forward planning. Another area where mere mortals have little experience is braking hard from terminal velocity. This was tested when traffic conditions ahead forced us to abandon our low-flying run. Even though the braking performance of the M6 is immense, physics does demand long braking distances and times at these speeds.
Summary
Driving the M6 Gran Coupé on its home soil was an incredible experience (so too the gold-lined lift inside the mountain to Eagle’s Nest). Although completely irrelevant to South Africa, it is good to know that modern engineering can provide safe high-speed vehicles like the M6. It is a pity that some driver’s (and pedestrians) behaviour on our roads prevents this experience from ever becoming a legal reality on our roads…
Model: BMW M6 Gran Coupe
Engine: 4,4-litre, V8 turbopetrol
Power: 412 kW
Torque: 680 N.m
0-100 km/h: 4,2 seconds
Fuel consumption: 9,9 litres/100 km
Top speed: 250 km/h (when limited
CO2 emissions: 232 g/km
Price: R1 502 000
* All as claimed by BMW
