BMW M6 Gran Coupe - Gentleman's Choice


As we suspected, it sports very similar firepower to its ‘standard' BMW M5 and M6 brethren. And by very similar, we mean identical: underneath that rather lovely body sits a 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine developing 552bhp and 502lb ft of torque




  • Official BMW M6 Gran Coupe press release:
In early summer 2013, the all-new BMW M6 Gran Coupe will join its famous BMW M5 Sedan and M6 Coupe siblings as what is perhaps the perfect combination of both. The BMW M6 Gran Coupe is an ultra-high performance, four-door Coupe design with stunning aesthetics, race-bred technology, and the signature driving character of BMW M GmbH.

The M6 Gran Coupe is made instantly unique among four-door vehicles by its bonded-in carbon fiber composite roof panel, similar to the one found on the M6 Coupe. Between the doors is a cabin of sensational coupe-like design and first-class materials. The M6 Gran Coupe’s control placement and – equally important – control feel are second to none. The four-plus-one seating arrangement allows the M6 Gran Coupe to carry four adults in luxury, and offers maximum seating capacity for five when needed.

The new M6 Gran Coupe features the most powerful engine ever fitted to an M production car, a 4.4-liter M TwinPower Turbo V-8 with 560 horsepower and an always-accessible 500 lb-ft of torque. With this endowment, the rear-wheel drive BMW M6 Gran Coupe practically rockets from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds and reaches an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph in only a few seconds more.

The new BMW M6 Gran Coupe focuses the gargantuan muscle of its engine on the road through one of the most advanced drivetrains BMW has ever developed. The high-torque 7-speed M-Double Clutch Transmission (M-DCT) borrowed from the M5 and M6 Coupe sends power uninterrupted to the innovative Active M Differential, which in turn perfectly balances power between the rear wheels. This advanced drivetrain, combined with truly radical chassis and suspension revisions to the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe on which the car is based, ensure that the M6 Gran Coupe’s substantial output is transferred to the ground predictably and repeatedly.

  • Competes with: Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG and E63 AMG, Audi RS7
  • Looks like: BMW's baddest four-door gets the M treatment
  • Drive train: 560-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission
  • Hits dealerships: Early summer.
  • Source: BMW
M Head-Up Display.

The M Drive configuration also includes the information shown on the optional M Head-Up Display and projects important information onto the windshield directly in the driver’s field of vision. A full spectrum of colors is used to display graphics and symbols and the all-color capability means road sign symbols can be reproduced very realistically. In addition to a digital speed read-out, the M-specific version of the Head-Up Display also shows the gear currently engaged and a color rev counter symbol, complete with Shift Lights.
 
BMW has also fixed the mechanics of the M6 Gran Coupe using
  •  Aluminum-intensive suspension
  •  Reinforced chassis mountings
  •  Electronically-controlled shock absorbers
  •  Speed-sensitive hydraulic power steering and M-specific stability
  •  Anti-lock braking and transmission programming

The High-Revving M V-8 TwinPower Turbo Engine.

The engine of the all-new M6 Gran Coupe has the highest output ever generated by a BMW M car, and provides a meaningful balance between ultra-high performance and fuel consumption. The engine’s operating behavior is characterized by traditional M traits like immediate throttle response and linear power delivery. Additionally, thanks to turbocharging, the engine features an unusually high and flat torque curve, sustaining peak torque from 1,500rpm – 5,750rpm. The engine produces about 10% more output than the M V10 engine which preceded it, and torque is up by over 30%.

To achieve the performance levels of the new M V-8, the engineers at BMW M GmbH started with the proven BMW M-developed 4.4-liter V-8 engine from the BMW X5 M and X6 M (internally known as the S63B44 engine) and further developed it for its duty in the latest M5 and M6 models. Internally designated S63B44Tü, this engine uses similar M Twin Power technology combined with the reverse-flow V-8 layout. The result is that the high-revving V-8 engine lends a fresh intensity to the powerful M car experience. The S63Tü develops a peak output of 560 hp (412 kW) at 5,750 – 7,000 rpm (versus 555 hp at 6,000 rpm for the S63), while its maximum torque of 500 lb-ft (680 Nm) is on tap between 1,500 and 5,750 rpm (versus 500 lb-ft from 1,500 to 5650 rpm for the S63). The rev limiter intervenes at 7,200 rpm, up 200 rpm from the original S63 engine and now accessible in each gear until the top speed limiter intervenes. The rev band, which offers extreme acceleration between peak torque and the availability of maximum horsepower, is therefore almost three times as wide as that of the V10 engine from the previous generation of M engines.

As in the M V-8 engine of the X5 M, the two twin-scroll turbochargers are placed (along with the catalytic converters) in the V-space between the two cylinder banks in a reverse-flow layout. This layout results in an unusually compact engine where the intake is moved outboard and the exhaust inboard – the opposite of traditional V-engines. The lengths of intake and exhaust tracts are thereby reduced and their diameters increased, reducing pressure losses – especially on the exhaust side. A further advantage of the layout is the short distance between the cylinders’ combustion chambers and the primary catalytic converters; this leads to quicker warm-up of the catalysts after the engine is started and therefore lower start-up emissions.
The patented cross-bank exhaust manifold, first introduced in the S63 engine of the X5 M is also employed in the S63Tü, but with slightly larger tube sizes. This exhaust manifold is a special 8-into-4 setup that combines the exhaust from two cylinders (on opposite banks) that are 360˚ of crankshaft rotation apart from each other. Each of the eight runners is of identical length to ensure perfectly-regular timing of exhaust gas pulses. The acoustic sound of this engine arrangement is absolutely signature to BMW M.


Each of the four manifold outlets is fed into each of the four available scrolls of the two twin-scroll turbochargers. The two scrolls of a twin-scroll turbo guide each exhaust pulse directly to the turbine without feedback or interference from the other scroll (that are fed by cylinders at other points in the combustion process). Additionally, dividing the gases into two smaller paths (scrolls) results in higher gas velocity than a single larger path. This enhances the turbocharger’s response, thereby reducing lag. The crossover manifold is configured so that the second scroll of the turbo is fed by two cylinders that are 180˚ out of phase with the first scroll. In this way each turbocharger receives distinct exhaust pulses every 180˚ of crankshaft rotation (from one of four cylinders). Furthermore, the two turbos receive exhaust pulses that are 90˚ offset from each other. The result is that throttle response is sharpened and turbo lag is reduced to a minimum. The new engine also sports larger intake runners, larger air to liquid intercoolers and a tuned exhaust which results in the engine making power more quickly than previously possible. Finally, the S63Tü uses a maximum boost pressure of 1.5 bar (21.7 psi) versus 1.2 bar (17.4 psi) for the original S63 engine.
The M6 Gran Coupe is a long sedan from the outside, but from the inside, the coupe moniker comes alive. The seating position in the front is low and snug, just like in the standard M6 coupe, and the rear seats do not offer the room you might expect from a four-door of its size. There actually is room for five, but the fifth person won't be happy—regardless of how petit he or she happens to be.
The styling of the M6 Gran Coupe has also been fixed with -
  • Carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof
  • Different bumpers
  • Side skirts
  • Rear diffuser flanked by twin exhaust pipes
  • 20-inch wheels
  • Chrome trims on the double kidney grille and fender air vents.

M-specific cockpit design: flawless car control, made-to-measure luxury.

The interior of the new BMW M6 Gran Coupe brings together the incomparable combination of the driver-oriented cockpit design of a sports car with the spaciousness and luxurious feel of a premium automobile. Merino Extended leather upholstery, door sills with “M6″ lettering, an M driver’s footrest, exclusive carbon fiber interior trim and the headliner in Anthracite Alcantara and Leather are all standard equipment, as is the iDrive control system with a 10.2-inch Control Display. This screen is centrally positioned and like the controls in the central section of the instrument panel, slightly oriented towards the driver.

M Multifunction sport seats offer the driver and front passenger optimum lateral support while cornering, but also a high level of comfort over long distances. The lightweight seats with integrated belt system have an M-specific design headlined by extremely prominent cushion and backrest bolsters, head restraints integrated into the backrests, eye-catching stitching emphasizing the segments of the seats, and an M logo embossed into the shoulder area. The M Multifunction sport seats have electric height, fore/aft, side bolster and backrest angle adjustment, and also come with pneumatically adjustable lumbar support, a memory function and a manually adjustable thigh support. The M Multifunction sport seats are fitted with active head restraints to reduce the risk of whiplash injury in a rear-end impact.

The M instrument cluster with black-panel technology includes classic circular instruments in traditional BMW M car style, with red needles and white illumination, as well as model-specific displays and the M logo on the rev counter. The shift program currently selected and gear engaged are shown in the center of the instrument cluster. Feedback from the drive and chassis settings are also displayed in the instrument cluster under the tachometer.

The instant power delivery and sustained thrust of the M TwinPower Turbo V-8 results in acceleration from 0– 60 mph in 4.1 seconds for the M6 Gran Coupe. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 km/h)

It costs €128,000 in Germany, which is around £103,000, which is around £10k more than a BMW M6 Coupe. Do you, as BMW implores, agree that it brings "luxury and aesthetic appeal" to the M6 range? Share your comments below




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