2012 BMW M6 Convertible

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, BMW, New Car Reviews, Luxury

Purists Be Damned, This Is A Proper M

The new BMW M6, and to an even greater extent this M6 Convertible, often causes automotive apoplexy in your typical armchair motoring enthusiast. That's because as soon as the M badge is applied to any BMW, all sorts of expectations are heaped upon it. Mostly those entail remembering what we, collectively, loved about the E30 M3, the E28 M5 and to a lesser extent, the E24 M6. Then cue bemoaning the added weight, complexity and unasked-for modernity of the new M.

Of course, those perceived infractions are all tantamount to treason for lovers of BMW history, but they're also critical elements of building a new, safe, stunningly competent luxury car that real buyers in the segment will take seriously. And the really good news is that, despite the sheer bulk, turbocharged engines, the continued existence of iDrive and a lack of manual transmissions, cars like this 2012 M6 Convertible are - shock, horror - far better overall than their storied precursors.

Let us immediately jump into defending that last statement, lest we be pilloried into early retirement by our razor-tongued commentariat. There are two real missions for this M6 droptop: go really, really fast, and make your driver look and feel like a million bucks. The convertible even more than the coupe, is meant to be a special-occasion car; where the occasion in question is a grand touring road trip more often than a day at the track, for instance. On these fronts, the 2012 version of the M car is far better off than was its ancestor, which was objectively slower and less richly appointed.

Continue reading 2012 BMW M6 Convertible

2012 BMW M6 Convertible originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2012 BMW M6 Convertible makes its world debut

Zach Bowman — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, BMW, Luxury

BMW has finally pulled the sheets back on its 2012 M6 Convertible. The convertible counterpart to the hardtop that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show bows with the same vicious turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 under the hood. Good for 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque and mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the convertible should be able to launch to 62 mph in around 4.1 seconds. BMW hasn't mentioned the weight difference between the hardtop and the convertible, though the automaker stressed the 2013 model has shed significant weight over its predecessor. The "base" 2013 BMW M6 Convertible will leave the showroom with 19-inch M-designed wheels, though larger 20-inch alloys are also available.

The vehicle will land on U.S. shores this summer ahead of its hardtop brethren. The big question is whether or not BMW will offer the convertible with an honest manual gearbox. So far, BMW hasn't said much in that direction beyond saying the possibility is "under consideration." Given the M6 Convertible target demographic, we'd say that we doubt it, but you never know - BMW has had a noteworthy habit of building America-only manual transmissions models as of late. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 BMW M6 Convertible makes its world debut

2012 BMW M6 Convertible makes its world debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments