  2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Peter Bleakney
With a starting price of $127,900, the 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe asserts itself as the flagship of BMW’s M performance division. And yeah, ‘tis a lofty perch.
Monarchs must wield power and the M6 flaunts a prodigious 560 hp and 500 lb-ft from its twin-turbo, direct-injection, 4.4L V8. In its press material BMW states the rear-drive M6 Gran Coupe “features the most powerful engine ever fitted to an M production car”. While true, this semantic trickery is a tad misleading as the same engine powers the M5 sedan, M6 Coupe and M6 Cabriolet, and showed up in those cars first.
Actually, this blown V8 (albeit in a slightly lower state of tune) made its debut in the X5 M and X6 M SUVs.
Usually kings are bloated, slow and kind of funny looking thanks to generations of inbreeding and too much mead. Not so in this case.
We here at Autos.ca think the four-door coupe version of BMW’s 6 Series is a classic beauty. Sleek, understated, sensuously taut and muscular, this car looks stunning from any angle. BMW hasn’t actually been on a styling run of late, but the 6 Series Gran Coupe knocks it out of the park.
The M treatment adds more – a snout with larger air intakes and chrome grille inserts, sculpted side panels, unique 20-inch deep-dish alloys, gold-painted Brembo calipers, a carbon-fibre rear diffuser and carbon-fibre roof panel. The latter saves 22 kg over the base car’s steel lid with sunroof.
This tester sported an uber-cool matte-finish Frozen Silver Metallic Paint ($3,000).
Plop yourself into the contoured M seats and you won’t be questioning that 130-large sticker. The 6’s interior is artful and beautifully rendered, incorporating a flowing cockpit design that feels intimate and driver-focused. The King gets standard Merino Extended hide, head-up display (HUD), illuminated “M6” door sills, M driver’s dead pedal, exclusive carbon-fibre and Alcantara trim, and 10.3-inch display.
   2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Click image to enlarge |
It’s a fair bet that most buyers will opt for the $10,500 Executive Package that adds soft close doors, powered rear sun shade, side shades, ventilated and multifunction front seats, four-zone climate, LED headlights, high-beam assist, heated rear seats, upgraded audio, surround-view monitor and a couple of safety systems – blind spot warning and lane departure warning.
The package also includes a speed-limit info icon in the HUD, which in this car is a handy feature. On the highway, the M6 Gran Coupe will creep into impoundment territory before you know it.
This cabin had a few more regal touches – piano black trim ($1,000), Bang & Olufsen audio ($5,900) and Individual Full Merino Leather ($5,900) which I can only assume sacrifices a few more bovines in the name of mobile opulence.
Rounding out the option list here are $6,750 M Carbon Ceramic Brakes that do a fine job of reigning over all 2,009 kg of this super sedan. Unlike many ceramic brakes, these are linear and easy to modulate.
