M6 anyone?

[SteveTheTech]

So in my never ending quest to retain my employment I occasionally perform used car inspections on various makes and models, most of the ones I get are late model Infnintis (yay seniority). Today by luck of the draw, or my SA trying to keep me from complaining I was given the used car inspection on a recent trade of an M6 convertible.

Part of any good used car inspection is a ride on both surface streets as well as the local highway (to verify alignment, and wheel balance). I do not abuse customers cars or cars that are for sale. A little "spirited" driving wouldn't hurt that thing though. I am not a BM fan in the least, I find iDrive counter intuitive and unnecessarily complex. That emblem staring at you is enough to kills a temporary increase in virility derived from the individual throttle body V10.

My hat is off to the engineers if you actually read the book that's an impressive car. Sadly there is not a semi practical Infiniti competitor. It's a shame that the current market will quash any notion of a 500 hp upper end car like the M, or AMG from Infiniti .The lineage of the German brands are already well established and can weather the storm and still incur gas guzzler taxes, E63 I'm looking at you....

AI try to compare everything I drive to what I know, and I wanted to actually drive this car . It's easy to take the keys to what was a $100+ car a few years ago and thrash it like you don't own it. Driving it like an adult and trying to experience how the car performs under varying circumstances to provide a negative opinion. I took the car around the local streets sans traffic and found it near impossible to keep the car within reasonable excuse level. Yeah not possible, the car easily passes 100 mph in 3rd, honestly at first I didn't even know how many gears it had, and I was not about to find out. It was time to read more about this car, so I went back to the shop and took out the books. After looked the car over bumper to bumper, inspecting the operation of every feature, function light and inspect for anything that seems abnormal, I learned a good deal about it's operation. In hunting I found the owners manuals (both manuals, and nav supplement as well as several inspection and notices about the proper operation of this fussy little coupe).

It had been some time since I have been in a new BMW without the owner not trying to tell me just how great his car is or otherwise injecting himself on me. As a member of both the car and technophiles junkies anonomous I had to learn as much about this car as it could tell me without resorting to... oh dare I say Googling a BMW. After skimming the quick information book (~100 pages) for just how to set the transmission to do different things and what the little + and - sign under the SMG shifter did. Once I knew how to verify that the car was in default mode I headed towards the highway with the shop foreman (as backup ). We hit the long on ramp heading in the direction of work with the transmission set to 5 bars and power 2 I left the DSC on (it's way to squirrely when it's off) and leaned into the throttle. Exceeding 90 by the time I shifted and that was into third. I did make sure that the car was up to operating temperature and checked the oil level using the gauge cluster before attempting this. Once we were on the highway common sense and adulthood took over. Merging into traffic gives you a true feel of how a car performs in real life driving situations. There was a dump truck that was ruining my enjoyment of the engines sweet screams. Hitting the non locking turn signal and stepping on the gas pedal without shifting caused something I have not seen in a long time. The torque generated by this car in 3rd caused it to accelerate from 40-**(*) without blinking.

Driving an SMG takes time and patience,its like driving a G with a new aftermarket flywheel for the first time. Knowing the pleasure of rolling up on a guy in a newish M3 looking like a Staten Island transplant and making his jaw drop makes learning it almost worth finding out just how much a month that would cost. Then I drift back to reality and pull back into the shop and I realize it's 2pm and I am out of work. That did make my day.

In conclusion the 07 M6 is an amazing treat, but I would not be interested in driving, owning, or maintaining one of these monsters. As with many cars that can achieve that type of thrill to drive this is not a modders car, or a car designed for a true car enthusiast. This car is down right fast and has a mean street presence, but I would not want this in my garage, even though the climate control can be set to somehow generate heat while the car is off and filling the cabin with toasty air without starting the car or even hitting a button.

[Poyzinous]

yay infiniti!

[infinitgkid]

I wouldn't mind owning one...

[tollboothwilley]

The M5 and M6 are downright amazing. I'd love to have one of them. I figure if you can really afford to buy one outright, then you can have one. At that point, the upkeep cost of maintaining them would seem trivial.

[marlin29311]

I think if someone gave me an M6 i would keep it

[bentrod]

Steve, my former boss had a 645i and used to take great delight in trying lose my G35. No way I could beat him, but he had his hands full losing me on the way to Hyannis to catch a plane to Nantucket. My favorite feature on the car was how the exhaust went from a reasonable throaty rumble to two clicks under a NASCAR under WOT. I agree, they sure make their cars attractive, but I'll never own another one. My 540i cured me forever.

[kmckis1029]

the M5 has always been my dream car... i've come to see im not much of a coupe fan in general.... as far as spending my money on one... i'd take an M6 if it was given to me... just like i'd take a g35 coupe... but i brought the sedan...

but like someone said i wouldnt get it unless i could buy it out cash... becuase i know it will be at the dealer every month for something...

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

I have been lucky and have bought all my cars cash.... I think I am going to keep it that way! It really is the same thing but you end up with a lot less financial problems this way.

Nice write up steve! And thanks for the other night!

DJ

[SteveTheTech]

As a car fan in general I have wicked ADD when it come to car. I always want something newer or different. Thus the J, it's simple and clean and has everything I need out of a car at the moment. I too am one of those level headed people who pays cash for everything, the only debt is the wifes student loans.

Steve, my former boss had a 645i and used to take great delight in trying lose my G35. No way I could beat him, but he had his hands full losing me on the way to Hyannis to catch a plane to Nantucket.

I can't knock the beemer, they have been around a while and make a decent car. It's just not for me, they ride like tanks and carry a stigma that I want no part of. Although the 100K+ Benzes are they way I would go if money were no option, but here they are everywhere.

The run to Hyannis through southern Massachusetts takes you right through the place I grew and family I never visit. It was so easy to speed once you hit the Mass line, well back in the good ole days when there were less cops. We would hit the Braga bridge and drop the hammer after the crest and under the city hall. Ahh memories.

[Poyzinous]

Simplicity is wonderful sometimes. My first real car was a 91 Sentra SE-R. I wish I still had it. It was wonderful. 30mpg on the highway, Enough power to chirp 3rd gear, and beat a few V6 mustangs and camaros, handling was wonderful, and It was pretty gosh darn spacious for 4 people considering it was a small car. I don't like BMW's anymore. After studying for their STEP program, and learned how retardedly complex and silly they were making their new cars, I had to get out. I like everything before 05 when they still looked like BMW. now they have a constipated crow-horny disfigured badger look to them. Mercedes looks good and Audi is starting to look more like a nice car than a DUB style Sh!twagen. But I still hate audis.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

even the new caddys are looking better that the old slush mobiles of the 90's

DJ

[SteveTheTech]

I loath the old BMWs, that's the sole reason I do not like the brand. The newer ones are complex and geeky and kind of hit a soft spot in my heart. I remember in HS my best friend had an old 3 something and that car was awful I will give it credit for running like a top at over 300K and little to no maintenance for many years. The "lost" piece of fish was the end of that car though. Now I wouldn't mind working with their electrical problems but I would have to learn everything all over again.

Benz builds a great car, I feel they're a bit over priced and the entry models are anything I want any part of. You have to give them credit for stuffing 500+ hp into one of every model. The Top Gear review for the C65 was great. Having the ability to purchase/maintain/insure a supercar like an SLR, SL65, anything of the Black Series line. If you have ever heard an SL65 fire up and take off (think F18) you would understand. Those Germans are nuts, the styling doesn't appeal to everyone but the performance is beeindruckend.

Audi meh, they're too similar to VW. Putting TT in a V8 then putting that V8 into a station wagon. wow. I could care less about them a little to plain to me, plus they tend to break in very complex ways.