BMW M3

 

BMW M3

 
For 2011, the BMW M3 coupe and sedan are now available with a Competition package that adds a lowered suspension, 19-inch wheels, a wider track and reprogrammed electronic damping and stability controls. This isn't as hard-core as the previous BMW M3's Competition package, but it should still deliver
that much more handling acumen -- especially for those who track their cars.BMW M3 is a sports car that doesn't look like a sports car. It has too many seats, and one body style has too many doors. It has a usable trunk. You could drive it to Kansas in complete comfort. And yet the 2011 BMW M3 has a 414-horsepower V8. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It stops from 60 so quickly your eyes may find themselves on an outbound journey from their sockets, and it sticks in corners with the tenacity of super glue. The BMW M3 truly is the sports car for people who still need the practicality (and/or anonymity) of a regular old sedan, coupe or convertible.

Of course this wolf in sheep's clothing nature is not new to the BMW M3, which has been kicking other sports cars in the teeth since the 1980s. The car's free-revving engines have always been a big part of that, and this latest BMW M3 is the first (and likely the last) to feature a normally aspirated V8. Essentially the M5's V10 with two cylinders removed, this manic 4.0-liter eight-cylinder sings a glorious wail at full throttle all the way up to its sky-high redline of 8,400 rpm.

BMW M3

The BMW M3 story isn't all about the engine, though. The ultimate "ultimate driving machine" must go around corners, and the BMW M3's brilliantly balanced and capable chassis gets the job done. There's a level of communication and involvement with the BMW M3 that makes you feel in complete control, and it's one that's increasingly being lost in the new world of electric power steering and selectable driver settings.
Indeed, the 2011 BMW M3 still stands as the most well-rounded choice in the hyper performance luxury car class. Audi offers the same body style choices, but its S4 and S5 trade some all-out performance for better civility, though the new RS5 should be a better match. Cadillac's CTS-V (now as a coupe and wagon, too) will outrun the BMW M3 in a straight line but isn't as agile around corners. The story is similar with the sedan-only Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But if you really want a sports car that doesn't look like one, the BMW M3 is the only game in town.The 2011 BMW M3 is available in sedan, coupe and convertible body styles. Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels, a limited-slip rear differential, automatic and adaptive xenon headlights, automatic wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, eight-way power front seats (with manual thigh extender, adjustable side bolsters and four-way lumbar adjustment), leather-cloth upholstery, driver memory functions and a 10-speaker sound system with HD radio and an auxiliary audio jack. The BMW M3 coupe adds a carbon-fiber roof and split-folding rear seat, while the convertible adds a fully powered retractable hardtop and sun-reflective leather.The Cold Weather package adds heated front seats and retractable headlight washers. The Premium package adds power-folding auto-dimming mirrors, BMW Assist telematics, Bluetooth, leather upholstery and different interior trim. The Technology package adds in BMW M3 electronic damping control, M Drive adjustable settings, keyless ignition/entry, the iDrive electronics interface and a navigation system with voice controls and real-time traffic.BMW M3 most of the above items are available as stand-alone options along with 19-inch wheels, a sunroof (deletes carbon-fiber roof on the coupe), rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, power rear sunshade (coupe and sedan), a split-folding rear seat (sedan), satellite radio, an iPod/USB adapter and a 16-speaker premium sound system.The coupe and sedan can be equipped with the Competition package, which adds EDC (electronic damping control), 19-inch wheels with high-performance tires, a lowered suspension and different programming for EDC and stability control.A 4.0-liter V8 powers every 2011 BMW M3, sending 414 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. BMW M3 six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automated-manual transmission (M DCT) is optional. The latter offers manual operation via steering-wheel paddles as well as a full automatic mode. All M3s feature a specialized locking rear differential.

BMW M3

We've tested just about every variety of BMW M3. The BMW M3 coupe with traditional manual went from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while the sedan with a manual and the convertible with M DCT did it in 4.8 seconds. With either transmission, EPA-estimated fuel economy is 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined. A manual-equipped convertible gets 13 mpg city.Standard safety features for the 2010 BMW M3 include front seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control. The convertible lacks the side curtains, but the regular front side airbags extend up to head level, and there are also pop-up rollover hoops. Braking is phenomenal -- in our 60-0-mph braking test, the BMW M3 came to a halt in just 100 feet, which is among the shortest distances we've ever recorded.The BMW M3 itself has not been crash-tested, but the 3 Series sedan scored four stars (out of five) for frontal impacts for both driver and passenger in government tests. It garnered a perfect five stars for side impacts for both front and rear occupants. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests gave the BMW M3 3 Series sedan "Good" ratings (the highest possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact crash testing, although the convertible received a second-lowest "Marginal" score.The BMW M3's sport seats are at once outstandingly supportive in hard driving and among the most comfortable we've sat in for long trips. BMW M3 backseat is a bit cramped, however -- expected in the two-door models, but not in the sedan, which trails rivals from Audi and Mercedes in rear headroom. In the coupe, an automatic seatbelt arm delivers front occupants their belts, eliminating the need for torso-twisting maneuvers. TheBMW M3 convertible's heat-reflective leather does a wonderful job of keeping the seats from absorbing too much heat from the sun with the top down.Build and materials quality inside the BMW M3 are excellent. However, the overall design lacks visual interest despite the availability of metallic and wood accents. The current version of iDrive -- mandatory with the optional navigation system -- is the best yet by far, featuring extra physical buttons and a revised menu structure for much more intuitive operation. From the driver's perspective, there's a notable lack of bins and cubbies in which to store cell phones, wallets and the like, especially if the iDrive controller has been equipped, as it replaces the storage nook on the center console.

courtesy by http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m3/2011/

BMW M6

BMW M6

 The 2010 BMW M6 receives BMW's much-improved new iDrive interface, which includes more buttons on the center console, a better menu structure and a hard-drive-based navigation system.The 6 Series-based 2010 BMW M6 deserves to be more of an automotive icon than it is. Just look at BMW M6 its résumé: zero to 60 mph in well under 5 seconds, [youtube]uK1y2FjCGKk[/youtube]stellar handling and braking,
daily-driver ride quality, coupe and convertible body styles and a phenomenal race-bred V10 that belongs in any conversation about the top engines in the world. The previous BMW M6 from the 1980s is certifiably iconic, as is the V12-powered 850CSi coupe that followed in the 1990s. So what is it about the current BMW M6 that keeps it from being mentioned in the same breath as its illustrious predecessors?

BMW M6 Plain and simple, it's the car's styling. A subjective matter, to be sure, but one that also has a way of separating the legendary cars from the pretty good ones. The BMW M6 has got it all on paper, from knuckle-whitening performance to high-tech features, but its oddly protruding trunk lid and droopy headlights knock its elegance index down a notch. Still, there are those for whom the BMW M6's styling will seem edgy, different, daring. These are the people who will buy the BMW M6, and they'll know better than anyone what a downright thrilling car this is to drive.
Having said that, we've repeatedly slapped the BMW M6 with two performance-related demerits: The steering feel falls short of BMW's customary high standards, and the lurch-prone SMG single-clutch automated manual is well behind these dual-clutch times. However, you can get a conventional six-speed manual if you want, which fixes the SMG situation, and the rest of the BMW M6 is so entertaining that the subpar steering is hardly a deal-breaker.
For 2010, one additionally previous demerit has been erased thanks to an updated iDrive system. Like other 2010 BMW models, the BMW M6's iDrive gets a new interface with more sensible-to-use menus, extra buttons for accessing oft-used features and a hard-drive-based navigation system. With this fixed, one's consideration of the BMW M6 could very well come down to styling. If classic looks is your thing, you'd be better off going with a Porsche 911 (the current model has got its aesthetic groove back), a Jaguar XKR or the coupe-only Maserati GranTurismo. But if all-out performance and daily-driver flexibility are high on your list of priorities, the 2010 BMW M6 is hard to beat.
The 2010 BMW M6 is offered as either a coupe or convertible. Based on the 6 Series, the BMW M6 comes standard with 19-inch double-spoke wheels, a carbon-fiber roof (coupe only) a body kit (including a more aggressive front airdam, side-sill extensions and a rear diffuser), adaptive xenon headlights, adjustable suspension dampers, leather-upholstered 12-way power front sport seats with driver memory settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, Bluetooth, the revised iDrive interface with a hard-drive-based navigation system featuring real-time traffic updates, and a 13-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system. The convertible comes with a power soft top.
Options include a head-up display, keyless entry/ignition, satellite radio, HD Radio, iPod/USB integration and leather trim for the dash and console. Walnut wood trim is standard in the M6, but olive ash wood and carbon-fiber trim are also available.

BMW M6

The rear-wheel-drive 2010 BMW M6 is powered by a 5.0-liter V10 that pumps out a thrilling 500 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed single-clutch automated manual gearbox called SMG is standard, and it can be operated via wheel-mounted shift paddles, manual shift-lever manipulation or a full-automatic mode. A six-speed manual transmission is available at no additional cost.
The BMW M6 makes quick work of acceleration tests, as you might expect. We've timed an SMG-equipped coupe at just 4.6 seconds to 60 mph en route to a 12.8-second quarter-mile. Expect the heavier convertible BMW M6 to require a few extra tenths. EPA fuel economy estimates for all BMW M6 models are an impressively bad 11 mpg city/17 mpg highway and 13 mpg in mixed driving.The 2010 BMW M6 comes standard with multilevel stability control, antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags for the coupe, automatic rollover hoops for the convertible and front and rear parking sensors.The 2010 BMW M6's dashboard layout is clean and attractive, but it's basically lifted out of the 5 Series sedan, so it's not particularly sporty relative to, say, the dash Porsche puts into the 911. Materials quality, however, is absolutely first-rate. The newly revised iDrive system with hard-drive-based navigation is finally a competitive infotainment interface, thanks to additional physical buttons around the control knob and a new menu structure that just makes a lot more sense. As ever, it also provides access to in-depth functions like the maximum-performance "P500 Sport" mode that unleashes all 500 hp (400 hp being the default output) with instantaneous throttle response.

BMW M6

The BMW M6's front sport seats are among the best in the world, offering both excellent lateral support and drive-all-day comfort. The tight rear seats are strictly for short trips, though. Trunk capacity for the coupe is 13 cubic feet, while the convertible manages a decent 12.4 cubes (10.6 with the top down).

The BMW M6's V10 is the kind of engine we wish we could carry with us from car to car. With a redline in excess of 8,000 rpm, it's got the goods to satisfy wannabe F1 drivers, yet there's plenty of midrange punch as well. Throttle response is immediate, and the engine note is about as close to a real racecar soundtrack as you can get on the street. Unfortunately, the SMG gearbox always lurches on upshifts, an unavoidable consequence of its outdated single-clutch design. The BMW M6 six-speed manual transmission rectifies this problem, although in testing of the mechanically identical M5, we found the manual prone to overheating. In aggressive cornering, the 2010 BMW M6 is a willing companion thanks to its taut chassis and wide tires, though advanced drivers will find the steering feel wanting -- an unusual shortcoming for a BMW. As a daily driver, the BMW M6 is impressively quiet and comfortable despite its sporting pedigree.

COURTESY BY http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m6/2010/

BMW 6 SERIES

BMW 6 SERIES

  
BMW has long offered fine driving cars for every luxury budget, though most have been high on door count. The BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible are for those seeking Bimmer performance two-door style in a high-end package that's noticeably more extravagant than the company's entry-level offerings.In many ways, one can consider the most recent BMW 6 Series to be a two-door variant of the company's 5 Series sedan.


The singular (non-M) BMW 6 Series model, the 650i, inherited most of the contemporaneous 550i's running gear, including in  BMW 6 Series 4.8-liter V8. The resulting 360 horsepower means speed comes quite naturally to the BMW 6 Series. In fact, its agile handling, swift braking and slick pair of transmissions make it a great performer all around, while a composed ride quality and supportive seats keep comfort levels high.
The BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible are some of the more interesting luxury two-doors on the market. Furthermore, a competitive pricing strategy on BMW's part makes them a better value than many other European-brand two-doors. As an imperfect but unexpectedly affordable coupe or convertible, the BMW 6 Series is hard to ignore.

BMW 6 SERIES

Buyers should note that there is no BMW 6 Series for 2011, but it will be back for the 2012 model year once again in coupe and convertible form.The most recent BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible was produced from 2004-'10. Originally, it came equipped with a 4.4-liter V8 rated at 325 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque and was known as the 645Ci. For 2006, the BMW 6 Series name changed to 650i (minus the "C") and its engine was updated to a 4.8-liter V8 that produced 360 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. Driving characteristics between the 645Ci and 650i are very similar: The smaller V8 shared the 4.8-liter's athletic character but had a slightly less vigorous power band. If you find a well-kept 645Ci on the used market, you won't find it lacking from a performance standpoint.
Prior to 2008, BMW 6 Series have six-speed transmissions available: a traditional manual, a traditional automatic and BMW's SMG, which used an electronically controlled clutch to provide both the responsiveness of a manual and the forget-about-it friendliness of an automatic. Sounds good, but in reality, we'd steer clear of this transmission, as its herky-jerky performance makes everyday driving a pain in the neck. Most BMW 6 Series from this time were equipped with the traditional automatic, but it didn't become standard until 2010. The manual became an option at that point.

BMW 6 SERIES

In reviews of this BMW 6 Series, we've found that the ride was supple and quiet, the brakes were powerful, and despite nearly 2 tons of weight, handling limits remained high thanks to aggressive tires and a well-balanced rear-drive chassis. However, the BMW 6 Series experience largely depended on how you chose to equip the car. Adding the Sport Package firmed up the ride and increased cornering grip via a set of 19-inch wheels and tires, while the variable-ratio active steering quickened low-speed turning response.
As with any luxury touring coupe or convertible, the specific mission of this BMW 6 Series was to cover lots of road in a hurry while making its occupants look and feel great -- the front ones, anyway. Unfortunately, the BMW 6 Series offered precious little of the rear seat space found in its contemporary 5 Series sedan counterpart despite similar midsize dimensions. The BMW 6 Series swoopier body lines were the reason for this, but even with the heightened focus on appearances, neither the 650i coupe nor the convertible could be considered the pinnacle of style.
Buyers of a used BMW 6 Series should note that beyond the powertrain changes, in-car electronics were also upgraded over the years. Early models feature older versions of BMW's iDrive system, which was still in its nascent stages and quite frustrating to use. Gradual improvements were made, but it wasn't until 2010 that the system became fully worthwhile.

 courtesy by http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/6-series/