The 2013 BMW M6 is the 3rd generation of the 6 series coupe that has gotten the M treatment. This is BMW speak for their Motorsports division and all of the additional performance items that the car brings. By far, the 2013 BMW M6 is the best one yet! Gone is the heavy and thirsty V10, replaced with a lighter more efficient, and higher powered 4.4 liter, V8 twin0turbo engine that makes the latest M6 a joy to drive. The M6 is on the verge of being 鈥渙ut there,鈥?with its 20 inch M light-alloy wheels, carbon fiber roof, quad exhausts and air intakes that can swallow a small village. This is not an understated coupe. Yet, all together, the look works, without the risk becoming boy racer-looking. Once inside, the interior captivates you, with the sumptuous double stitch leather and simple yet elegant layout, the M6 mixes elegance and performance quite nicely. The thick rimmed steering wheel is perfectly sized, offering the full range of switchgear one expects from a performance coupe. There is a configurable Head-Up display, which is a nice touch.
The high-center infotainment screen is large and offers excellent viewing, regardless of the sun angle. Menu navigation is managed by the BMW iDrive system; one that takes a bit to get used to, but once you鈥檝e fiddled for a few minutes, it does become fairly intuitive to use. One thing we always enjoy about BMW automobiles is the wonderful tactile sensation all the buttons and switchgear offer. For me, BMW is the gold standard in this area. Rear seats are more for occasional use, yet comfortable for small people or kids. Trunk is surprisingly large and well appointed. One novel trick is the backup camera placement. Maybe it would be a good bar bet with your friends to ask them to tell you where it is. Surprise, it鈥檚 hidden behind the roundel emblem. BMW鈥檚 iconic emblem does double duty as the manual trunk release in addition to being the electrically operated lens cover.
Touch the start button and the wonderful sound of the V8 resonates with authority. The transmission is an M double clutch system that also has a launch control feature. There is no doubt, the M6 can put the power to the ground, thanks to the incredible level of technology and engineering that is active yet hidden. Driving the M6 is an effortless experience, interestingly enough, several times I noticed that when looking at either the speedometer or the information on the head-up display you begin to doubt if the information is really true. Yes, it鈥檚 that fast and that effortless. Cornering is amazingly agile, more so considering the size of this coupe. Stopping is as if the earth stopped rotating, thanks to the wondrous technology of the M Carbon ceramic brakes. Acceleration, especially when the 鈥淢鈥?Button is used, is nothing short of breathtaking. Comparables (if there are any) include: Jaguar XKR-S, Aston Martin Vanquish, Maserati Gran Turismo, Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG and the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. Regrettably, my time with the mighty M6 came to an end all too quickly. The toughest part was giving back the key after one week and 500 miles of wonderful driving! As it left my driveway, all I could think of was鈥?The M6 makes anything else on the road seem like beige appliances.
It鈥檚 been just over a year since Jaguar last furnished the F-Type sports car with a facelift, but a far bolder mid-life update is in the pipeline according to these brand new spy shots. The car spied here is still masked fairly heavily, but it鈥檚 possible to spot new panel gaps hinting at a redesign. The bonnet, for instance, now runs further down the car鈥檚 front wings, and appears to cut through the placement of the current car鈥檚 headlights. It would appear that a brand new set of lights, horizontally shaped and flanking the grille will appear, making the F-Type鈥檚 nose appear lower to the ground. Around the back it鈥檚 harder to pick out any changes. The cabin is likely in for an overhaul, replacing the current car鈥檚 dated infotainment. It could take inspiration from the recently re-jigged XE saloon. Engine technology could be subject to big change - Jaguar Land Rover itself has already essentially confirmed this. The group has committed to launching an electrified version of every new car arriving from 2020 onwards, and with restrictions on fleet CO2 becoming more and more demanding on premium carmakers, the F-Type is a model ripe for cleaner technology. What isn鈥檛 clear is if a facelift counts as a 鈥榥ew鈥?car per se. If it does, it confirms that the refreshed F-Type will gain some form of electrified powertrain. Given JLR鈥檚 current push towards 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, that would be the most suitable solution given the demands of the F-Type鈥檚 tight packaging.
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