BMW B6 Alpina |
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kbannon
Admin Group E39 525i Sport Individual Joined: 09-October-2002 Location: 64 Zoo Lane Status: Offline Points: 15508 |
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Posted: 30-December-2008 at 00:04 |
In the world of high-end cars, there comes a point where performance and luxury are simply not enough. Horsepower is easy to come by these days: Porsches, Corvettes, Ferraris, Lamborghinis – everyone’s trying to outdo each other. And it seems as if most of the world’s car makers are buying cows bathed in oil and butter, softening their hides for the most luxurious interiors imaginable. So when you’re looking to show up your neighbour with your next new car, what choice do you have? The selling point, then, is not how many cylinders your car has, but how few people own your car. In a word, exclusivity. And these things are different, I found as I first
climbed into this bright blue, B6 two-door coupé. Wow, the interior
was, uh, different. Soft, cream-coloured leather lined just about every
centimetre of space inside the car. Contrasting stitching highlighted
the seams, with blue piping lining the seats. Highly polished maple
adorned the centre stack. Right, then. Let’s try to focus on the ride, I thought. And, it being built on a BMW 6 Series, the ride was, of course, pretty well perfect. The soft and luxurious demeanour easily held its composure with fits of higher-speed, tight-corner driving. I’m not sure this is the kind of car I’d want to thrash around a race- track on the weekends, but it could probably handle it. It’s certainly more than capable of spirited driving around town. And spirited is somewhat
of an understatement. Five hundred and thirty horsepower under the hood
gives this coupé a mighty kick, sending it from nought to 60 kilometres
per hour in 4.4 seconds. The 4.4-litre V8 is coupled to a very capable
six-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting capabilities.
Sounds like a great combination, doesn’t it? In fact, questioning the gearbox brought the whole comparison of the M6 and B6 into perspective. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the ride of the M6 – it can be soft and supple or tight and sporty, and it can also be adjusted to suit the situation, unlike the B6. It’s got about the same power, a much better gearbox, and pretty well the same exterior look. Oh, it’s also got that whole “M button” thing, which can change the car from a smooth, boulevard-cruising coupé to a snarling beast for the track. The kicker for me is the fact its interior is much more tastefully appointed, yet no less luxurious than the B6. The M6 is a car I would take to the Autodrome; the B6 seems like something you take to the golf course to show off to your mates before you head out for a foursome. Exclusivity or not, I just don’t get the whole idea of it. Here’s a thought: bring home the M6, buy a set of low-rider dubs and get the car painted in your own choice of colour, then get a pinstripe put on down the side. You’ll find you’ll do a lot less golfing and a lot more driving.The specs |
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alpina17
Groupie Joined: 19-March-2008 Location: Bunratty, Co.Clare, IRL. Status: Offline Points: 46 |
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Nice find...good article. Don't think I'll get to experience the B6 in the flesh, but fortunate enough to drive the M6 in 2006, beauuuutifulllll although did not get to take past 80 |
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