I finished the first part of BMW M6 Cabrio test on description of the starter button. When you do it the engine V10 starts making a really impressive sound, which is supported with a rhythm of quite high slow motionfor a few minutes so that the engine is warming up.
To start we have two options, to move the gear shift lever towards the right to activate the automatic or manual/sequential way depending on the conditions of traffic. As at first I was going to move around a city, I decided to test automatic way of the SMG III seven-speed gearbox, which has five programs depending on the rapidity and intensity.
Transmission mode was the calmest, and the first thing that attracted my attention was that with this chosen mode, in the semaphores the car geared automatically to start. Let us not forget, it has a spectacular engine V10 of 507 horse powers under the front hood.
I tried to make the car behave as calm as possible and come down consumption to minimum. But frankly speaking, I think this is not the mode in which we should drive if we want to enjoy our trip.
Then I began playing with the button placed under the gear shift lever. This button allows modifying the ways of change. I put it in an intermediate position and the car lowered gear change automatically. Whenever it happens, an engine sudden acceleration makes four rear exhaust pipes emit a spectacular sound. It seems BMW M6 begins waking up.
Various options of BMW M6 Cabrio configuration can make us play all day with its buttons. Driving the car I noticed a button “Power” was placed to the left of the gear shift lever. If we deactivate it, V10 delivers 400 horses, but if we touch it the potency increases up to 507 hp.
In city it is advisable to have “Power” deactivated, because 507 hp can result in uncomfortable pulls of the car on having started in the semaphores.
While driving in normal rhythm and traffic, average consumption every 100 kilometers was about 20-21 liters, although urban consumption was 22, 8 liters every 100 kilometers. Let us not forget it has a fuel tank of only 70 liters. So whenever you look at the needle of the fuel indicator, you see it further down. In normal mode BMW M6 Cabrio suspension is quite soft and thanks to 19 inches rims with low tires profile we are hardly incommoded by road irregularities. To make them hard there was another button near the gear shift lever.
In general it is good for the city, but in urban traffic V10 of 507 hp is like a tiger encaged.
While driving along highway good acoustic isolation of the convertible top attracted my attention, which still was closed. It has three layers. Frankly speaking, I believe that it is the best canvas top I have ever tested and with perfect isolation.
I touched the button “Power” and these 507 horse powers were at my beck and call. Then I noticed its reaction to the movements of the gas pedal became much more split-second. I used a manual gearbox using the levies placed behind the steering-wheel. The changes geared at impressive speed and what I liked more in SMG III with regard to the new DKG of BMW M3 was that in the first one the changes are evident. This “pull” is evidently disappeared with the box of double clutch.
As you will be able to imagine, the engine V10 accelerates furiously. When you have free highway ahead, you drop thoroughly the hammer and literally remain pushed in the seat. Capacity of BMW M6 Cabrio to roll over the legal maximum speed is even dangerous. I had to look at the HUD (Head Up Display) projected on the windshield constantly and to raise the right foot.
As for size and weight, BMW M6 Cabrio is not a car to roll along slow mountain highways where I tested other cars. Frankly speaking such cars as Subaru Impreza, BMW M3 or Audi TTS Roadster behaved very well there.
BMW M6 Cabrio is rather a car for freeways, to do comfortable and rapid trips as “gentleman drivers” like doing, those who always prefer their sports car to travel in plane.
But the true thing is that because of BMW M6 Cabrio high consumption any other BMW, for example BMW 635d Cabrio, will come earlier to destination place than it and it will not have to stop every 300 kilometers to be refueled.
To be continued...
14/03/09 12:00 AM - The cars in Fast and Furious. (Movies / TV, Ford Mustang, BMW M3, Dodge Charger, Ford GT, Fast and Furious, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Chevrolet Chevelle)
