The BMW M5 is a bit like Carl Lewis dressed in a business suit. Its sober garb (by sports car standards) doesn't really give away the sheer speed of which it's capable.
Though the Bavarian bahnstormer can match or beat many a Ferrari or Porsche in the performance stakes, it just doesn't look as exotic.
When cruising in St Tropez or similar playground of the rich and famous something with a prancing horse or a bull on its bonnet will still attract more attention.
Ah, but then there's the BMW M6 coupé... It's Carl Lewis in running gear, muscular torso on display. You look at it and you know it's fast - very fast.
This is the fastest, baddest, best-looking Beemer there is. It combines BMW's best engine - the same howling V10 used in the M5 - with the sweetest shape. BMW has recently been guilty of some pretty ghastly designs but the 6 Series coupé is very easy on the eye.
The M6 is distinguished from the standard 6 Series by more aggressive bodywork, flared wheel arches housing huge 19" alloy rims and a front end with a much larger air dam - needed to feed the big V10 with masses of cooling air.
I reckon even the jaded St Tropez crowd might spare the M6 a raised eyebrow or two. It certainly raised ours...
Stashed under the M6's long bonnet is a virile V10 with an 8250rpm red line, a heavy-hitting 373kW power output (the magical 500hp) and a meaty 520Nm of torque. Not to mention a roar that will wake the neighbourhood and shake small critters out of trees.
It was named as Engine of the Year in 2005.
Like the M5 there's no normal manual gearbox. Cog-swopping happens in a seven-speed SMG transmission. That means no worrying about a clutch pedal; shifts are done (assuming you don't want the car to do the job itself) with F1-style paddles on the steering wheel.
Rocket-like launches are controlled by a hi-tech traction control system but, as with all automatic clutch transmissions, it also means jerky shifts in the real world - read traffic.
The two-door M6 shares much componentry with the four-door M5 but has a few unique parts, including a weight-saving carbon-fibre roof. It's also lower - one peers up at most cars from its power-adjustable sports seats that can take anybody from a ballerina to a bouncer.
As on the M5, there are plenty of gadgets, including an "M" button on the steering that makes the throttle more sensitive and lets all 500 horses reach full gallop. Normal operation uses only 300hp to make the car more user-friendly around town.
As with most German vehicles today, the BMW super-coupé is electronically governed to 250km/h. It gets there with a reasonable degree of swiftness.
Getting into its stride
Bury the throttle with launch control engaged and the M6 spins its wheels in the first three gears as it blitzes the 0-100km/h sprint in only 4.6 seconds (and that's at Reef altitude!) and reaches 200km/h in 15 secs.
At this point one might expect its livid acceleration to tap off a notch or too, but it's just getting into its stride. The mighty Beemer keeps racing forward until it bounces against its speed governor at an indicated 270. BMW reckon it will reach 330km/h without the governor.
I'm inclined to believe.
Sports suspension and monster 19" rubber gives the Beemer notably stable handling. If you feel the standard suspension isn't stiff enough, pressing a button called EDC (electronic damper control) makes it feel as if there's no suspension at all.
Needs respect
But the M6 is a heavy beast and you can't throw it around tight corners with the wild abandon of nimbler cars such as Subaru's Impreza WRX or a Porsche 911.
And, because there's so much firepower at the rear wheels, if you switch off traction control and get too frisky with the throttle you'll quickly end up staring at the oncoming scenery through the side window. Needs respect, this car.
For all its Ferrari-scaring performance the M6 is a surprisingly practical sports car with space for four people (preferably compact ones in the back) and with all the luxuries of a typical BMW.
All yours for R1 040 000 - not bad for about a third of the price of a similarly-performing Italian stallion.
Though it lacks the Made-in-Maranello cred, the M6 has all the noise, poise and performance of a thoroughbred sports car at a bargain price.
With a a nicer gearbox I might have called it the best car in the world. - Star Motoring