BMW M6 Convertible (2006) CAR review

What's this, an even more expensive BMW M6?

It certainly is. At £86,400 the convertible costs nearly £5k more than the regular M6 coupe. Yes, it’s a premium price, but BMW has done the sums and knows there is a customer base, typically 45-year-old males doing rather well for themselves. The UK’s 2006 allocation of 80 cars has already sold out, 150 cars will follow for 2007. Standard equipment on both coupe and convertible remains much the same with the howling V10, 7-speed auto, 19in wheels and same suspension – albeit with tweaked software to take account of an extra 220kg. Blame the weight penalty on losing the roof (the M6’s gorgeous carbon roof) and stiffening the bodyshell to compensate.

An extra 220kg? That can’t do much for driving dynamics.

You’d be surprised. The convertible feels incredibly rigid, and there’s no evidence of scuttle shake, the one-time downfall of roofless BMWs. In fact, the rear-view mirror remains reassuringly wobble-free, even over poorly surfaced roads though the 19in wheels do clunk about at low speeds. Pile on the mph, and the M6 convertible feels incredibly sure-footed with only hooligan tactics unsticking it. The brakes, not always a BMW forté, take horrendous levels of abuse before fade sets in. The steering feels unnaturally light around town, but does provide a decent amount of resistance at higher speeds.