We heard this idea before; for the F10 version of the BMW M5 the Bavarians were going to kill off the manual transmission. Thanks to the US market, that didn’t happen.

Now however, having released the F10 M5 for a while now and having had some time since the release of the F12 M6, BMW are saying this was the last time.

Whenever they build the next generations of these cars, BMW will no longer accept small amount of demands to make a manual gearbox.

Everybody will have to stick to automatics. We’re not sure what gearbox will be used for these versions but who really cares at this point.

Just about all enthusiasts are currently mourning the demise of the manual transmission. Sure, the older versions will be great value on the second hand market but somehow it’s not the same.

So did BMW sell their soul with this decision? Well, it’s halfway there since the decision is based on financial reasons.

According to Albert Biermann, BMW M-brand engineering chief, the manual version of the M5 only sells some 15% of the total purchases.

Sadly for BMW, and subsequently for us, that means the manual gearbox continues to lose money and that they want to put it on hold.

It seems that despite the American effort for the automatic gearbox within the M powered 5 and 6 Series is going to die.

Thankfully, the manual gearbox seems to be surviving in the smaller types of both these cars so there’s still a chance to get a kick out of rowing your own.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Next generation of the BMW M5 will be automatic only appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

We’re not exactly strangers to the newest version of the BMW M6, the F13, but it’s still a joy to see pictures of it.

Particularly if you consider that this time the photos available are live ones, not the sort that are made in a studio and painstakingly edited before each release.

Apart from getting the fresh pics of the F13 BMW M6 the Bavarians mentioned some new info during the presentation.

In the rather unusual bits of the story, BMW only brought the coupe version of the F13 M6 to the Geneva Motor Show with no genuine explanation for why the convertible is missing out.

What makes it even weirder is how BMW tells us the F12 BMW M6 (the convertible) will be the first one to hit the market. An official debut is expected to take place in June and this version will be labeled as a 2012 model.

The F13 Coupe will be introduced later in the summer but it will be labeled as a 2013 model year. It seems like somebody’s had some fun with the German company’s calendar.

Other than that, things are as we know them. The F13 BMW M6 is powered by a 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 engine which develops 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque.

Call us easy to please, but we think that’s plenty for a car that will mostly be driven at speed without too many people weighing it down.

There was something we were hoping to see is the manual gearbox. As with the F10 BMW M5, it’s not available as standard but rumor has it it’s currently under consideration.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post F13 BMW M6 gets its Geneva Motor Show debut appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It will be a short while before M Performance stuffs their fastest diesel powerplant into the stunning F13 BMW 6 Series so the Bavarians have a “momentary” solution.

Entitled the BMW 640d xDrive, it’s the first coming together of the diesel engine and the all wheel drive solution in a 6 Series.

We’re all familiar with the xDrive system and what it can do and the powerplant isn’t a stranger to us either since it’s the N57.

In one of its most famous tunes, the 640d xDrive gets 313 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque from the N57. That’s generally more than plenty but something should be mentioned.

Even though the N57 is one of the finest diesels out there, it compromises the sports car side of the BMW 6 Series. You can still push it around but you’ll get the feeling that cruising is what it wants to do best.

As it is, the 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged inline six cylinder diesel will combine itself with the xDrive system to get the F13 BMW 640d from 0 to 62 in just 5.2 seconds and it’ll gladly hit a top speed of 155 mph.

The performance is more than decent but the fuel economy is staggering for a big GT car. On the EU testing cycle, the new F13 BMW 640d xDrive can manage more than 41 mpg.

Carbon emissions are also low with less than 153 g of CO2 per km being emitted. A few extra details on the newest addition to the 6 Series family will be available at the Geneva Motor Show.

We expect some shots of the convertible 6er by then as well.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post F13 BMW 640d xDrive launched appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Now that BMW have unveiled their latest moment of pride from the M division, the F12/F13 M6, we expect to get more and more info on it for a few days.

The first bundle of interesting stuff available on the new BMW M6 comes in the form of two new driving videos, some added technical details and some new photos.

Beginning with the easiest to follow, the two videos feature the coupe and convertible M6 drive along side each other, through beautiful scenery.

Sounds like the perfect recipe, but there are a few problems to deal with. First off, there’s just 30 seconds a pop for the videos, which is nowhere near enough for us M6 hungry folk.

And then there’s some music instead of engine notes to deal with. Not cool BMW, we expected a better approach on that front.

The photos will meet you later toward the end of the article and the added details are some of the most anal stuff you can talk about when it comes to a car.

Both the F12/F13 BMW M6 will feature 15.7 inch brake rotors with six piston calipers at the front and 15.6 inch ones with at the back. The steering feel promises to be as good as the M5.

This happens thanks to an adjustable speed-sensitive power steering that has words like Servotronic and M-specific in the description. Finally, we get to a less than pretty set of details.

It may feature weight saving gimmicks like carbon fiber reinforced plastics in the bodywork, carbon ceramic brakes and so on, but the F12/F13 BMW M6 is still a pretty heavy car.

The Coupe weighs in at 4.078 lbs and the Convertible is fatter still at 4.365 pounds.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post F12/F13 BMW M6 new Videos, Photos & Details appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

As the title has it, BMW have lifted the covers off what will be this year’s star player in their M division product portfolio, the F12/F13 M6.

Unlike the previous generation, this time you don’t have to wait several months before you get to drop the top off your BMW M6.

What does stick with tradition in regards to the BMW M6 is that it retains the philosophy of using M5 underpinnings and a better looking body on top.

This is why it comes as no surprise to find out that hte F12/F13 BMW M6 is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 engine you may find in the F10 M5.

With the same engine come almost identical specs as the new M6 develops 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque with availability of the torque between 1.500 and 5.750 rpm.

Also like its four door counterpart, the newly introduced BMW M6 is in a bit of a jam with with transmission situation. Upon launch it will only be available with a seven speed dual clutch affair but a manual is under consideration.

Where the F12/F13 separates itself from the less ostentatious relative is when it comes to the details. The brakes are now carbon ceramic rotors as standard, the roof is made out of carbon fiber and there’s an overall concern over lightness.

In terms of performance here’s what we got: 0 to 62 takes 4.2 seconds (4.3 convertible)and the top speed is limited for both at 155 mph. Upon purchase of the M Driver package that goes up to 189 mph.

Fuel economy levels are rated at 23.8 mpg and 22.8 mpg on the US cycle with both models dishing out upwards of 230 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post F12/F13 BMW M6 officially unveiled appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Here’s something you don’t see very often, a very sought after car gets spied completely undisguised. It’s one of our favorites, the upcoming BMW M6, in convertible form.

The snapshots came courtesy of Autospies who were lucky enough to be near the Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal in New Jersey at just the right time.

That’ll be the right time to spot a completely naked F13 BMW M6 in the area, among a sea of Bavarian products, including a 2012 M5.

As expected, the next generation BMW M6 sticks very closely to its lesser 2012 BMW 6 Series in terms of proportions but wears a special body kit.

The new body kit is more aggressive looking than the M division has us used to. It’s far from your typical tuner paradise, but the sporting traits of the BMW M6 convertible are now much easier to spot.

After all, no matter how up-class and luxurious your motor is, when it has vents in its fenders, we’re not talking about discrete performance are we?

Other wise, the M division makeover of the BMW 6 Series Convertible seems to follow the usual rules. Four exhausts at the back, enormous wheels and brakes and a distinctive look for the exterior.

Still to be confirmed, but the BMW M6, in either coupe or convertible form, will be powered by the same engine as the M5.

This means there’s 560 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque coming from a 4.4 liter V8 with twin turbos. That’s enough performance for a 0 to 62 time that’s well under 4 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

The latter is electronically limited, with a possible package option to take it up to 180 mph and in non restricted form 200 mph could be possible.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW M6 Convertible spied undisguised appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The BMW 6 Series, nicknamed the F13, has started making a few appearances in Munich. BMW announced this project a while back, but the release date is set for 2010. In fact, no one expected to see this type of pictures so soon.

Usually, BMW uses heavy camouflage and they manage to hide the actual shape of the car completely. The spy photos of the BMW 6-Series are obviously all that we could have wished: the car seems perfect after you manage to get away from the optical illusion. The final version will probably have a hard top instead of the soft one and the overall design makes you think of the regular 3 Series. The engine specification are uncertain at this point, but we can at least enjoy the pictures.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW 6-Series spy pictures appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.