2012 BMW M6 Convertible - Instrumented Test - Car and Driver (blog)
The 2012 BMW M6 convertible is a puzzling machine. The first is trivial: the presence of a narrow, three-pedal-style brake-pedal pad in a car with no clutch pedal. The second is of infinitely more import to an enthusiast, being that this is a new BMW with steering that weights up in turns and actually exhibits some kickback as a result of midcorner bumps. You might already know that the M6’s close sibling, the M5 sedan , has hydraulic steering, too. Both convert engine rpm to tire rotation through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. ) Both have launch-control programs, fuel-saving engine stop-start systems, adjustable throttle and damper settings, and so on. One key area in which the two differ—vastly—is steering feel. In an upcoming comparison test, you’ll read about the M5’s weak brake bite and its ride quality, which suffers from excessive up-and-down motion. Perhaps the difference can be chalked up to the German roads we traversed in the M5 versus the South Carolina byways outside BMW’s Spartanburg assembly plant (it also acts as a port of entry for German-built models such as the M6). Or maybe the... Whatever the case, the M6 convertible’s brakes are sharp and its ride motions restrained. Source: www.caranddriver.com
