My M6 GC Specification

[MattUK]

Hi all,

I've now sorted out the pricing and financing for the spec for a new M6 GC, now just need to have a good drive before deciding, but was interested to share my spec with you.

I'm on a budget, so items like ceramic brakes or the competition pack really are not options I can select.. however, keen to share the spec I've chosen, and for any comments on what is pointless or things i should think about (I know there are not a huge number of options)

Items I am thinking of removing would be;

Ventilated seats / Soft Close Doors

My spec is;

F06 M6 Gran Coupe S63 4.4i Alpine White

Black Extended Merino Leather

Steering wheel heating 

Comfort Access

Soft-close doors

Reversing Assist camera

Seat ventilation, front

M Multi-function seats

Front Surround-view

BMW Online Services

Real Time Traffic Information
Information Plus

Remote Services

Sun protection glass

Speed limit display

Standard Options
7S9 ConnectedDrive Services

223 Variable Damper Control (VDC)

2MK Seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) w/ DRIVELOGIC

2PS 20" M Double-spoke style 

433M alloy wheels 

2VB Tyre pressure monitoring

302 Alarm system (Thatcham 1)

423 Floor mats, velour

428 First Aid Kit & Triangle

430 Ext. mirrors - folding, auto dimming

441 Smokers package

488 Lumbar support, driver and front pass.

494 Seat heating, front

4MC Carbon Fibre interior trim
4UR Ambient lighting

508 Park Distance Control (PDC), front and rear
552 Adaptive LED Headlights

5AC High-beam Assistant

609 *Navigation system-BMW Professional Multimedia 

610 *Head-up Display 

654 DAB digital radio

688 Loudspeaker system - harman/kardon surround sound 

6AC BMW Emergency call

6AE BMW TeleServices

6NS Enhanced Bluetooth telephone with USB & Voice Control 

760 Exterior trim, High-gloss Shadowline

[Twitch Massacre]

Front cameras and speed limit display? It seems you have something like the driver assistance package selected. I'd do away with those and keep the the ventilated seats and soft close doors for comfort. I don't have the driver assistance package in my car, opted for Comp Pack instead because quite frankly I don't feel like I absolutely need that many driving nannies. They are nice packs to have for convenience I'm sure but far from necessities unless the person is absolutely useless behind the wheel.

[MattUK]

Hey Twitch,

The cameras were recommended because the car is so big, and the roads here so small and bad.. so the front cams are part of the pack to give you surround view for parking etc

Speed limit display.. added so I know the limits its only 250

The packages you get over there, dont really match up with what we have.

Competition pack here is 6k so blows the budget even without options.

[Twitch Massacre]

Originally Posted by MattUK

Hey Twitch,

The cameras were recommended because the car is so big, and the roads here so small and bad.. so the front cams are part of the pack to give you surround view for parking etc

Speed limit display.. added so I know the limits its only 250

The packages you get over there, dont really match up with what we have.

Competition pack here is 6k so blows the budget even without options.

That makes sense. I wasn't factoring the length and width of the GC along with the size of some European roads. I did add an additional camera to my car after I lowered it. Considering the front is so low and it's so easy to hook and scrape the front bumper with things, I figured adding a low front bumper camera would help.

[RichardP]

F06 M6 Gran Coupe S63 4.4i Alpine White
 Personal choice, white is a bit of an in vogue/not in vogue colour in the UK
Black Extended Merino Leather
 Personal choice, but extended leather is excelent.

Steering wheel heating 
Excellent, well worth the money
Comfort Access
 Handy so you don't have to get the key out, a pain when you're washing the car and have your key in your pocket as the water triggers the lock hold function and the wing mirrors fold! Also, because you get in the car slightly sooner after it's woken up, the Nav appears to take longer to boot up!
Soft-close doors
 Not really necessary IMO, look nice, but the doors are not exactly had to close without it!
Reversing Assist camera
 Essential
Seat ventilation, front
 I'm a little underwhelmed at the moment, although it's not been really hot enough to use it. The ventilation is quite subtle, maybe the power is related to the internal car temperature as well as the switch setting.
M Multi-function seats
 Excellent, but I think quite expensive when considering the difference between the standard seats and M Multi-Function seats
Front Surround-view
 Excellent
BMW Online Services
 Standard
Real Time Traffic Information Standard
Information Plus
 Standard
Remote Services
 Standard
Sun protection glass
 Personally, not a fan, but it's cheaper than blinds
Speed limit display Not always accurate, but does keep reminding you of the speed limit when you see it in the HUD next to your speed!

Go for the 343M wheels instead of 433M, they are much lighter and stronger, much more expensive to buy individually but a no cost option.

[Twitch Massacre]

Originally Posted by RichardP

F06 M6 Gran Coupe S63 4.4i Alpine White
 Personal choice, white is a bit of an in vogue/not in vogue colour in the UK
Black Extended Merino Leather
 Personal choice, but extended leather is excelent.

Steering wheel heating 
Excellent, well worth the money
Comfort Access
 Handy so you don't have to get the key out, a pain when you're washing the car and have your key in your pocket as the water triggers the lock hold function and the wing mirrors fold! Also, because you get in the car slightly sooner after it's woken up, the Nav appears to take longer to boot up!
Soft-close doors
 Not really necessary IMO, look nice, but the doors are not exactly had to close without it!
Reversing Assist camera
 Essential
Seat ventilation, front
 I'm a little underwhelmed at the moment, although it's not been really hot enough to use it. The ventilation is quite subtle, maybe the power is related to the internal car temperature as well as the switch setting.
M Multi-function seats
 Excellent, but I think quite expensive when considering the difference between the standard seats and M Multi-Function seats
Front Surround-view
 Excellent
BMW Online Services
 Standard
Real Time Traffic Information Standard
Information Plus
 Standard
Remote Services
 Standard
Sun protection glass
 Personally, not a fan, but it's cheaper than blinds
Speed limit display Not always accurate, but does keep reminding you of the speed limit when you see it in the HUD next to your speed!

Go for the 343M wheels instead of 433M, they are much lighter and stronger, much more expensive to buy individually but a no cost option.

I've used the ventilated seats in very hot weather (Florida) and they work pretty well when in tandem with the AC. I tend to use it a lot lately after installing the M Performance Exhaust as I drive a lot with the windows down, to enjoy the exhaust sound more, shut the A/C completely off (if it's not extremely hot outside), and turn on the seat ventilation. It works very well to keep you fairly cool but I don't see it as much of a necessity in cold weather climates to be honest, more of a commodity.

[MattUK]

Having the seat ventilation forces the selection of the M multifunction seats, so you can't have it without those it would seem!

White.. yes, I had a white M3 before the X3 I have now and really liked it, white has been in for some time, and it was only a matter of time before it changed.. not sure on what other colour to get, would only really be grey or black.

[Twitch Massacre]

Originally Posted by MattUK

Having the seat ventilation forces the selection of the M multifunction seats, so you can't have it without those it would seem!

White.. yes, I had a white M3 before the X3 I have now and really liked it, white has been in for some time, and it was only a matter of time before it changed.. not sure on what other colour to get, would only really be grey or black.

Singapore Grey is a great color for the M6. I'm not particularly fond of dark colors on these cars, I feel the lighter ones show off the lines better, but that's the one dark color I would get. That's if you end up deciding against white, of course.

[MattUK]

I thought the colour selection for a top of the range car are pretty poor, knowing what colours are available across the range. My favourite BMW colour has always been Estoril since my E36 days, and I love the frozen colours that have been around (except the Brown)

[Twitch Massacre]

Originally Posted by MattUK

I thought the colour selection for a top of the range car are pretty poor, knowing what colours are available across the range. My favourite BMW colour has always been Estoril since my E36 days, and I love the frozen colours that have been around (except the Brown)

You can pretty much order any color you can imagine, of course at an additional cost. I think this generation's M6 color selection is a lot better than last generation. I really like the San Marino Blue, Singapore Grey, and of course my very own Sakhir Orange from the standard colors. For the individual colors, the Frozen Grey, Frozen Bronze (on the GC), and Brilliant White are very good. Almost every car ordered on the E6X gen M6 was Alpine White (I ordered Indianapolis Red cause it was one of the rarer colors). The F-gen M6 seem to have more variety amongst the colors ordered, I believe it's because the selection is a lot more solid now than on previous years.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by MattUK

Hi all,

I've now sorted out the pricing and financing for the spec for a new M6 GC, now just need to have a good drive before deciding, but was interested to share my spec with you.

I'm on a budget, so items like ceramic brakes or the competition pack really are not options I can select.. however, keen to share the spec I've chosen, and for any comments on what is pointless or things i should think about (I know there are not a huge number of options)

Items I am thinking of removing would be;

Ventilated seats / Soft Close Doors

My spec is;

F06 M6 Gran Coupe S63 4.4i Alpine White

Black Extended Merino Leather

Steering wheel heating 

Comfort Access

Soft-close doors

Reversing Assist camera

Seat ventilation, front

M Multi-function seats

Front Surround-view

BMW Online Services

Real Time Traffic Information
Information Plus

Remote Services

Sun protection glass

Speed limit display

Standard Options
7S9 ConnectedDrive Services

223 Variable Damper Control (VDC)

2MK Seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) w/ DRIVELOGIC

2PS 20" M Double-spoke style 

433M alloy wheels 

2VB Tyre pressure monitoring

302 Alarm system (Thatcham 1)

423 Floor mats, velour

428 First Aid Kit & Triangle

430 Ext. mirrors - folding, auto dimming

441 Smokers package

488 Lumbar support, driver and front pass.

494 Seat heating, front

4MC Carbon Fibre interior trim
4UR Ambient lighting

508 Park Distance Control (PDC), front and rear
552 Adaptive LED Headlights

5AC High-beam Assistant

609 *Navigation system-BMW Professional Multimedia 

610 *Head-up Display 

654 DAB digital radio

688 Loudspeaker system - harman/kardon surround sound 

6AC BMW Emergency call

6AE BMW TeleServices

6NS Enhanced Bluetooth telephone with USB & Voice Control 

760 Exterior trim, High-gloss Shadowline

Full Merino leather is one of the most luxurious package makes interior brilliant! I don't know how much it does cost, but it's fantastic if you can get it

[MattUK]

5k+

[Twitch Massacre]

Originally Posted by MattUK

5k+

I'd go with full merino if you're going for anything other than black. For my current black interior I didn't add full merino. I had full merino in my 2008 M6 (Indy Red ext., Full Merino Black int.), as back then it felt like a necessity because the extended leather option meant having a very ugly plastic looking dash (the 2012+ M6 dash actually looks fine without the full merino). Thing is I had a very bad experience with full merino in that car. After 3 years of ownership the leather on the dashboard started to warp, stretch, and come undone from the edges where it was held to the rest of the cabin. I found this strange as it was a garage kept car, but I guess whatever little time it spent in this Florida sun slowly did the trick. Needless to say I took it to the dealer to have it repaired. The repair experience was awful. I thought it would be as simple as securing the warped leather back into place but, as I was told by the dealer, the leather was deformed so they would have to replace the entire dash. So they ordered a new dash, took the car apart and installed it. The only issue is I now had a dash with brand new leather on it which wasn't a 100% exact match to the condition of the leather on the rest of the car (which was slightly aged as is expected). The dealer naturally refused to change the rest of the interior leather trim to make it match as the leather was in great condition, just with slightly different shine and texture to it because it was no longer brand new. Long story short it was a nightmare and later on it started happening on other parts of the car. Having opted for a full black interior again, and being that the dash doesn't look unsightly without the full merino in this car as it did in the previous one, I went with extended leather and actually don't regret it. The only part I'm not satisfied with is the bottom half of the doors which is now made of that unsightly plastic that was prominent in the 2006-2010 M6's dash. Might have that part wrapped in black merino leather by a shop nearby that does custom interiors if I'm up for it one day.

[JOHNBMWM5]

Hi Matt, mine on order for September . Alpine and Sakhir Leather.
I would dump this:


Soft-close doors

Seat ventilation, front
, this does not come with M-Multi function seats by the way, it's extra.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by Twitch Massacre

I'd go with full merino if you're going for anything other than black. For my current black interior I didn't add full merino. I had full merino in my 2008 M6 (Indy Red ext., Full Merino Black int.), as back then it felt like a necessity because the extended leather option meant having a very ugly plastic looking dash (the 2012+ M6 dash actually looks fine without the full merino). Thing is I had a very bad experience with full merino in that car. After 3 years of ownership the leather on the dashboard started to warp, stretch, and come undone from the edges where it was held to the rest of the cabin. I found this strange as it was a garage kept car, but I guess whatever little time it spent in this Florida sun slowly did the trick. Needless to say I took it to the dealer to have it repaired. The repair experience was awful. I thought it would be as simple as securing the warped leather back into place but, as I was told by the dealer, the leather was deformed so they would have to replace the entire dash. So they ordered a new dash, took the car apart and installed it. The only issue is I now had a dash with brand new leather on it which wasn't a 100% exact match to the condition of the leather on the rest of the car (which was slightly aged as is expected). The dealer naturally refused to change the rest of the interior leather trim to make it match as the leather was in great condition, just with slightly different shine and texture to it because it was no longer brand new. Long story short it was a nightmare and later on it started happening on other parts of the car. Having opted for a full black interior again, and being that the dash doesn't look unsightly without the full merino in this car as it did in the previous one, I went with extended leather and actually don't regret it. The only part I'm not satisfied with is the bottom half of the doors which is now made of that unsightly plastic that was prominent in the 2006-2010 M6's dash. Might have that part wrapped in black merino leather by a shop nearby that does custom interiors if I'm up for it one day.

Speaking of Merino leather, it's really nice and luxury but it's soft. I like Nappa more than Merino. I had my 2012 650i for about 18 months and I drove it every day. when I traded in, the leather was as nice as the first day. I saw this one yesterday on my 2013 M6 that I drove for just 9 months. It's driver's seat and i know it's because of jeans I wear!

[Twitch Massacre]

Wow I had my 2008 M6 for 5 years, longer than I've ever kept any other car and it never got that way. There was some wear in that same area but not to that extent. I do have the people that detail my cars condition the seats every time. Maybe bring it to your dealers attention as that does not seem to be "normal wear".

[Palmnuts]

Matt, I think that'll look great in white and it'll certainly be rare.

Speed limit display is great when used in conjunction with the HUD, and whilst it gets it wrong occasionally, it just serves as a reminder to check.

I wouldn't bother with seat ventilation as it's too subtle in BMW's, certainly not as good as the vented seats I had in my Jag XFR. In fact, if you don't go for ventilation etc then I'd ditch the seats - I previously chose not to go for the multi function seats because the standard seats look so much better (well, the European ones do as I don't think the US get our one-piece backrests). Now having sat in the car with multifunction seats, the comfort difference is negligible/non existent except for the optional seats having adjustable side bolsters and a tilting upper section (indeed, the seat bases are identical!). Use the money saved towards full leather or comp pack

[Palmnuts]

To add, the leather is extremely soft and as such is very easy to damage from general wear and dye transfer (on light colours). Be careful...BMW are replacing the leather on both my front seats due to premature wear, although I didn't help the situation by choosing individual Opal White which looks great but shows everything!

I have since found a very effective protector which stops dye transfer - Dr Leather Protector. It's expensive at £40 for a small bottle, but is the only product I've found that actually works and is necessary on light leathers. Probably less important on black, but it guess it'd still make it easier to keep clean and delay the inset of shine.

[RichardP]

25 UK Alpinweiss M6 Gran Coupes.

Interesting comparison with the E39 M5 of which there are more than 10 times the number made compared to the M6 GC to date, to show how variable the popularity of white is, there is only 1 and that was a very early development car.

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by RichardP

25 UK Alpinweiss M6 Gran Coupes.

Interesting comparison with the E39 M5 of which there are more than 10 times the number made compared to the M6 GC to date, to show how variable the popularity of white is, there is only 1 and that was a very early development car.

Good info Richard, how many M6 GC though?.

[Palmnuts]

Originally Posted by RichardP

25 UK Alpinweiss M6 Gran Coupes.

Not as rare as I'd have thought.

White has been a relatively accepted colour since around 2007/8, and there's now many variations of it now that I can't see it ever becoming a colour to avoid like it was 10 years ago.

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by Palmnuts

Not as rare as I'd have thought.

White has been a relatively accepted colour since around 2007/8, and there's now many variations of it now that I can't see it ever becoming a colour to avoid like it was 10 years ago.

I would have gone for the Blue you have, but I have had 4 new BMW's in Blue, so back to Alpine White as I had on the E90 M3, I think it should look good with Sakhir Leather.