2016 BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe gets 600 HP and styling update

[JimM6GC]

Originally Posted by djsaad1

Congratulations! Stunning car! It looks frozen in these pictures.

Is the exhaust note as loud as the m6?

Thanks!

As for the white, that's exactly what I thought, too. It reminded me of the picture of the frozen white one they had at Irvine. It's definitely shiny, though.

I haven't heard the exhaust from the outside, but the interior is definitely quieter. I hope to take my sound level meter with me to compare the two cars soon.

[dsad1]

When you get a chance can you give us a little comparison between the two? I have been driving a new x5m for the past couple weeks, and I keep questioning if I should have gotten the m6 over the alpina. The m settings and the m hud are the things I think I might regret not having on the alpina. But xdrive is something I have wanted for a while.

That being said, I supposedly got the x5m for my father, but since he is out of town about 6 months of the year, I am probably the one that will be enjoying it more often.

[JimM6GC]

I've been very busy catching up with work that I had to push aside for the last two weeks while getting the B6, taking a leisurely drive up the California coast, and then having to deal with a family emergency, but here's what I can say so far.

Bear in mind that I am not a racer, so reasonable minds may differ as to my evaluation.

The M6 is great fun. We live about 20 miles west of I-5, and the road we take is very curvy for those 20 miles because it follows along the side of a river. The car feels like it rides on rails, even in comfort mode. The car responds wonderfully to steering input. It doesn't take much input to get the car to do what you want it to do. In that regard, it kicks ass on the two AMG cars we owned before (an '00 E55 and an '06 CLS55). The negative: road noise. We regularly drive over Siskiyou Summit on I-5 at the California/Oregon border, and the pavement is somewhat exposed aggregate. It is LOUD! Even worse than the AMG cars, but not as bad as my '06 Z06. The M6 is somewhat closer to the Z06 in handling, but I had more confidence in the Z06. I had no qualms about taking 35 MPH curves at 70 MPH in the Z06, but I'm not quite there yet with the M6 (getting closer, though!). I don't have such confidence with the B6 for the reason I stated previously - handling is much more numb, and I just don't have confidence that it would hold on to the road if it weren't for DSC.

The B6 is definitely the car you want if you like luxury. It's the car I would want to drive clients in. It is quieter (especially with tire noise as noted above), and the seats are more comfortable. My butt at my right sit-bone gets very sore sitting in the M6, even after fiddling with the seat settings for some time. I had to buy a small cushion to keep comfortable. I had a similar problem with the Z06, but those cars were notorious for flimsy seats. I never had comfort problems in any other car, even rental cars. No problem at all in the B6. And shifting from one gear to another is smooooth!

Another big difference (at least for me) is acceleration. It may be because the M6 has a manual transmission (the primary reason I got the car), but I have to drive it like a Porsche - shift it from sixth to third and get it into the higher RPM's to get it to go. Even then, it begins to wind up and then surges big time. (Perhaps the driver needs to increase his level of skill? ) I much prefer the B6 in that regard. Acceleration seems to be much more linear and gives me that Holy S#!t!! feeling right from the get-go. Perhaps the best way to describe the two is that the B6 is more like an autobahn car, and the M6 is more like a track car.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE both cars. But to answer the question posed in another thread about whether people cross-shop M6's and B6's, they may cross-shop the two, but I think a test drive in both cars will make it very easy to decide depending on where one's preferences lie.

I hope that helps at least a little.

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by JimM6GC

I've been very busy catching up with work that I had to push aside for the last two weeks while getting the B6, taking a leisurely drive up the California coast, and then having to deal with a family emergency, but here's what I can say so far.

Bear in mind that I am not a racer, so reasonable minds may differ as to my evaluation.

The M6 is great fun. We live about 20 miles west of I-5, and the road we take is very curvy for those 20 miles because it follows along the side of a river. The car feels like it rides on rails, even in comfort mode. The car responds wonderfully to steering input. It doesn't take much input to get the car to do what you want it to do. In that regard, it kicks ass on the two AMG cars we owned before (an '00 E55 and an '06 CLS55). The negative: road noise. We regularly drive over Siskiyou Summit on I-5 at the California/Oregon border, and the pavement is somewhat exposed aggregate. It is LOUD! Even worse than the AMG cars, but not as bad as my '06 Z06. The M6 is somewhat closer to the Z06 in handling, but I had more confidence in the Z06. I had no qualms about taking 35 MPH curves at 70 MPH in the Z06, but I'm not quite there yet with the M6 (getting closer, though!). I don't have such confidence with the B6 for the reason I stated previously - handling is much more numb, and I just don't have confidence that it would hold on to the road if it weren't for DSC.

The B6 is definitely the car you want if you like luxury. It's the car I would want to drive clients in. It is quieter (especially with tire noise as noted above), and the seats are more comfortable. My butt at my right sit-bone gets very sore sitting in the M6, even after fiddling with the seat settings for some time. I had to buy a small cushion to keep comfortable. I had a similar problem with the Z06, but those cars were notorious for flimsy seats. I never had comfort problems in any other car, even rental cars. No problem at all in the B6. And shifting from one gear to another is smooooth!

Another big difference (at least for me) is acceleration. It may be because the M6 has a manual transmission (the primary reason I got the car), but I have to drive it like a Porsche - shift it from sixth to third and get it into the higher RPM's to get it to go. Even then, it begins to wind up and then surges big time. (Perhaps the driver needs to increase his level of skill? ) I much prefer the B6 in that regard. Acceleration seems to be much more linear and gives me that Holy S#!t!! feeling right from the get-go. Perhaps the best way to describe the two is that the B6 is more like an autobahn car, and the M6 is more like a track car.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE both cars. But to answer the question posed in another thread about whether people cross-shop M6's and B6's, they may cross-shop the two, but I think a test drive in both cars will make it very easy to decide depending on where one's preferences lie.

I hope that helps at least a little.

Thanks that really helps. I drive like a 90 year old 75% of the time, so I doubt the handling is going to matter to me that much, but I am guessing dinan shockware could probably solve the issue if needed. I wish BMW would have let Alpina use the M hud, M cluster and M settings. They could have re branded it to A instead.

I go in to sign early next week, I am still debating if I should do a 2 year lease or 3 year lease. I had a 650 and got bored with it after about 2 years, I feel like the same might happen here. But if I love it, I might regret the decision after 2 years. First world problems...

[JimM6GC]

Originally Posted by djsaad1

First world problems...

Ain't that the truth...

Best of luck to you!

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by djsaad1

When you get a chance can you give us a little comparison between the two? I have been driving a new x5m for the past couple weeks, and I keep questioning if I should have gotten the m6 over the alpina. The m settings and the m hud are the things I think I might regret not having on the alpina. But xdrive is something I have wanted for a while.

That being said, I supposedly got the x5m for my father, but since he is out of town about 6 months of the year, I am probably the one that will be enjoying it more often.

Originally Posted by djsaad1

Thanks that really helps. I drive like a 90 year old 75% of the time, so I doubt the handling is going to matter to me that much, but I am guessing dinan shockware could probably solve the issue if needed. I wish BMW would have let Alpina use the M hud, M cluster and M settings. They could have re branded it to A instead.

I go in to sign early next week, I am still debating if I should do a 2 year lease or 3 year lease. I had a 650 and got bored with it after about 2 years, I feel like the same might happen here. But if I love it, I might regret the decision after 2 years. First world problems...

Just to share my experience with you, I had 2 650i for 2 years (September 2011 to September 2013) and then got M6... it's almost 2 years now and I'm still excited with M6... Just my 2 cents

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by M6-Coupe

Just to share my experience with you, I had 2 650i for 2 years (September 2011 to September 2013) and then got M6... it's almost 2 years now and I'm still excited with M6... Just my 2 cents

If I still need a 4 door car after this one, I would most likely get the m6. which makes 3 years a better option since the next m6 is at least 3 years away.

[avilent]

Nearly 4 months after ordering my '16 B6 I'm finally driving it!!! This is our 14th BMW and 4th ED and by far the worse experience i've ever had from a transactional perspective. Let me start with the timeline...

Vehicle ordered 5/14
Order acknowledged 5/20
BMW Production Started 6/22
BMW Production Completed 7/13
Alpina Production Completed 7/23
Vehicle Parked @ BMW Welt 7/23-8/3
European Delivery 8/3 - Could not drive the car - Odometer 4.0mi
Return to BMW @ Welt 8/3
Arrived @ New Jersey VDC 8/27
Cleared Custom 8/28
Cleared VDC processing 9/1
Left VDC for transportation to midwest 9/7
Arrived @ Dealer 9/9
Redelivered 9/10 - Odometer 10mi

What went wrong... We were in Europe from 6/5 through 8/4 and were hoping to get at least a few days to experience the Alpina B6 on the autobahn. When placing the order we asked for the earliest ED date and were offered 8/3 which we locked, but because of the fuzziness in the timeline associated with the production of Alpina's we asked if BMW AG/NA would allow us to pick up the car earlier if and when its production was completed. We called the CA, NA support, AG support and Alpina numerous time to secure an earlier pick up time. Alpina was awesome and did everything they could to help, the CA tried but could not fight the BMWNA bureaucrats, BMWNA and AG were horrible and provided minimal insights on the process and show absolutely no interest in helping us. Our anger reached a peak in late July when we learned that the car was fully produced and waiting in a parking lot in Munich but BMWNA would not let us pick it up earlier because they had issued the registration effective 8.3 and would not be able to change it. We new that Welt had several available delivery slots once the vehicle was produced but neither NA nor AG wanted to help. So we took delivery on 8/3 (our flights were on the morning of 8/4) so could not even drive in Munich since the latest drop off time in Munich is 4pm!

The redelivery to the US took 5 weeks and 2 days (vehicle redelivered 9/9). So I now am finally driving my B6. The beast is still in early break-in phase (150mi) so I haven't yet fully tested but early impressions are very positive. I'm hoping that the Buchloe magic touch will help us wash away the nasty experience with BMWNA. I'll post pics and experiences shortly.

[dsad1]

On the bright side at least your car got to the U.S. quick. Sorry to hear about your troubles though.

Did you get them to transport it on the flatbed to the port? Did they at least waive the 85 euro charge?

I did ED on the 8th, and also didn't get to drive the car, but that was for personal reasons. Not because of BMW>

[avilent]

I did go for the flat bed transport and did pay the 85 EUR (not waived)

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by JimM6GC

Thanks!

As for the white, that's exactly what I thought, too. It reminded me of the picture of the frozen white one they had at Irvine. It's definitely shiny, though.

I haven't heard the exhaust from the outside, but the interior is definitely quieter. I hope to take my sound level meter with me to compare the two cars soon.

I was driving the x5m today pretty hard and was surprised how loud it was inside, then finally remembered it has active sound.

That might be the difference between the m6 and the alpina on interior sound. The m6 has active sound while the 650 doesn't.

[zoom]

Motorweek just road tested the 2016 B6. Some facts aren't correct (US cars don't get an Alpina VIN, interior leather isn't changed on US cars- just the steering wheel) but a nice review nonetheless.

Here's the print article and it'll be on the next episode of the show

http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/roa...-b6-gran-coupe

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by zoom

Motorweek just road tested the 2016 B6. Some facts aren't correct (US cars don't get an Alpina VIN, interior leather isn't changed on US cars- just the steering wheel) but a nice review nonetheless.

Here's the print article and it'll be on the next episode of the show

http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/roa...-b6-gran-coupe

Not that it really matter, but there 0-60 and quarter mile times are a little odd.

Car and driver got the 2016 650i GC RWD to 60 in 4.1 and to a quarter mile in 12.6. Odd that the AWD car didn't beat that by a bigger margin, with or without the tune.