By John Lamm
There was already much to like about BMW’s latest-generation 6-series, and for 2014, the Bavarians have added a special-edition 6er and more of the equipment we love. While the car’s primary objective has been cruising the likes of Newport Beach, South Beach, and Greenwich in style, BMW has added another M-branded 6-series to the lineup for 2014 in the M6 Gran Coupe. But the new-for-2014 performance goodies don’t end there. The brand now offers all three M6s—Gran Coupe, coupe, and convertible—with a homegrown six-speed manual and carbon-ceramic brakes.A no-cost option over the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the manual will provide automatic rev matching on downshifts so long as the car’s drive-mode selector is set to Efficient or Sport. Select Sport Plus and you’ll be left to match revs yourself. In addition to their well-documented stopping power, the carbon-ceramic brakes knock off 42.8 pounds of unsprung weight and, to impress the neighbors, have gold-painted calipers.
- Comparison Test: 2012 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro vs. 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupe
- First Drive: 2013 BMW 6-series Gran Coupe
- Rendered: 2014 BMW M6 Grand Coupe
But if exclusivity, rather than outright performance, is what will impress the neighbors, you might consider the Frozen Brilliant White edition 650i convertible. Just 100 of these special editions will be made. The name would refer, of course, to the matte exterior finish, while the side-mirror caps, the grille, and the 20-inch aluminum-wheel accents are done in matte Frozen Black, while the ragtop is just black. The Nappa leather interior also is finished in black, and accented by Gray Poplar wood trim. The Frozen Brilliant White edition will be the first BMW stateside to arrive with the brand’s Dynamic Digital Instrument Cluster, which sees instrumentation alter “personalities” based on which drive mode is selected. There’s the choice of sDrive rear-wheel drive or xDrive all-wheel drive, with xDrive adding the Cold Weather package, which includes heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Included in all 100 editions are the Executive and M Sport packages, the latter not making this a full M6, but adding items like an aero kit and an M steering wheel. Exclusivity, as is said, comes at a price, and the price for this one-of-100 650i convertible is $106,695, or $110,095 for xDrive models.
