[dNA3D]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up before, but we all very well know that the M6 has a different exhaust setup compared to the M5. There are also theories that the M5 engine is severely restricted by the exhausts... so my question is, could the different exhaust system on the M6 account for the ridiculously quick numbers test magazines have been getting? Could the M6 have more power than the M5 to begin with, simply because of its exhaust system? :haha: :thumbsup:

:M5launch:

 

[Ashok Arora]

I suspect that the exhaust manifolds are the same but the rear section may be tuned for a better sound & more airflow.

Perhaps they've fiddled with the ECU on the M6 to make it a more sporty drive compared to the M5.

 

[Gustav]

Another exhaust would not explain the better performance numbers.

 

[Anglas]

Exhausts I make assumption are the same on both cars, but the fraction of a margin that M6 wins over M5 is weight. M6 lighter

 

[Gustav]

Good answer:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=562005&postcount=5

 

[Gorilla Beast]

Maybe this is why the M6 seems to be more powerful?

This is a paraphrase from Motor Trend July 2005 issue M6 "first drive" article pages 52-57. There is a track impression which made up almost half of this article in which i left out.

The M6 is all the M5 is and more. The powertrains are identical. The M6 edges ahead not with extra muscle but with reduced mass. Up top is a roof made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFP), a material BMW first employed on the noggin of the limited-edition M3 CSL. Compared with the conventional steel roof on the 645Ci, the M6's carbon top is 55% lighter. Perhaps more important, it lowers the car's center of gravity by nearly half an inch.

Specially developed 19" forged aluminum wheels save nearly 4 pounds per corner over comparable rims, BMW says. The M6 also wears side panels and a rear deck made of lightweight fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The bumpers are made of the same exotic CFP as the roof, reducing weight over conventional designs, BMW claims, by 20 percent up front and 40 percent in back. The combined effect of the M6's more svelte design and its lightweight pieces means its V10 has roughly 275 fewer pounds to lug around than the M5's. At the same time, the M6's chassis can cut and parry more easily thanks to a CG nearly 2 inches lower than its four door sibling's.

Base price $92,000 US est.
curb weight 3800lbs (mfgr)
0-60mph 4.6 sec (mfgr est)
EPA city/hwy 14/20 mpg (est)
on sale Spring 2006 in USA
The cabrio is estimated to be 200lbs heavier than the coupe but otherwise mirror it. I should be north of $100K available est. fall 2007.

 

[bernhtp]

The cabrio is estimated to be 200lbs heavier than the coupe but otherwise mirror it.

200lbs is a relatively small penalty for the cabrio. This is surprising given the 645 cabrio adds about 350lbs over the coupe, and this is before factoring in the M6's CF roof, which should magnify the difference by another 50lbs. I'm skeptical until I hear details about a new approach with new technology.

Tom