The new BMW M6 Convertible

The new BMW M6 Convertible Contents 1. The BMW M6 Convertible: Introduction 2. Exterior and Interior 3. Market and History 4. Drivetrain 5. Chassis 6. Safety 7. Standard equipment 8. Optional equipment 9. Technical specifications 10. Torque curves

1. The BMW M6 Convertible : Introduction

BMW's fastest ever soft-top, the new BMW M6 Convertible, takes centre stage at
the British International Motor Show. On sale in September 2006 and powered by
BMW's multi-award-winning 5.0-litre V10 engine, the new M6 Convertible brings
the joy of open-topped motoring to BMW's M6 űber-Coupé.

With an engine that takes its inspiration from Formula One, the new BMW M6
Convertible promises owners one of the fastest open-top cars available. But
the M6 Convertible is more than a one-trick pony. It is officially powered by
the best engine in the world. Its V10 powerplant has been awarded the coveted
International Engine of the Year title for the second successive year - a first
in the history of the awards.

The new car also heralds the first time an M version of a BMW 6 Series
Convertible has been built and three examples of this new car take pride of
place in the BMW Group Plaza at the British International Motor Show.

See download for table for table of perfrmoance data and cost.

Drivetrain:
Powered by a 4,999cc V10 engine developing 507hp, the M6 Convertible engine is
a technical tour de force. Using BMW's innovative Bi-VANOS variable valve
technology and individual throttle butterflies on each of the engine's 10
cylinders for optimum breathing, the M6 Convertible delivers true supercar
performance. The 0-62mph sprint is achieved in 4.8 seconds before going on to
an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. Unchecked, the car could
continue to a top speed approaching 200mph.

Managing the engine's operation is the MS S65 engine management system, the
most advanced electronic control unit ever fitted to a car. Capable of up to
200 million individual calculations per second - a record for a production car
- the unit, along with associated electronic components, monitors the entire
operation of the engine from throttle inputs to exhaust gas management. Other
innovations include engine oil pumps designed to operate despite the high
g-forces generated by the M6 Convertible, a unique exhaust construction that
improves engine efficiency and the extensive use of lightweight materials that
save weight.

Power is fed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox
(SMG) with Drivelogic - the world's first such transmission and one that has
already seen service in the BMW M5 and the M6 Coupé. The SMG system's
Drivelogic function offers the driver a choice of 11 different gear change
options - five in auto mode and six in manual mode - each offering a different
speed of gearshift. On its fastest setting, the driver of an M6 Convertible can
make gear changes in just 50 milliseconds - a much faster time than could be
achieved by an experienced driver using a conventional manual gear box.

Lightweight Design:
The new BMW M6 Convertible showcases many lightweight materials that reduce
unsprung weight, thereby improving ride and handling while minimising
consumption and emissions figures. Thermoplastic front wings and Sheet Moulding
Compound, another form of hi-tech plastic, form the boot lid and spoiler, and
reduce unwanted mass. The use of lightweight aluminium components throughout
the car saves further weight while retaining the same levels of strength
offered by heavier steel.

In comparison to a standard 6 Series Convertible, the M-variant has revised
front, side and rear bodywork for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and to help
engine cooling. BMW M's signature quad exhaust pipes protrude from the restyled
rear valance. The M6 Convertible also features a triple-layered hood with a
middle component of polyurethane (PUR) foam for the most refined closed-roof
driving. The hood has also been designed so that the roof-up profile has a near
identical silhouette as the M6 Coupé.

Chassis;
Even with its soft-top configuration, the M6 Convertible offers one of the most
rigid chassis available. BMW's renowned Variable M differential, used on all
current BMW M cars, ensures the BMW M6 Convertible offers the driver the
highest levels of traction and stability. The Variable M differential permits
up to 100 per cent of drive to be fed to a single rear wheel to optimise
traction. In its optimum MDynamic Mode, as a part of the Dynamic Stability
Control system, it permits a greater degree of wheel slip for safe and exciting
driving.

BMW's familiar double joint strut front axle is used on the M6 Convertible,
while, at the rear, an integral axle with longitudinal arms with springs and
dampers feature. In common with all previous BMW M developed cars, the BMW M6
Convertible is fitted with a hydraulically assisted rack and pinion steering.
For ease of driving and manoeuvrability at slow speeds, the steering system is
supplemented by BMW's Servotronic speed-proportional steering system.

Safety:
The BMW M6 Convertible offers the highest standards of passive safety.
A-pillars made of high-strength steel and rollbars behind the rear headrests
form a top-level safety cell in the event of a rollover. Active rear seat head
restraints also pop-up in extreme circumstances should the Dynamic Stability
Control system detect an imminent rollover to provide the optimum occupant
protection. The M6 Convertible is designed with deformable body panels to
absorb impact energy while high strength steel is used at key points of the
chassis to prevent any intrusions into the passenger compartment.

Fitted as standard with four airbags, the driver's and front seat passenger's
intelligent airbags offer two-stage deployment, depending on severity of
impact. The safety belts on all four seats come with belt force limiters and
the integrated restraint systems on the front seats also feature belt latch
tensioners.

The M6 Convertible is also equipped with Adaptive Headlights as standard. This
innovative system turns the car's headlights in relation to steering input by
up to 15 degrees when cornering. As a result, the direction the car is
travelling is illuminated for greater nighttime visibility. The M6 Convertible
is further equipped with Brake Force Display and Head-up Display. The former
illuminates additional lights at the rear during heavy braking to warn other
road users, while the latter system displays speed, navigation, cruise control
settings and check control messages in the driver's line of sight for safer
driving.

With no spare wheel and tyre, the M6 Convertible features BMW's Tyre Puncture
Warning System (TPWS) and a second generation M Mobility System (MMS). The
former gives an audible and visual warning if a loss of tyre pressure is
detected, while the latter provides the driver with a get-you-home method of
tyre repair.

Market and history:
The M6 Convertible is unique - it is BMW's first ever M-badged high performance
6 Series Convertible and comes to the market at a time when demand for soft-top
cars has never been greater. In 1993 UK car buyers bought 22,510 soft-top
vehicles, while in 2005 108,618 convertibles were sold.

The UK has traditionally been the third largest worldwide market for M-cars and
the second largest European market for soft-tops. The introduction of the M6
Convertible is, therefore, a logical step for BMW. The M6 Convertible promises
to be one of BMW's most exclusive cars and, in its first full year, BMW UK
expects to sell 150 cars.