So yesterday I had an opportunity to drive my friends low mileage 07 M6 convertible and then my 05 STR on the same roads yesterday.

At least while my car's engine was still not hot it "felt" quicker at times but it's pretty hard to argue with the test numbers of the BMW. My wife was yelling at me so the Jag must have been doing OK! The 500hp just didn't feel overwhelmingly more powerful in that car. Great sound when you open it up though especially in a rag top. The steering was far superior to the Jags too. No comparison. Better weighting, feel and a quicker ratio. I guess the chassis felt more planted as well though the Jag isn't too bad either. Of course we're talking about a $110K car versus a $55K car. His is a six speed manual (nice!) and he just got it this year with 32K miles on it for $50K. There is not much room in one of those cars though. Useless back seats. The dash and trimming is very nice and not too damn busy with a light colored burl. I guess it's a lot of car for $50K but it is two passenger, weighs 4,400lbs and sucks gas much worse than the STR. I think I might get tired of the 18-19 mpg on the highway. At 400 less in weight I'll bet the coupe feels a lot quicker. The Jag supercharged engine is pretty damn fun too.

Coupe review: 2006 BMW M6 - Road Test - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

Specs: http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezfl...5b0e630824.pdf

Convertible review:2007 BMW M6 Convertible - First Drive Review - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

 

All 413 lb/ft of an STR's torque is available at a low 3200 rpm, whilst the M6 must spool-up to 6100+ rpm for 385 lb/ft. With its 400 pounds less weight, an STR given an engine warm-over plus an LSD with 3:45:1 gears...bye bye M6.

 

Are you sure you were getting the full 500 hp?

 

Does the M6 have settings that need overriding to get the full HP? Are they easy to navigate and few?

 

I just got into a running car and drove it for 15 minutes guys. We were on country roads so nothing over 60 mph or a chance to run it at high rpms which I think is where that engine likes to live. It certainly didn't feel as omnipotent as the new Gallardo I drove in January. The interior room was about the same except that you can throw a couple soft bags or limbless people in the back seat of this car. Handles and steers very nicely. What a waste of a car (same for the STR) in the uber urban area where I live. Driving in the eastern half of New Jersey pretty much sucks.

 

Last year, Phillip, the owner of Eurotech Designs took me for a ride in his V10 M5 on the Bronx River Parkway. The normally aspirated heavy breathing-high winding characteristics of the V10 doesn't make it a low-end torque monster as is the STR. On a cool day my warmed-over STR will take it through the 1/4 mile. Thereafter the M's V-10 begins its chores. Phil thrashed her through the curves for a few minutes, etc. Definitely a canyon carver; as she remained flat and sharp through the twisting hilly roads of the Bronx River Parkway. Approx. 15 minutes into thrashing her, the manualated-auto box "Clutch Overheating" warning light lit up and he had to park her to let her cool down. The V-10 was basically quiet in the low speeds, then sung on the other end of the speed spectrum...not the V-8 sound I prefer, but a different world non the less. As I mentioned earlier; given an LSD with 3:45 gears, a warmed over STR will take out a stock V-10 M to 120 mph.

 

Bob,

That was an interesting comparison and it looks like the STR acquitted itself rather well considering the price difference. A fairer comparison would have been between the BMW M6 and the new XKR. They have about the same hp although the XKR is quite a bit lighter.

Mike

 

Last year I drove the 470HP XJ sedan and a 510HP XFR on the track at a Jaguar event. I really liked the XJ as a car. I'm not as big a fan of the XF. Neither of these cars had the steering feel or chassis security that the M6 convertible did.
But they felt a lot more powerful because of all the low end torque.

I have an old 4L Lamborghini with a V12 in it and it likes to sing between 5-8K.
It's horrible down low compared with my similar vintage Maserati V8 which is 4.9L but redlines at 6K. Consequently the Maserati is just a much quicker car in the real world. I think the BMW suffers from the same fate. But it's no slouch either.

Such f'ng choices eh?

 

The 6 series is ugly beyond belief. Yuck!

 

Thanks, Bob.

(wanders off, muttering jealously)

 

LOL! I can both picture and share your humility jagv8. Here we are, basically driving old Jags whilst Bob is living la vida.

 

Now it may sound that way but some truth in advertising here ...

My friend is the one living la vida. He's just generous enough to let me sample his cars a bit at times. I drove his Ferrari Daytona, Lamborghini Miura, Porsche Carrera convertible and went for a ride in his 66 Mustang convertible all in one afternoon once. Now that was an afternoon!

Intermission for the drool & slobber janitorial crew to mop up.

My vintage Maserati & Lamborghini are both non operational at the moment. The Maserati is a long term project as I drove that one for 40K miles over about 15 years had a lot of fun but it's on a real back burner at this point in time. The Lamborghini arrived with plenty of issues and age. It's getting it's fussy magnesium alloy wheels restored (buy me) at the moment. It's not like I have a fleet of exotic cars and have only to decide which I will drive each afternoon. Also, the Jag is a much better "car" than any of them but we're comparing 1971 and 1977 technology to 21st century technology. Those were super cars back in the 1970s. Those and my friends collection are all slower and don't handle as well as the STR.

Also I "HAVE" to do all the work on my cars whereas my friend washes, waxes and sometimes changes the oil in his cars. He has very large mechanic's bills at times.

 

Just sounds so cool that you own or have access to vintage metal Bob. We become enthralled in the new technology till we're bored, then the cycle begins again with renewed interest in the old tech and styling. My first autos were a 1966 Volkswagon Beetle, then 65 and 66 Ford Mustang coupes.

 

I believe it is in 400 hp mode unless the M button is pressed, or the driver programs the car to be in Sport Plus mode upon startup. Something to that effect.

Love the M5/M6. Wish BMW didn't have to make them so complicated with all the diff/trans/engine settings. I also hear the paddle shifters are not very good in auto mode.

 

I don't know about any of that. I can subtly ask the next time I speak with him. Maybe I was getting the parking valet treatment? I kind of doubt it though. He was showing me his new toy and it's impressive engine. But I never even touched the I-Drive control or even looked at the dash all that much.

I was a 6 speed manual. That wouldn't work very well where I live but out in the rural countryside it's very nice.

 

Yeah, I can imagine lots of people feeling sorry for me driving an old S-Type R.

(or not!)

 

10-4 on that jagv8. Yesterday I was watching outside my office window as two town employees were gauking at my STR...An 03 STR still drawing attention made me feel proud.

 

This is funny that you posted this. I was driving to meet some friends 2 weeks ago and was playing with an M6 coupe for about 15 miles. We were talking and showing what we had for that whole time. Depending on the launch and the speed we were starting depended on who etched who. He would get me at the higher speeds and slowly etch away from me and I would get him from a dig or the lower speeds and etch ahead of him. He had an auto with the paddle shifters which is what he was using and I was switching between the Jgate and just Drive. He did have an exhaust and I have a Mafioso intake other then that we were both stock. Very cool guy and dang did that V10 sound sweet with that exhaust. I think the guys are right about the torque helping the STR cause when we would do the slower speeds it did seem like I got a better launch then him. Should go up to his work cause like myself he just moved here then I can have a BMW friend.

 

The M6 is a beast above 80mph. I have had the pleasure of driving an M5 and i agree that the transmission settings and the "M" button are a bit much. A well driven M5/M6 coupe will fender race a base model Viper. Based on the fact that all the numbers show that a v10 M out runs an S-type R by roughly a second and 8 mph in the 1/4 mile im going to have to respectfully disagree with that assessment. Its all about those pain in the *** settings. Fun stuff tho! Somebody get this guy a video camera!!

 

Read this again https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...69/#post373816

I don't know what he had it "set to" or if it's even possible to tune it down a bit. But based upon the cars weight 4,400 lbs and the engines torque plus where it makes it's horsepower I can understand how it felt not so omnipotent on the run we made that day. I've spent plenty of time on the track with Vipers, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and late model Z06 Corvettes and this particular BMW has no chance has no chance with that bunch on a track with any sort of talent section (turns) because you need that torque coming out of the turns. Vipers do surprisingly well with a good pilot given what a rough beast they really are. That's been born out in pro racing.

I don't engage in "fender" or "street" challenges because I know that even in the most optimistic situation there's a high likelihood of one of us getting a ticket. Maybe in Nevada, Montana or Wyoming in the right spot and time.

Not where I live now!

I think that BMW engine is a high end breather and probably would be fantastic on roads like that or the Autobahn. Everyone should drive on the fast sections of the Autobahn at least once. Americans should be required! It might cure that left-lane-itis we suffer from over here.