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M6 Cabrio - e64 (2006 - ...) |
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Page 2 of 8 Muscular, sporting, elegant.
Measuring 4,871 millimetres or 191.8´´ in length, the BMW M6 Convertible is
more than 5 centimetres or 2 inches longer than the BMW 650i Convertible.
This extra length is attributable above all to the aerodynamically optimised rear
air dam giving the entire silhouette of the car an even sleeker, stretched
look. As on the Coupé, the sideline initially moves up steeply and then gently
follows the contours of the engine compartment lid. The A-pillar moved
slightly to the rear and the wide C-pillar give the closed roof a sporting and
elegant look also from the side. Fully retractable side windows merging
into one another without a visible edge or dividing line give the entire
silhouette of the car a touch of lightness, as if it were almost hovering in space.
At the rear the sideline ends in a short spoiler integrated in the rear lid and
emphasising both the entire rear sculpture and the rear lights wrapped around
the side of the car. The upper edge of the rear lights merges smoothly into
the V-shaped shoulderline extending down in a gentle curve.
Aerodynamic perfection to the last detail.
Widely flared to the outside, the side-sills give the car a very sporting,
low-slung appearance. The lift forces acting on the front axle are incidentally
also lowered even by the striking rear-view mirrors optimised in the wind
tunnel, while at the rear the most significant eye-catchers are the four exhaust
tailpipes again so typical of BMW M. The diffuser and the flaps on either side
again serve to improve the car’s aerodynamic qualities. Acting in conjunction
with the spoiler integrated in the luggage compartment lid and the smooth
underfloor, this likewise serves to reduce lift forces on the rear axle, the diffuser
at the same time ensuring a smooth flow of air from the final drive.
Compared with the BMW 650i Convertible, the light units in the bumpers
are slightly higher up and the numberplate is integrated in the rear air dam.
Thanks to their airflow contours, even the rear lights improve the car’s
aerodynamic qualities. In particular, however, they serve to enhance driving
safety with a particular effect, two-stage brake lights helping to prevent
collisions from behind: Whenever the driver applies the brakes hard, the area
illuminated in the brake lights becomes correspondingly larger, clearly
showing motorists following from behind that the driver is braking hard and
telling them to do the same. Incorporating very bright and fast-acting
light-emitting diodes not requiring any maintenance and free of wear, all other
lights at the rear of the car ensure a clear and reliable signalling effect.
Quality, not quantity: optimum mix of materials.
Combining a wonderful balance of innovative materials, the BMW M6 Convertible
offers virtually perfect weight distribution. Apart from tailored rolled blanks
keeping panel thickness at various points exactly in line with the respective
requirements, an intelligent combination of aluminium and special plastic
materials provides all the features and qualities required. One example is the
lightweight aluminium front section of the car weighing approximately 45 kilos
or 99 lb less than a conventional steel structure at the front. The next example
is the spring support bearing both the front axle and dampers and made
of pressure-cast aluminium alloy. The doors and front lid, in turn, are made of
aluminium, the front side panels of thermoplastic, the rear lid and roof
compartment lid of a sheet moulding compound (SMC). The front and rear
bumpers are made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic manufactured exclusively
at BMW’s Landshut Plant north of Munich. In this process individual layers of
carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic are applied one after the other on a core
segment, cast in resin and hardened before the core is removed. The result is
an extremely light and strong hollow profile support offering the same function,
strength and efficiency as a heavier support unit made of steel or aluminium.
Special support arms such as push and pressure rods as well as double
side-sills give this open four-seater superior body stiffness under all
conditions. A further feature exclusive to the BMW M6 Convertible is the
additional reinforcement on the underfloor. Two of the support arms
already featured on the “standard” BMW 650i Convertible have been further
reinforced, and both the front axle subframe as well as the engine supports
have been adjusted to the higher loads and forces of really dynamic motoring.
These improvements are sufficient to take the enhanced level of dynamic
performance – with an increase in engine output by 140 horsepower over the
BMW 650i Convertible – into account. The bottom line, therefore, is that
the M6 Convertible is fundamentally just as stiff and resistant to vibrations as
an extremely strong and sturdy two-seater roadster, and at the same
time offers optimum vibration comfort and a very high standard of safety
in a collision.
With unladen weight (according to the EU standard) of 2,005 kilos or 4,421 lb,
the BMW M6 Convertible weighs 220 kilos or 485 lb more than its fixed roof
high-performance counterpart from BMW M. The reason for this difference
lies almost entirely in the roof structure – while the BMW M6 Convertible
“only” has a softtop, this also means a strong and sturdy bar structure and an
electric motor to open and close the roof. Compared with the BMW 650i
Convertible, however, the M6 Convertible is just 80 kilos or 176 lb heavier,
since the engineers at BMW M have succeeded in almost completely setting
off the extra weight of the more powerful engine and ensuring a harmonious
balance of weight. As a result, the BMW M6 Convertible boasts axle
load distribution of almost 50 : 50, that is very close to a perfect balance.
Maximum safety, even in a rollover.
Benefiting from its stable body structure, the BMW M6 Convertible meets the
highest standards also in terms of passive safety. Ultra-strong bearing arms
use their full deformation length at both front and rear for optimum safety and
protection at all times. The entire front end structure is designed to give
the car’s occupants optimum safety in a collision, the intelligent combination
of high- and ultra-high-strength steel, aluminium, thermoplastics,
and SMC also serving to enhance the car’s safety qualities. As an example,
two V-shaped extrusion-pressed aluminium bars in the doors significantly
reduce the risk and extent of intrusion in a collision from the side.
The windscreen frame is made of profile sections optimised through interior
high-pressure moulding to withstand maximum loads. Together with
the A-pillars made of high-strength steel and the rollbars behind the rear
headrests, the windscreen forms the basic structure and configuration
providing a safe passenger compartment also in the event of a collision.
Tailored rolled blanks on the rear bulkhead, on the seat supports and
longitudinal arms strengthen the body panels at all points where loads and
forces flow into the body. High-strength steel, in turn, reinforces the side
panels inside, in the middle, and in the extension of the side-sills leading out to
the front. The rollover safety system made of a high-strength aluminium alloy,
finally, extends across almost the entire width of the car, incorporating an extrastrong
crossbar, holding the rollbars as such in position, and serving in
conjunction with the bulkhead in the body-in-white to enhance body stiffness.
In the event of a rollover, the rollbars move up within fractions of a second from
a module behind the rear seat headrests and rest firmly in position, held in
place by positive engagement. Proper activation of the rollbars is ensured by
Advanced Safety Electronics (ASE), instantaneously moving up the rollbars
and tightening the belt latch tensioners as a function of the wheels resting
firmly or possibly losing their touch on the road. This initiates the safety
function required even before the car as such has moved to a potentially
dangerous angle. Should the car not roll over, the belt latch tensioners
are deactivated and the rollbars return automatically to their initial position.
ASE: optimum protection at exactly the right time.
The safety belts on all four seats come with belt force limiters, the integrated
restraint systems on the front seats also feature belt latch tensioners.
The reinforced front seat backrests, in turn, smoothly convey forces and loads
to the floorpan of the car. The upper belt pivot point is connected to
the headrest and thus adjusts perfectly to the body size of the respective
passenger, ensuring optimum belt geometry and an ideal belt angle.
Both the driver and front passenger are protected by two-stage front airbags
adjusted in volume to the severity of an accident. Additional airbags at the side
serve to reduce the risk of injury on chest and hip level. All safety components
are enhanced in their action by BMW’s innovative Advanced Safety
Electronics (ASE), a networked airbag control system featuring lightwave
conductors and decentralised satellites for precise recognition of crash
conditions and quick, target-oriented activation of the car’s restraint systems.
These superior safety qualities are finally supplemented by BMW Assist
sending out an automatic or manual emergency call in the event of an accident.
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