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Aug 18, 2023

Why Buying A V10 BMW M6 Right Now Can Make A Lot Of Sense

The E63 BMW M6 is infamous for its Bangle butt, engine issues and other problems. It's relatively cheap for now, but its value may rise later Styling is undeniably one of the main aspects of a

The E63 BMW M6 is infamous for its Bangle butt, engine issues and other problems. It's relatively cheap for now, but its value may rise later

Styling is undeniably one of the main aspects of a vehicle. It may not matter if a car has a V10 engine underneath, if people perceive it as unpleasing to the eyes. This is especially true with luxury cars, such as the E63 generation of the BMW M6. Due to some styling issues, this M car is receiving some hate from BMW fans, despite having an awesome BMW V10 mill under its hood. Interestingly, buying an M6 now makes a lot of sense, according to Tyler Hoover of Hoovies Garage channel on YouTube.

Known for his so-called suicidal purchases because of the high risk usually involved, Tyler recently bought a 2006 BMW M6. He knows this could be a risky purchase, especially since the E63 M6 – spanning from 2006 to 2011 model years – has a lot of haters. But those haters may find themselves loving the high-performance BMW car, especially when they buy it now.

At first glance, the design of the E63 BMW M6 may look fine. However, to most BMW fans and many car owners who were familiar with the automaker’s vehicles, the E63 M6 has one huge styling flaw – it was a product of the so-called Bangle butt design. Bangle butt typically refers to the design philosophy of the BMW vehicles penned during the tenure of Chris Bangle, the automaker’s former chief designer. He is responsible for some of BMW best as well as worst designs.

As its name explicitly reveals, “Bangle butt” got its name from the unusual rear end design of certain BMW models that were penned during the time of the beleaguered former chief designer. The Bangle butt featured a rear end with a bulging and protruding deck lid, high trunk lines, pronounced rear fenders, and distinctive rear light arrangements. This design started with the BMW E65 7 Series, and continued with the E60 5 Series and E63 6 Series (including the M6).

What looked so right and beautiful to the eyes of BMW designers at the time appeared so wrong and ugly with the driving public. Even BMW fans until today found the Bangle butt design so polarizing and controversial.

RELATED: Here's Why Gearheads Should Avoid The E63 BMW M6

While the Bangle butt design was the main culprit for the undesirable status of the E63 BMW M6, it wasn’t alone. Tyler Hoover noted the various issues regarding BMW's 500-hp S85 V10 engine – including its VANOS variable valve timing system, throttle actuators, and rod bearings – and the SMG system. This potent engine, however, is also the main source of unreliability, with various related system seemingly failing while the car is running.

For instance, issues with the VANOS variable valve timing system can result in rough idling and engine misfires. Problems with the throttle actuator may cause power drop and drivability issues. Moreover, the rod bearings of the S85 engine may prematurely wear, resulting in reduced power, engine knocking, and possible engine failure.

BMW fitted the E63 M6 with Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG). It is essentially an automated manual transmission with the gear shifting done automatically, thanks to hydraulic actuators and control modules. Unlike automatic transmissions with planetary gear assemblies, automated manual transmission like the SMG feature constant mesh gears. Because of the complexity and nonlinear character of this system, there could be issues such as gear engagement problems and rough shifting.

RELATED: BMW Z4 Gets Monstrous S85 V10 Engine Swap

Aside from issues involving the E63 M6’s engine and transmission electrical components, there were also problems with its cooling system and fuel pump. When summed up, the issues were making the E63 M6 undesirable, and Tyler said he may have to shell out thousands of dollars just to fix the rod bearings alone. Sales and auction sites seldom have E63 M6 on sale, and if they have some available, the price would be between $9,000 and $32,000, according to truecar.com. Tyler revealed the cost of purchasing an E63 M6 in very good condition: $27,000. This is how undesirable the E63 M6 is, until now.

However, this means that now might be the best time to purchase an E63 M6. Even Tyler believes so. Its undesirable looks and problematic mechanicals are reasons for its relatively low price in the market. Someday, however, the E63 M6 will become a classic. When that day arrives, the E63 M6 will soar in value, and those who purchased them now could turn this undesirable BMW car into a profit.

Source: Hoovies Garage on YouTube, BMWBlog, truecar.com, x-engineer.org

Julybien Atadero writes from the island of Cebu covering various automotive topics including new sports cars, classic muscles, pickup trucks and SUVs. While I like peace and quiet, I love playing with my kid. When I have nothing else to do, I watch documentaries and animations.