I have a bit of a thing for Merc SECs too, not least this rather magnificent 6.0-litre AMG widebody one a colleague alerted me too lately. No price sadly but if it's the real thing I'd expect it to be as burly as the looks.
So if a Porsche is too predictable but you want something that actually handles too the choices are limited. And then I remembered the E24 BMW 6-Series. A much younger Dan would, on occasion, visit the posher car dealerships in North Yorkshire and amass piles of catalogues. I can remember Vauxhall ones from the local place, all velour seats and exotic options like power operated mirrors and built-in cassette players. The prized ones were from the BMW dealership though, these beautifully presented brochures offering something way more exotic than any Cavalier pricelist - even the SRI section.
I wasn't really old enough to appreciate the subtleties but I could tell there was something a bit special about these BMWs and the top of the tree back in the day was the 6-Series. It's aged well too, those low-slung lines, the classic long bonnet with its distinctive shark nose and – of course – the prominent Hofmeister kink in its delicate glasshouse the perfect distillation of BMW styling cues. I don't think the BMW design language has ever been better expressed.
It's as good looking beneath the skin too – is there a better under-bonnet view than that of a throttle-bodied BMW straight-six? Let's face it, if you're going to do the E24 6-Series it may as well be the most potent of the bunch - the rare M635i, commonly referred to as the M6 and blessed with a version of the legendary M88 motor built for the M1 and shared with the E28 M5. What a motor it is too; 286hp is a decent wedge of power even in this day and age and the M6 could hit 60mph in little over six seconds. Hot hatch pace these days but carried off with considerable more style and character, I'd argue.
I love the cabin too; that simple wheel with its flash of M branding on the lower spoke, the centre console angled into the driver, the finely balanced combination of clean functionality and just a hint of 80s opulence in the subtle ruching of the grey leather. I've never driven one but there's little wrong with the ingredients of that gorgeous engine, a manual transmission and some tactfully beefed up suspension and brakes. OK, it's not a sports car per se. But it's definitely at the sportier end of the GT spectrum. And I want one.
Prices seem to be hardening too, but not daft. I found a couple for mid to high 30s, which is about entry level for equivalently aged G-series 911 Carreras. Much as I love Porsches I think this is somehow a classier and more refined choice though, and just as fast. This one has a full and interesting history and just 78,000 miles on the clock. But this Highline model at the same dealer with its Alpina wheels is the one for me – the dark chrome tones down the chintz and makes it look nicely sinister. One underrated 80s classic I'd very much love to own…
BMW
635i
Dan Trent
