Sunday afternoon drives are a tradition for motoring hacks keen to put a few miles on a test car and escape omnibus Eastenders or back-to-back Little House on the Prairie. Last Sunday was no different.
Well, slightly. Spanish taxpayers footed the bill for the ultra-smooth roads, a wealthy Dutch car fan - owner of Ascari racing - provided the secluded racetrack and BMW provided the car. And what a car.
Last Sunday was spent trying to prevent an M6 from melting our driving licence. The regular 6-Series is powerful as it is in 645Ci format. This, with its discreet touches, is truly awesome.
The new M6, due in Ireland in October with prices from about €140,000 to €160,000, shares the same naturally-aspirated 5-litre V10 powerplant as the M5.
Pushing out 507bhp and revving to 8,250rpm, it hits 100km/h (62mph) in 6.4 seconds with a regulated top speed of 255km/h (159mph), though on the track we did see the digital read-out hit 270km/h (168mph), and the rev counter showed there was more in the engine. Estimates put the top speed at about 330km/h (205mph).
However, figures belie the sheer power available at the slightest tickle of the throttle. They also fail to get across a much more important point: what it's like behind the wheel when you call up that power.
The M6's beauty is that, unlike some competitors, there's no bare-knuckle ride at high speeds. Porsche's 911, its main rival, may be more tightly packaged and less influenced by electronic gadgetry, but we know which car we'd want weaving around a race track or on a country road in the rain.
Of course, if you switch off the stability control things get a little hairy. But you don't need to switch it off for the sort of sporting raw handling most owners desire. For all its high performance, the aim is to create a road-going racing car that's easy for even the first-timer to handle. With this in mind, there's a variation on the power output. Starting up, 400bhp is available; the full 507- bhp punch doesn't kick in until you hit a 'power' button.
Several uniquely M features are included on the new M6. These include an adjustable Electronic Damper Control (EDC) offering three settings ranging from relative comfort (it's a performance car on 19-inch alloys and low-profile tyres after all) to firm and taut.
Another feature is the seven-speed SMG semi-automatic gearbox. It adjusts to driver behaviour and features launch-control, which keeps revs to a maximum for those wanting a racing start. It's controlled either through a stubby gearstick or well-positioned paddles on the steering wheel.
All the electronic features that allow you to personalise the drive and handling can be switched on at the touch of the M-button on the steering wheel. They can also be adjusted through the MDrive menu in the iDrive system, so you can tailor the package to suit your needs, putting it into action through the M-button when you want.
Thankfully the electronics involved don't neutralise the driving characteristics. Part of its controlled handling is due to the use of carbon fibre on the roof. First seen on the limited production M3 CSL, its use on the roof reduces weight high up, thus lowering the car's centre of gravity.
The problem, if there is one, is that it's so confident at speed, comfortably cruising at 200km/h (124mph) without the sort of steadiness you find in others at 80km/h (50mph).
The only other problem the 15 or 20 annual buyers may find is that they can never leave home without their fuel card. If petrol companies still gave out plates and cups to regular customers, they'd all be able to open their own china shops within months. The M6 is thirsty.
After a 150km spin to the track we needed a fill-up before going on the circuit, again during the test sessions and then a top-up before we headed home. BMW claims a combined consumption of 14.8 litres per 100km, but we reckon the figure would more normally be in the mid-20s. So fuel consumption and penalty points aside, BMW has a real winner on its hands.
