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Talk Me Out Of It: BMW Gran Coupe Edition

It's a battle of BMW Gran Coupes as an old M6 takes on an 840i. The 8 is newer, but the M is cheaper (and faster). Which is best?

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Try as I might, it seems there’s no fooling you – 63% say the E46 M3 is the one true king. But how far does your M loyalty lie? How much is that badge truly worth? Let’s find out by pitting an M6 Gran Coupe against a newer 840i.

Not as easy as you might think.

2020 8 Series 840i xDrive Gran Coupe vs 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe

See the 840i Gran Coupe listing

See the M6 Gran Coupe listing

Let’s talk about BMW’s F generation of cars. They’ve reached that weird point where they look and feel dated (some more than others), but they are still too young to be considered classics. This can make them attainable. That’s especially true for this 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe.

And F cars are still fast, especially the M5 and M6. These guys had the S63 V-8 with 560 horsepower, and they get to 60 faster than a current M4 in base form.

What’s not to love?

2014 BMW M6 GRAN COUPE

m6
Photo: CarMax

Well, let’s take a peak:

  • $42,998. Wow, that’s like, almost $100k off the price when new, man.
  • 59,000 miles. No accidents, two owners.
  • The worst color combination ever. Black over brown two-tone leather, and a wood dash?
  • Speaking of, those seats and steering wheel are seriously cracked and weathered for such a low mileage count.
  • The S63 is not the most reliable of BMW engines if not properly cared for. You can get the CarMax warranty with it.
  • This does have carbon ceramics!
  • De-badge the CarMax sticker immediately

I won’t lie to you, I think you lose a lot of practicality over an M5 for nothing much. It’s really just as nice inside, and I think the F10 looks great in its own way.

Anyway, this M6 does look a bit dated, no? So let’s see what else we can find for that price.

2020 8 Series 840i xDrive Gran Coupe

Hear me out – this car doesn’t lose that much in the performance department. Looks way better too.

840i-xdrive
Photo: CarFax
  • $48,995
  • 54,059 miles
  • Yummy Carbon Black over an interesting black/red interior
  • Again with the heavily worn seats and wheel. Please, wash your hands.
  • The benefits of a G-chassis car
  • No accidents, one owner
  • It’s no slouch, getting to 60 in 4.7 seconds.

Yea, this car is just traffic, but it’s good lookin‘ traffic. Perfect daily, more reliable, better on gas, more features than the M6…daddy like.

A grand battle of coupes

m8
You probably want the M8…

The 8 Series has not sold well, and I don’t think BMW is going to bring it back, which would explain why they are depreciating faster than that bracelet your ex-boyfriend gave you last Christmas. But a popular car doesn’t mean it’s a good one – the 8 Series provides everything you might need, with more style than its G 5 Series counterpart.The B58 inline-six should give you no trouble, it’s decent on fuel, and has a clean history.

See? I can bring you good stuff sometimes.

The M6? Well, it’s faster, and cheaper…as in cheaper today. BMW engines are not crap, but this car is nearly ten years old, so who knows if it’s one turn away from making a glorious mess of your driveway. The CarMax warranty might be a Godsend here.

Despite all that (and after a really good detailing), I’m not sure about it. That brown on brown on brown (we heard you like brown!) interior, that wood trim – it’s a lot to look at every day.

So, what say you? The newer, nicer, more practical BMW? Or the trouble maker with poopy stains inside?

You know what to do…

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