One of the more unique BMWs of the modern-ish era was the E63-generation (not to be confused with the AMG) BMW M6. For starters, its Bangle-era looks were interesting and even a bit odd, it was never actually a universally loved design. However, what made it so unique was its engine — a 5.0 liter naturally-aspirated V10. With such a high-strung, motorsport-inspired engine, is the BMW M6 worth buying as a daily driver?
In this new video from DriveTribe, we get to take a look at the E63 M6 and its V10 engine (codenamed “S85”) and whether it’s a good daily driver. It has a lot of the ingredients to be a great daily (so long as you don’t have children) but can it put them all together to make a properly good recipe?
It all starts under the hood. The 5.0 liter V10 makes 500 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, or at least that’s how much it made when it was new. Current used examples may have lost quite a few ponies over the years. That engine is the make-or-break component of the M6 and the number one reason why you should either buy it or not.
The engine itself is a joy to use. It revs past 8,000 rpm, makes an incredible noise, and has 500 horsepower. However, there’s one major reason as to why you’d want to hold off on buying an E63 BMW M6 — reliability, or lack thereof. S85 engines are known for eating their rod bearings which, if not caught in time, will grenade the engine’s internals. Bye bye, S85. Rod bearings are expensive to replace, as the entire bottom end of the engine needs to come down and, considering E63 M6s have become so cheap, that replacement cost can be almost half of what you paid for the car. No wonder they’ve become cheap…
So is it wise to get an E63 BMW M6 as a daily driver? Check the video and find out.
