1987 BMW M6

1987 BMW M6 Coupe The M doctors were called over to the high volume production car side a few years ago when BMW's image was suffering from anemia both here and in Europe. The company had been sliding further and further away from the philosophy of highly charged drivers' cars-the philosophy that put it on the map in the sixties and seventies. The managers in Munich decided that the patient needed an emergency injection of red hot performance corpuscles to set things right. Car and Driver, July 1987  For consignment, a 1987 BMW M6 coupe showing 74,675 miles, but the true miles are unknown. In 1987, the M6 contained a boatload of unique enhancements that would set in motion a performance trajectory for BMW M-series cars for years to come, causing Car and Driver to refer to the M6  as the grandfather of the modern M car. This is one of just 1,767 produced for the American market.  Exterior Prominent and distinctive is the rear canted grille, known in BMW circles as the shark nose, covering 6-series cars from '76 to '89, and it gives way to a long, lean body with rounded edges to include the decklid, here straightened by a full width rear spoiler. While we're back here, we take note of the offset dual exhaust tips under the straight chrome bumper and the coveted three color M logo. The rear windows, often solid in coupe, roll down on this one and back to a modest C-pillar which results in an open greenhouse. Up front, the valance houses fog lights just above a chin spoiler that accentuates the car's sporty nature. Of course, what would a BMW be without the kidney grille which is here between dual headlights, long before halo lights appeared on BMWs. 16-inch Alpina wheels add a tasty set of shoes and carry 225/50R16 tires. The paint and trim are excellent here with imperfections noted as scuffs on the chin spoiler, a scuff and scratch on a lower panel, and touched up scratches at a wheel opening.   Interior Things immediately lighten up and we open the door to reveal smooth gray leather on handsomely designed panels with fitted sections and nicely engineered gaps. Over the bucket seats we go, also in gray leather, and presented as sport seats with deep side bolsters and extended thigh support. Some patina and wear appears on the driver's seat but the passenger seat remains in very good condition. In back, the 2+2 seats are deep and well cushioned taking on more of a tufted profile and privy to the center console that mirrors the front. The black steering wheel is fantastically analog with only horn buttons at your thumbs and a T-shaped spoke that could look right at home on a race car. It fronts the simple instrument cluster in front, the idiot light panel to the left, and the A/C unit to the right. There's also an AM/FM/CD player there, canted towards the driver for the ultimate sport touring configuration. Some patina returns on the leather boot of the simple shifter in the center console which is also wrapped in padded gray leather as plush gray carpet floods the floor. Above us, the smooth headliner surrounds the sunroof and in the trunk, gray cloth panels completely finish it.  Drivetrain Under the hood is the beefy and aluminum headed 3.5 liter DOHC inline six cylinder, fuel injected and capable of 256 horsepower and in 1987, that was more than respectable. It's mated to a 5-speed manual transmission routing power to the rear axle with 3.91 gears. The engine bay is clean and crowded to be sure, but makes no bones about its M Power, embossing the words prominently in two places.  Undercarriage Typical road dust and patina color the underside where very little surface rust is observed and the occasional grime build up is spotted, particularly on the rear differential. There's also some residual fluid near a rear wheel. Meanwhile, power disc brakes are noted on all four wheels, and independent suspension is front and rear as well with Macpherson struts in front and coil springs out back. The single