Vehicle Description
1987 BMW M6
VIN WBAEE1400H2560198 Completed December 1986
Originally delivered by Center BMW in Van Nuys, California on Feb
20, 1987, to Fred Rifkin. California car with only four (4) owners.
Original paint and pin stripping finished in Cinnabar (Red) with a
Lotus White leather interior. Beautiful example with only 77,549
miles. The clutch was replaced 4,000 miles ago, all new struts and
the suspension has been gone through and all worn components were
replaced, new catalytic converters were installed and passes
California smog with no issues, air conditioner compressor was
replaced in 2018, and an original front spoiler was sourced from
the BMW factory and installed. Recent service was just done
including spark plug wires, ignition rotor, distributor cap, and
spark plugs. Complete with tools, books, and extensive service
records.
History BMW E24 M635CSi/M6 (1983-1989)
The BMW 6-Series coupe had the rather unenviable task of following
up on the Wilhelm Hofmeister-designed 2000CS, 2800CS and 3.0CS
coupes, whose production ran from 1967-75 and was capped by the
outrageous competition lightweight CSL "Batmobile."
The new model range had to combine world-class performance with
stunning elegance, and Paul Bracq was tasked with re-thinking BMW's
top-line car. The result was a squarer, more aggressive
"shark-nosed" coupe, which would be built in various forms to 1989,
culminating in the blisteringly fast M 635 CSi, which used the
24-valve M88 motor from the M1 and could hit 158 mph in European
tune.
Bracq followed the design cues from the previous BMW coupe, with a
divided kidney grille, large greenhouse, and broad hood and trunk,
but the 6-Series had thin B-pillars, and the bodies were assembled
by BMW at Dingolfing instead of Karmann's Osnabruck works.
Handling remained by all-round coil springs and McPherson strut
front suspension, semi-trailing rear links, and recirculating ball
steering. New to the 6-Series was speed-sensitive power steering,
four-wheel disc brakes, and a complete warning light system to
alert the driver about the engine and electrical systems. The 2+2
seating saw a driver-angled dash flow down to a console that also
separated the rear bucket seats.
The first 6-Series cars were launched in Europe as the 630CS, with
the 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, and a four-speed Getrag gearbox
or three-speed ZF automatic transmission. The first U.S. cars of
1977 were badged 630CSi, with Bosch L-Jetronic injection after
grumbles about the modest performance.
Engine sizes gradually increased to 3.2-liters then 3.5-liters, but
the 6-Series really hit a bullseye with the M635CSi, which appeared
at Frankfurt in 1983. Apart from the 282-bhp M1 engine, it had a
limited-slip differential and the "track link" suspension from the
big 7-Series sedans, which was designed to reduce oversteer. ABS
brakes arrived at the same time, along with a five-speed manual
gearbox or a four-speed ZF automatic.
Badged simply as the BMW M6, the 635CSi finally reach the U.S. in
1987, lavishly equipped with twin air-conditioners (and a beverage
chiller in the rear), hand-stitched Nappa leather interior with
eight-way power front seats, and an eight-speaker sound system.
Distinctive M6 details included M badges front and rear, a larger
front air dam and rear spoiler, matching color side mirrors and BBS
wheels. The cars were fitted with new ellipsoid headlights, which
directed a more precise beam onto the road.
The M6 could manage 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds, a quarter-mile in 14.7
seconds and cruised easily at 140 mph. It retailed for $55,950 but
if you wanted the same look with more modest performance, the
identical appearing L6 model was $6,000 less, though only available
with an automatic transmission.
BMW electronically limited even its sportiest models to 155 mph in
the U.S., but Rug Cunninham BMW ran a de-limited M6 in the 1989 La
Carrera Pan American race in Mexico and reported a top speed of 176
mph. In all 5,859 M 635 CSi cars were built between 1983 and 1989,
with 1,787 of those being the slightly detuned U.S. model BMW
M6.
