2006 BMW M6

With just three former keepers, this beautifully spec’d M6 coupe is at a low mileage and is still under a fully comprehensive BMW extended warranty which the owner will transfer to the successful buyer. While he hasn’t ever had cause to use it in the two-and-a-half years he has had the vehicle, he knows that such peace of mind is important when buying a car of this complexity.

To reinforce this he has also had the car serviced at a BMW main agent (the only people ever to service the car, by the way…) within the last 50 miles, where it was given another clean bill of health.

He tells us that it is running beautifully and is in need of nothing rectifying bar a minor issue with the parking sensors; at a time when the Internet is full of horror stories about expensive German cars, he tells us that this one has never let him down and has been the very model of reliability.

It looks stunning too, with its extended Indianapolis red leather interior and Alcantara headlining. The number plate is included too. Less visible are the carbonfibre roof and boot lid, but those in the know, know…

The metallic grey coachwork is in a stunning condition with barely a mark on it. Tight, even shutlines too, which almost certainly indicate the lack of drama in the car’s previous lives; while we all enjoy a bit of excitement in our soap operas, you really don’t want anything like that in your new high-performance coupe’s background…

It’s true that there are the odd few minor stonechips to the underside of the front bumper and a small mark to the front left bumper, but the latter is a very minor scratch and could almost certainly be easily and cheaply disguised without the need for an expensive partial respray by having it professionally cut and polished followed by, possibly, some localized paint.

The 19-inch alloy wheels are in fine condition with nothing so much as a scratch, much less kerbing and other significant damage, although a ham-fisted tyre fitter has left a small mark on one of the rims. The rims are, as you’ve probably guessed given the car’s history, shod with matching tyres, Continental SportContact2 in this case.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The underside is very clean too, and looks to be free of both damage and oil leaks, neither of which would be a good sign on an expensive, high-performance sports coupe…

Shrinking violets that we are, we aren’t sure we’d ever be brave enough to specify a new six-figure car with red leather seats but we’re glad that the M6’s first owner was an extrovert because the interior looks utterly sensational. The extended Indianapolis red leather covers not only the front and rear seats, but the door cards, transmission tunnel, upper and lower dashboards too.

The car also has Piano Black inlays and an Alcantara roof lining and door pillar trims. It also, of course, has the standard HUD (Heads Up Display), which the owner tells us is one of his favourite features on the car!

It looks fabulous and, just as importantly, it’s all in fine fettle with only the very gentlest creasing to the outer edge of the driver’s seat to give away the fact that the car isn’t three years old rather than thirteen. And we really do mean very gentlest; they are really in remarkable condition and are a testament to BMW’s commitment to sourcing only the very best available leather – plus the owners’ determination to keep them looking good, obviously.

The rest of the interior is similarly good with barely a blemish. It all works too, with only intermittent parking sensors for the new owner to sort out. The owner tells us that they can sometimes display an error if the car has been left for an extended period of time but, he says, the problem always disappears after a long drive.

The boot is as clean as the rest of the interior, and is home to the car’s tool kit and battery.

The car starts, runs and drives as it should, including the seven-speed SMG III gearbox. As the owner himself puts it: “The car has been extremely reliable during my ownership only visiting the dealers for routine maintenance. There seem to be a lot of horror stories about these cars but I have never experienced any such issues!” He also drove it here with no qualms.

Quite; the Internet is a fabulous resource (after all, we rely on it completely…) but problems to tend to take on a life of their own. Our experience says that cars like this only become a problem when they’re neglected and owned by people who try and penny pinch. If they’re serviced on time by people who understand them then 99% of the so-called ‘common’ problems simply don’t arise.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and the car has been so well maintained that the only two advisory points relate to the factory fitted engine undertray; that’s not bad, for a 13 year old, high-performance car, is it?

The MOT history, along with the comprehensive BMW main dealer service history, confirms the car’s low mileage, too. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it since it was new.

It also comes with the original owner’s handbook and the usual bumf that the main dealer pads out the wallet with.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller to arrange an appointment.

If you’re looking for a hyper-quick German sporting saloon or coupe with a cast-iron pedigree then you’ll do a lot worse than to add this example to your shortlist. With an impeccable service history including a recent service, it is also beautifully presented and in need of nothing other than a tank of fuel. There are plenty of really cheap examples around too, but you’d be right to be scared of what they contain….

And while it drives even better than it looks, features such as that carbonfibre roof and boot add bonus points to boast about to your mates, which is kind of the point too, isn’t it?

Not that it will it be terribly expensive. Depreciation hits cars like this hard, so we expect it to only fetch between £17,000 and £22,000, which is silly money for a car that offers so much performance and luxury in such a good-looking package.

Of course, the reserve is even lower, so why not pop in a cheeky bid and see what happens? After all, the worse result is that you find yourself owning one of the better examples of one of the finest German cars of its generation at a bargain basement price. (After all, it is Christmas …)

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.