The S38 was civilized a bit for streetcar duty, but it still enjoyed most of the race-derived technology that made it so desirable. Stepping into the M6, a few things strike you. Primarily, compared to most modern sports coupes, visibility is amazing. The E24 has a huge greenhouse (glass area) and thin A-pillars, so blind spots are not an issue.

The European-specification M635CSi used the M88/3 engine (without a catalytic converter), which generated 210 kW (286 PS; 282 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 340 N⋅m (251 lb⋅ft) at 4,500 rpm. The M6 version, sold in North America and Japan, used the S38B35 engine (with catalytic converter), which generated 256 hp (191 kW; 260 PS) and 330 N⋅m (243 lb⋅ft) at the same engine speeds. The catalyzed engine was also used in European and other market cars beginning in the summer of 1987, with identical specifications to the federalized engine. The sole transmission for all models was a 5-speed Getrag 280 manual transmission.

The BMW M6 coupe is a rare and brilliantly fast grand tourer. The M6 was at the time the second-fastest BMW ever built at 158 mph — only the equally rare high-performance M1 coupe boasted a higher maximum speed. Although the factory did not release official production numbers, it is believed that 1,632 examples of the E24-series M6 were shipped to the U.S. market from 1987 to 1989.

The M6 is a delightfully mechanical car, despite the relative amount of sophistication present in it given the time frame in which it was produced. The clutch has a weight and feel to it that’s just simply lacking in modern cars; if you didn’t have a strong left leg when you started daily driving this car, you would in a week. The gear shift is set far forward and has BMW’s traditionally long, ropey throws – yet it somehow manages to avoid being imprecise, but rather it is laid back. Clutch take up is sharp, but with the driveline in good shape, you are soon on your way.

Within a mile you realize the M6 is not a museum piece, it is not just for taking to Cars & Coffee, it is a driver’s car.

The large displacement coupled with the fantastic flow through the cylinder head lets the S38 punch much higher than it is weight. With the M6, you dip halfway into the throttle, and it pushes you into your seat. You can tell just how earth-shaking this engine was in the 80’s; it is amazing even today.