This 2006 BMW M6 is an awe-inspiring machine. Once your MDrive preferences are set, press the “M” button on the steering wheel, position your hands at the paddle shifters, and let ‘er rip. If you’re feeling real good about the absence of traffic enforcement within the immediate vicinity, engage Launch Control while you’re at it. Either way, the M6 howls like a racecar and flies down the road, gathering speed so rapidly you barely know you’re into triple-digit territory because there’s no indication that the muscular V-10 is anywhere close to thinking about quitting time.

As for the technology, I’m generally not a fan. Simplicity is my thing. However, I must admit that the MDrive feature is nothing short of extraordinary. That you can tailor such a fantastic vehicle to suit individual tastes and have the end result work so flawlessly is testament to how sophisticated automobiles have become. Some may lament the software used to program vehicles like the M5 and M6 – I actually applaud it. The death of the one-size-fits-all approach should be embraced rather than excoriated.

What goes a long way toward acceptance is that despite the on-board software, like every great BMW, the M6 feels hardwired to the driver’s nervous system, reacting instantly and in a measured fashion to every prod, poke, and twist. This car never feels nervous, darty, unsure, or unresponsive. The brakes and steering are perfection, and the SMG shift paddles are big enough that changing gears with the steering wheel cocked at a 90-degree angle is still easy, even if you shuffle steer. Of course, you shouldn’t be changing gears in the middle of a turn because that should be done before corner entry, but you already knew that. Accelerate hard out of any turn and revel in the beautiful exhaust note, which intoxicates your senses whether you’re inside or outside the car. The 2006 BMW M6 sounds exotic, but without the high-pitched whine common to a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Rather, the M6 exhibits a throaty bellow, like a cultured American V8.

Flying down the front straight at Road America at 135 mph – in the rain – makes you glad to have all the M6’s technology looking out for your best interests. Under such conditions, the BMW M6 feels 100-percent unflappable, possessed of ungodly confidence, solid, sure, and stable at all times. However, SMG is not a friendly gearbox if you’re not hauling ass on a track. In its aggressive modes, shifts come rapid fire. In its less aggressive modes, shifts lag. Under either circumstance, passengers’ necks jerk with each gear change. You can shift using the paddles, or you can shift using the selector. The selector features short motions, but shifting up requires a pull down on the stick and downshifts occur with a tap up. This arrangement mimics F1-style, yes, but is counterintuitive to most consumers.

Unfortunately, bad weather kept us from exploring the 2006 BMW M6’s ultimate capabilities. Street driving was mainly limited to rural roads bisecting Wisconsin’s dairy pastures, and the track was too rain-soaked to dive bomb corners. Nevertheless, it was clear that the M6 is a serious performance car, one that can handle inclement weather while remaining steady and balanced, perhaps inspiring more confidence than is prudent. The 2006 BMW M6 is an amazing automobile, and if you have the means, we highly recommend it.