The V-10 powered BMW M6 may have reached the end of its run earlier this year, but the German automaker is hard at work fine-tuning its all-new 2012 M6. The high-power luxury coupe was recently caught lapping the Green Hell preparing for its launch, possibly in the first quarter of 2011.

BMW may have just green-lighted its new four-door Gran Coupe, based on the 6 Series, but the Munich automaker apparently hasn’t forgotten about its two-door, performance coupe. The coupe pictured is wearing heavy camouflage, but it’s definitely an M version of the redesigned 6 Series, wearing an aggressive front fascia, and sporting large wheels and quad exhaust tips. Although the coupe shares several similar design elements with the Gran Coupe, we’re glad to see BMW kept with the elegant, elongated presence conveyed by the previous 6 Series.

The restyled and reworked 6 Series is expected to launch in early 2011 as a 2012 model. We expect BMW to unleash its M version at launch, or shortly after. BMW recently announced the discontinuation of its massive 5.0-liter V-10, which powered the outgoing M6 coupe and M5 sedan, to be replaced by its 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 currently residing in the X5 M and X6 M. With 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque on tap, and supposedly improved fuel economy, the engine was a clear choice for BMW. Although we’ll miss the howl of BMW’s ten-cylinder engine, its 500 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque falls short of the V-8’s capabilities. We could see a fully uncovered version of the coupe as early as the Paris Motor Show.

Source: Motor Trend

We knew the end was nigh for the current-generation BMW 6 Series with the arrival of the shapelier, de-Bangled 2011 5 Series. And with the impending arrival of the next generation of M-tuned machinery, we also say goodbye to the ten-cylinder engine that powered the E60 M5 and E63 M6.

The recently out-of-production M6, and its M5 sibling, were powered by an awesome 500-horsepower V-10 engine that prompted Mercedes and Audi to step up their supersedan offerings. The writing was on the wall. With automakers downsizing engines left and right in the name of performance and efficiency, we knew that a smaller engine was bound for the next M5 and M6 — a V-8, no less, though. We named the V-10 M5 an All-Star in 2006, and watched as it competed with the Mercedes-Benz E63 and Audi RS6.

The 535i that recently arrived in Ann Arbor as a Four Seasons test car has shown us what BMW can do with a twin-turbocharged, inline six-cylinder engine in a 5 Series wrapper. Audi is downsizing many of its V-8s to six-cylinder engines, and Mercedes is stuffing a 5.5-liter V-8 into some AMG models but is still calling them “63.”

Today’s Snap Judgment:
Is a V-8 the right choice to power the next BMW M5 and M6?

Care to defend the V-10? Could the M6 move to an even smaller powerplant? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.