I really shouldn't be grinning so broadly, much less giggling, but that is the addictive nature of V10 power. Dip the throttle to elicit a deepening basso profundo rumble from the engine and receive a shove back in the seat as the car surges in response. It's silly fun, really, but harmless in moderation.

The sound is intoxicating, the burble at low rpm changing to an angry blast as the engine stretches its mechanical muscles. Who needs Top 40 on the speakers when you can conduct your own horn section? The car in question is BMW's M6 Cabriolet, the topline model within the 6 Series, a 2+2 boulevardier that's been fortified to the tune of 500 horsepower from the Bavarian automaker's compact yet potent 5.0-litre V10.

I've said before that any car with a price tag in the six figures is a reward for a life well led, at least from an earnings standpoint. But most high-powered execs would be more than satisfied with the 650i Convertible, itself no slouch in the go-fast department with a 360-horsepower, 4.8-litre V8 under its hood. And, for a little more than $110,000, one would find a natty cruiser with a vault-like solidity of the type only the Germans build - as capable of rocketing along the autobahn at 200-plus kilometres per hour as puttering through downtown while looking for a place to park.

Source: [url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/driving/story.html?id=b21b971b-aeeb-4355-b677-c0c07d9749fe]Montreal Gazette[/url]