Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2013 BMW 6 SERIES VS 2013 Porsche 911 Near Phoenix, AZ

The 6 Series has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 911 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the 6 Series helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The 911 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The 6 Series’ optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The 911 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The 6 Series offers an optional Side and Top View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 911 only offers front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The 6 Series’ optional blind spot warning system uses digital cameras monitored by computer to alert the driver to moving objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The 911 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

The 6 Series has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The 911 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the 6 Series and the 911 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The BMW 6 Series weighs 617 to 1544 pounds more than the Porsche 911. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The 6 Series’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 911’s (12 vs. 10 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 6 Series for 4 years and 50,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Porsche doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 911.

There are over 74 percent more BMW dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 6 Series’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 6 Series second among premium sporty cars in their 2012 Initial Quality Study. The 911 isn’t in the top three.

The 6 Series has more powerful engines than the 911:

The 6 Series’ standard fuel tank has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 911 RWD’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 16.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The 6 Series M6’s standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 911 Carrera 4’s standard fuel tank (21.1 vs. 18 gallons).

For better stopping power the 6 Series’ brake rotors are larger than those on the 911:

For better traction, the 6 Series has larger standard tires than the 911 (245/45R18 vs. 235/40R19). The M6’s front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 911 (F:265/40R19 & R:295/35R19 vs. F:245/35R20 & R:295/30R20).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the 6 Series can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 911 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 6 Series offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Porsche doesn’t offer an active suspension on the 911.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 6 Series Coupe’s wheelbase is 15.7 inches longer than on the 911 (112.2 inches vs. 96.5 inches). The 6 Series Convertible’s wheelbase is 15.9 inches longer than on the 911 (112.4 feet vs. 96.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 6 Series is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 4.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 911.

The 6 Series’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.8% to 49.2%) than the 911’s (38.2% to 61.8%). This gives the 6 Series more stable handling and braking.

The 6 Series Coupe has 2 inches more front headroom, 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 4.7 inches more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 911 Coupe.

The 6 Series Convertible has 2.3 inches more front headroom and 5.5 inches more rear headroom than the 911 Cabriolet.

The 6 Series Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 911 Coupe with its rear seat up (16.2 vs. 4.76 cubic feet). The 6 Series has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the 911 Coupe with its rear seat folded (16.2 vs. 11.9 cubic feet).

The 6 Series Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the 911 Cabriolet (10.6 vs. 5.47 cubic feet). The 6 Series Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top up than the 911 Cabriolet (12.4 vs. 5.47 cubic feet).