How expensive can restoring an old BMW M6 get? 

Internationally renowned photographer Mark has been working with TG for many, many years. When not taking photos he’s buying inappropriate cars. Here he shares his addiction with the world…

A brand new strain of man-maths was discovered in a Cotswold workshop recently. Unlike its more common variant, which exists solely to justify the buying of an otherwise unaffordable vehicle, this latest mutation specifically targets those already suffering with the ‘project car’ stage of ownership.

“When I bought this M6 last year, I thought I’d avoided man-maths altogether because it was so cheap,” explains the surprised, long-haired victim. “It was when I saw the list of work required to make it right that my throat started getting itchy. Three days – and many hours searching YouTube for Group A 635CSi race cars later – the shell was being rolled into a paint shop and I couldn’t stop sweating."

The strain, known simply as man-maths-21, causes its host to make repeated claims that the cost of work they’re embarking on will definitely be offset by the vehicle value once complete. Despite scientific evidence showing the two never fully align, it’s understood each victim believes they’re making a sensible investment and – in some extreme cases – even request that more work be carried out.

What other side effects are known currently? In the case of the BMW M6 reported above, it’s unsure just how long it’ll take for a full recovery. So far, we can see it has caused all of the suspension components to be sandblasted and powdercoated, the bodyshell stripped, welded and repainted, and most recently the engine and drivetrain to be refreshed “while they’re out of the car anyway”.

There are early reports of Group A suspension arriving from Germany along with an array of carbon interior panels too. The epicentre of it all, CNC Motorsport, has declined to comment while dealing with the ongoing pandemic.