Remember the E39 BMW M5? Of course you do. It's widely regarded as the pinnacle of BMW's sedan lineage. In this M5, the brand's design language, chassis tuning, and engine technology all seemed to peak at the same time. Today, it remains a car that is almost worshipped by the BMW faithful, and for good reason. But what if BMW still made the M6 at the time that the E39 M5 was around? We all know about the M6's extended hiatus, but an artist on Instagram has retrospectively envisioned an M6 based on the enduring E39 M5. After all, the original M6/M635 CSi is also considered one of BMW's most beautiful coupes.

Abimelec Arellano is the name of the artist and he envisioned an M6 coupe that shared much with the E39 M5. Arellano stuck closely to the M5 as both the headlights and taillights are indistinguishable from the sedan, but it has a sportier profile thanks to the deleted rear doors. The classic Hofmeister kink in the C-pillar is in evidence, and multi-spoke wheels were used. There is also a subtle spoiler on the trunk lid. While the overall design is elegant and far more restrained than modern BMW coupes like the 4 Series and 8 Series, the proportions don't seem entirely perfect. Perhaps it's the long rear overhang, large rear windows, or too-high roofline, but with a few tweaks, this could have been a legitimate M6 late in the 1990s.

We do like that Arellano has gone for a pillarless design just like the original E9 coupe. When all the windows are down, this creates a pleasantly open and airy cabin, and based on the E39's rock-solid build quality and smooth ride, this fictional M6 could have been exceptionally comfortable.

In 2005, BMW reintroduced the M6 with the trouble-prone but legendary S85 V10 engine, but it was let down by its SMG automated manual gearbox and odd lines from some angles. The E39 M5's S62 V8 wasn't as powerful but it sounded magnificent and was paired with a manual gearbox. This combination in an M6 with similarly timeless lines could have been a hit at the time, and a more affordable alternative to the first-generation 8 Series that went out of production in 1999.