BMW X6M review

Bmw X6m Review 1

So, here it is, the second outing of a car BMW’s M Division skunk works once said it would never make. Not only is the original X6M an SUV, it also features turbocharging and all-wheel-drive – three things that were once the filthiest of filthy concepts to M GmbH. To add insult to injury (for M-car purists anyway), BMW unveiled its fraternal twin, the more practical X5M, at the same time.

While it may have angered the M Division faithful, the reason for the pair of super sports utility vehicles was rather simple: Munich needed something to go head-to-head with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (reviewed on the previous few pages).

But being a true-blue product of M GmbH, it couldn’t simply crank up the power of the then-hottest X6, the xDrive50i. As a “proper” M-car, the X6M has to handle like one – that is to say, much better than the already capable X6. But if anybody could work such miracles, it would be the people at M Division.

At the heart of every M-car is the engine, and the X6M is no different. While it nominally has the same one as the xDrive50i (they have an identical 4395cc displacement), the motor in the hotter X6 puts the turbochargers in the middle of the cylinder banks to give it increased response and power.

Bmw X6m Review 3 In the latest version, that colossal powerplant is carried over – though thanks to a new uprated crankcase, it now produces 575bhp and 750Nm, up by 20bhp and 70Nm respectively. This is hooked up to a new ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission, in favour of its predecessor’s 6-speeder.

While it doesn’t receive a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox as with the M5 or M6, the new torque converter automatic does an admirable job of mimicking one. Shift times are lightning quick, and just like its lower-riding cousins in the M range, this vehicle doesn’t creep forward when you take your foot off the brake pedal.

In addition, BMW says fuel consumption and CO2 emission in the new car are now 9km per litre and 258g/km respectively, which represents a reduction of some 20 percent from before.

Bmw X6m Review 5 The net result of its updated driveline, plus a 40kg drop in kerb weight, is a half-second reduction in its century sprint time. This now stands at a claimed 4.2 seconds, which is blistering by most standards, and absolutely blinding when you consider this automobile weighs close to 2.3 tonnes.

And its chassis has plenty of M-specific tweaks as well – firmer suspension settings, more rigid suspension bushes and a lower ride height, to say nothing of the self-levelling adaptive air springs and anti-roll system.

And how does it handle? Well, better than you might expect an oversized, overpowered behemoth to. On the Circuit of the Americas, where part of this media test-drive is held, I find the X6M to be in possession of remarkably neutral and adjustable handling manners.

Bmw X6m Review 2 Apply a bit of throttle mid-corner and the big SUV’s tail moves out just a little, which helps to tighten my chosen line. But floor the pedal on exiting a corner and it transitions seamlessly into oversteer.

Much of this is down to a trick all-wheel-drive system that employs torque vectoring to deliver the engine’s huge torrent of power to where it’s needed most.

Of course, the 21-inch forged alloys shod with super-grippy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres (they’re likely to be expensive items on the options list, but I think they are the glue that holds this hot package together) help as well, saving my bacon numerous times by providing huge amounts of grip and confidence.

Bmw X6m Review 4 But far from being a racetrack-only weapon, the X6M possesses similar poise on public roads, too. While certainly firm (even with the adaptive suspension in Comfort mode), the ride is never uncomfortable – which only serves to reinforce how this vehicle is a special car that has received the tender ministrations of M Division. In Sport or Sport Plus mode, the ride still isn’t jarring; somehow, the automobile just seems to quash roll without the expected increase in harshness.

Strangely enough, carbon-ceramic brakes aren’t offered, not even as an option, though I find the bespoke Brembo discs more than up to the task of five or six hot laps around the track.

But the bigger question is: Does the world really need another uber-SUV that’s set to cost in the region of $600,000 (or more, if you slap on options like a bespoke interior from BMW Individual)? As with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S, the answer is: Not really. But it sure doesn’t stop me from wanting one.

SPECIFICATIONS

DRIVETRAIN

TYPE V8, 32-valves, turbocharged

CAPACITY 4395cc

BORE X STROKE 89mm x 88.3mm

COMPRESSION RATIO 10:1

MAX POWER 575bhp at 6000-6500rpm

MAX TORQUE 750Nm at 2200-5000rpm

POWER TO WEIGHT 253.9bhp per tonne

GEARBOX 8-speed automatic with manual select

DRIVEN WHEELS All

PERFORMANCE