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BMW M Asked Its Fans Where They Would Go With the Concept XM, It Backfired Spectacularly

Like any other brand that discovered the power of social media, BMW M tries to keep in touch with its fanbase, prospective buyers, and customers. But one of their latest posts turned into a massive… Feedback opportunity for the automaker’s designers – let’s call it that. People didn’t hold back. Here’s what they had to say about the BMW Concept XM.
BMW Concept XM 9 photos
Photo: BMW M on Facebook
BMW XM ConceptBMW XM ConceptBMW XM ConceptBMW XM ConceptBMW XM ConceptBMW XM ConceptSome of the Comments Published by BMW M's FollowersBMW M Edited the Facebook Post
“What’s your dream road trip in the BMW Concept XM?” asked BMW M its fans on Facebook. The question was posted together with a photo of the SUV that showed the big grille and imposing stance. Granted, the rear quarter might be a bit too hard to swallow. Overall, this concept SUV looks exactly like what the North American market looks forward to owning. Don’t worry; Europeans are getting the taste of absurdly big SUVs as well.

People didn’t waste any time and answers poured by the hundreds in just a couple of hours. Among the most upvoted ones, there are some comments that state the XM should be driven “off a cliff” or to the Porsche dealership to trade it for a “well-designed vehicle.” One man even went as far as saying that he’d rather drive a Yugo. That remains up for debate, but it shows that not all people are ready for such a sharp change in the design language.

BMW M fans from India or Pakistan got unexpectedly vocal at this Facebook post, and many said that they would exchange the Concept XM for an X5. Others from the U.S. or UK argued that BMW’s designers are “on the payroll of Audi and Mercedes.”

People kept hinting at the fact that the Concept XM is not as good-looking as the designers and those behind the project might think. They understood the time was right to make their own little clever jokes and didn't want to miss this opportunity.

They're not stopping

One fan, however, got so triggered by this post that he was ready to commit insurance fraud. He said he’d crash the Concept XM “into a tree to request the insurance money” for the SUV and get a “proper M car” in exchange like the 1999-2006 BMW M3 (E46).

BMW XM Concept
Photo: BMW
BMW M followers continued the bashing and said the SUV is made for the “incineration plant only” (whatever that might mean), while others said Citroen has the real XM and the Bavarians shouldn’t try to bastardize the denomination used for the little French hatchback.

Some people even said they’d take the SUV to the junkyard. As you may have figured out already, this simple social media post didn’t go well.

After seeing the comments – some downright mean, others unexpectedly creative – BMW M modified its post on the social network and turned from a question to a mere description. Now it says: “Attention grabber. The BMW Concept XM.” That it sure is. It did a whole lot of attention-grabbing!

BMW M might prove haters wrong - again!

Fortunately, those behind the BMW M account have some sense of humor, and the photo hasn’t been deleted. You can see it down below.

BMW XM Concept
Photo: BMW
At the end of the day, BMW’s idea of forwardism in design might not be such a bad thing. Even though their newer vehicles are polarizing at first, people get used to the looks and end up liking the products. Let’s remember what happened with the X7, M3, and M4 when they first got introduced as production series vehicles – nobody liked the big grilles. Social media channels were flooded with jokes and memes. But now look at the sales numbers, at the most popular social media posts involving those three vehicles, and you’ll find a completely different story.

If BMW decides to go ahead with the Concept XM and introduce it as a production series SUV that will be called X8 or something else, we should expect it to be successful. It might become a niche choice, but people in search of grandeur will scoop them up even if the price tag will be obscene.

At the end of the day, the fans must remember that BMW M is still a for-profit company, and it has to cater to those customers who order new cars and don’t wait 15 years to get their favorite high-performance German sedan, convertible, or SUV.

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About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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