Photo: CarPix
BMW continues testing the X8 / XM, and not one but two prototypes of the range-topping crossover were snapped in the open by our spy photographers.
Differentiated only by their colors, namely black and red, at first glance, and dressed in heavy camo all around, they sport the production headlights. The split lighting units look similar to those of the facelifted X7. The top ones act as the daytime running lights, and the bottom ones are charged with illuminating the road ahead.
In fact, the entire front end of the vehicle seems to be similar to the upcoming X7, including the big grille and shape of the bumper, for the most part. The hood, however, is a bit more aggressive, and so are the side skirts. At the back, it has a more muscular tailgate and different bumper, which incorporates the license plate holder and has cutouts on each side for the stacked exhaust pipes. The rear fenders look rather fat, and the vehicle has a sloping roofline too, ending with a spoiler.
Both prototypes sit on identical wheels that spin around the red brake calipers. These, together with the quad pipe layout, might suggest that we are looking at the M version, which might be dubbed the XM instead of the X8 M. Moreover, the mandatory ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ stickers tell us that they have electrified powertrains, though we don’t know much about them yet.
Still, it’s been rumored that it will launch with three powertrains, including two plug-in hybrids, one of which might combine the 3.0-liter turbo-six with an electric motor, for a total output of almost 400 hp. The full-blown M variant is understood to use an electrified twin-turbo V8, with as much as 750 hp.
While the X8 / XM is being tested on the road, BMW is also working on a concept. The show car will be unveiled on November 29, and some say that it will preview the XM. If it will indeed offer an official glimpse of the production model or not is a delicate topic, but we’d incline toward the former rather than the latter.
In fact, the entire front end of the vehicle seems to be similar to the upcoming X7, including the big grille and shape of the bumper, for the most part. The hood, however, is a bit more aggressive, and so are the side skirts. At the back, it has a more muscular tailgate and different bumper, which incorporates the license plate holder and has cutouts on each side for the stacked exhaust pipes. The rear fenders look rather fat, and the vehicle has a sloping roofline too, ending with a spoiler.
Both prototypes sit on identical wheels that spin around the red brake calipers. These, together with the quad pipe layout, might suggest that we are looking at the M version, which might be dubbed the XM instead of the X8 M. Moreover, the mandatory ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ stickers tell us that they have electrified powertrains, though we don’t know much about them yet.
Still, it’s been rumored that it will launch with three powertrains, including two plug-in hybrids, one of which might combine the 3.0-liter turbo-six with an electric motor, for a total output of almost 400 hp. The full-blown M variant is understood to use an electrified twin-turbo V8, with as much as 750 hp.
While the X8 / XM is being tested on the road, BMW is also working on a concept. The show car will be unveiled on November 29, and some say that it will preview the XM. If it will indeed offer an official glimpse of the production model or not is a delicate topic, but we’d incline toward the former rather than the latter.
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