Photo: Automedia
With the new X6 out and ready to take on the world in a few weeks, BMW is now getting ready to launch the car’s M version, the X6 M. Our spy photographers caught up with the latest prototype of the car somewhere in a remote location in Spain.
Testing a car requires a lot of time and patience, to find every possible glitch that the customers could complain about. That’s why BMW is taking its cars all around the world, from the Arctic Circle to the sunny shores of Spain.
That’s because their reputation is based on the brilliance of their engines and transmissions that have to work flawlessly, even in the harshest conditions.
Speaking of the engine, we should mention that the new X6 will get a new ‘heart’ under the bonnet, in the shape of the S63B44T0 unit, an improved version of the original S63, the first turbocharged engine made by the Motorsport division.
If on the E70 model we’d get 555 HP and 680 Nm (501 lb-ft) of torque, the new one is making 560 HP and the same amount of torque but it’s also more efficient and emits less CO2 into the atmosphere thanks to Valvetronic.
Apart from the extra 5 HP, the new car will also be using a 7-speed DCT gearbox, as our previous spyshots have shown. That would be a welcome relief and a big change from the previous 6-speed automatic that wasn’t all that bad but could rise to the bar set by a double-clutch unit.
Coupled with various weight savings that we’re expecting from the F86 model, the new X6 M could be an extremely enjoyable car both on and off the track, despite its SUV (or should we say SAC?) size.
As far as its competitors go, there really isn’t one... Sure, you could compare it to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S but that car doesn’t have the Coupe-like design the Bimmer is bragging with. For such comparisons, the X5 M is better fitted, being a worthy rival for both the Porsche and the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG.
Either way, rumor has it that the X6 M and X5 M will be launched together later this year, most likely at the Paris Motor Show. Prices should be slightly bigger than for the retired E70 and E71 models.
That’s because their reputation is based on the brilliance of their engines and transmissions that have to work flawlessly, even in the harshest conditions.
Speaking of the engine, we should mention that the new X6 will get a new ‘heart’ under the bonnet, in the shape of the S63B44T0 unit, an improved version of the original S63, the first turbocharged engine made by the Motorsport division.
If on the E70 model we’d get 555 HP and 680 Nm (501 lb-ft) of torque, the new one is making 560 HP and the same amount of torque but it’s also more efficient and emits less CO2 into the atmosphere thanks to Valvetronic.
Apart from the extra 5 HP, the new car will also be using a 7-speed DCT gearbox, as our previous spyshots have shown. That would be a welcome relief and a big change from the previous 6-speed automatic that wasn’t all that bad but could rise to the bar set by a double-clutch unit.
Coupled with various weight savings that we’re expecting from the F86 model, the new X6 M could be an extremely enjoyable car both on and off the track, despite its SUV (or should we say SAC?) size.
As far as its competitors go, there really isn’t one... Sure, you could compare it to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S but that car doesn’t have the Coupe-like design the Bimmer is bragging with. For such comparisons, the X5 M is better fitted, being a worthy rival for both the Porsche and the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG.
Either way, rumor has it that the X6 M and X5 M will be launched together later this year, most likely at the Paris Motor Show. Prices should be slightly bigger than for the retired E70 and E71 models.
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