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BMW M4 ‘X-Track’ Virtually Embraces the Shooting Brake Lifestyle, Crossover-Style!

Formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH between 1972 and 1993, BMW M’s subsidiary is probably one of the most easily recognizable letters of the automotive industry’s alphabet.
BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1 10 photos
Photo: sugardesign_1 / Instagram
BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1BMW M4 X-Track Shooting Brake rendering by sugardesign_1
The division was initially created to help BMW achieve ultimate glory in motorsport but has since expanded into a facilitator of performance, high-performance, and just recently (with the advent of the 735-hp XM Label Red crossover SUV) again of ultra-performance vehicles. And, of course, its parent company BMW AG was keen on properly celebrating 2022 as M’s half-century anniversary.

The string of events and introductions was long and arduous, in the end culminating with one limited edition to rule them all – the modern version of the BMW 3.0 CSL. But that is only in the real world. Meanwhile, across the imaginative realm of virtual automotive artists, the M-style celebrations never ceased.

For example, the upcoming 2024 BMW X6 M already featured its imagined premiere even though the OEM facelift is still some time away from actively dropping all the prototype camouflage and going official. Even better, Sugar Chow, the virtual artist better known as sugardesign_1 on social media, is showing a lot of digital love for the recent idea that sports cars might be allowed to enjoy a dune-bashing, rock-crawling, lifted AWD lifestyle, if they want (and anyone has the money for snatching their limited editions).

As such, he recently came up with new dreams of the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato variety. And they are far and wide-ranging, from 911 Turbo Safari overlanders to digital Mercedes-AMG SL-Class All-Terrain Shooting Brakes that would make a fine addition to the fresh 4WD sports car niche. Hey, the latter even turned into a more extreme SL 63 All-Terrain Plus with the Maybach line and hints of G-Class roughness!

Now, though, he is back to his digital BMW passion and follows in the same overlanding “Touring the world!” footsteps with something that would be more affordable than a 911 Dakar, Huracan Sterrato, and the imagined SL All-Terrain, namely a BMW M4 ‘X-Track’ Shooting Brake! It’s a three-door station wagon/crossover that mixes the high performance of the G82 second-generation M4 with traits you normally encounter on a family CUV.

Thus, the 3.0-liter S58B30T0 twin-turbo inline-six (mated to a ZF six-speed manual or eight-speed auto) gets mixed with an M4 that looks just like a jacked-up Hot Hatch riddled with off-road accessories – from wider black plastic wheel fenders to a roof rack and others. Funny enough, the additional elements tucked above the grille now make the M4 ‘X-Track’ Shooting Brake look like a shell snail!

In the end, though, there is just one question – which version of the S58 hides under the hood? I am secretly hoping for the 543-horsepower variant found inside the M4 CSL, frankly!


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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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