Photo: Instagram | 412donklife
BMW enthusiasts keep wishing for a brand-new mid-engine standalone M car, a true successor to the iconic M1. And while the Bavarian auto marque tends to listen to its clients, they haven't made one.
Mind you, they do have a brand-new M car in their portfolio that was exclusively signed by the M division, and it is the first standalone product after the M1. Based on the versatile CLAR architecture, it has many nuts and bolts in common with the X7. Christened the XM, it comes to life at the company's South Carolina facility in the United States, where production commenced last December.
Offered in multiple configurations all over the world, including the entry-level 50e that is not that fast, it comes in two variants in the United States. The base model carries an MSRP of $159,000, and the Label Red can be ordered from $185,000. The former brags about taking 4.1 seconds to hit 60 mph (97 kph), and the latter is a full half a second faster, aided by the combined 738 hp (748 ps/550 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque produced by the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and electric motor.
It may not be a car for everyone, but the XM is one important model for BMW and their M Division. It paves the road for the inevitable future of electric vehicles, and we kind of wished they would have made it pretty. The design is controversial and has been criticized by many ever since it broke cover almost one year ago. And it seems that no body kit that's available for it from different tuners can make it look good. Therefore, this writer (who happens to be a BMW fan) would likely stay away from it and choose the X5 M instead if he had that much money at hand, as it is arguably a far better-looking product.
Now, besides the multitude of tuned copies we've seen these past few months, there have been an almost equal number of renderings. These have tried to imagine the XM in different body styles and with alternative designs. The latest, which came from 412donklife on Instagram, are all about shocking, as they portray the super crossover in some flashy duds. It mixes some light blue accents on the white paint finish, joined by some black trim, and it features smoked lighting units at both ends and privacy windows.
The most controversial feature by far is the alloy set, which was digitally signed by Forgiato. The wheels are on the exaggerated side, making the XM look like a horseless carriage and contributing to the brash stance. And we don't think you like this CGI proposal better than the stock one, do you?
Offered in multiple configurations all over the world, including the entry-level 50e that is not that fast, it comes in two variants in the United States. The base model carries an MSRP of $159,000, and the Label Red can be ordered from $185,000. The former brags about taking 4.1 seconds to hit 60 mph (97 kph), and the latter is a full half a second faster, aided by the combined 738 hp (748 ps/550 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque produced by the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and electric motor.
It may not be a car for everyone, but the XM is one important model for BMW and their M Division. It paves the road for the inevitable future of electric vehicles, and we kind of wished they would have made it pretty. The design is controversial and has been criticized by many ever since it broke cover almost one year ago. And it seems that no body kit that's available for it from different tuners can make it look good. Therefore, this writer (who happens to be a BMW fan) would likely stay away from it and choose the X5 M instead if he had that much money at hand, as it is arguably a far better-looking product.
Now, besides the multitude of tuned copies we've seen these past few months, there have been an almost equal number of renderings. These have tried to imagine the XM in different body styles and with alternative designs. The latest, which came from 412donklife on Instagram, are all about shocking, as they portray the super crossover in some flashy duds. It mixes some light blue accents on the white paint finish, joined by some black trim, and it features smoked lighting units at both ends and privacy windows.
The most controversial feature by far is the alloy set, which was digitally signed by Forgiato. The wheels are on the exaggerated side, making the XM look like a horseless carriage and contributing to the brash stance. And we don't think you like this CGI proposal better than the stock one, do you?
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