BMW XM Renderings Prove No CGI Is Strong Enough to Make It Look Pretty

Nothing out of the ordinary yet, but unless you’ve been spending the past two weeks in a cave with no internet access whatsoever, then you know that it’s not their best-looking product. Quite the opposite, actually, because the snout-y grille doesn’t do justice to a model that essentially builds on the legacy of the M1.

The show car isn’t exactly a head-turner when it comes to the back end design either, as here, the company went for a rather aggressive styling, combined with a pair of very thin taillights, stacked exhaust pipes, and roofline that looks like the one of the Range Rover Velar, albeit on steroids. The whole vehicle has many sharp lines, and its styling cues won’t remain a one-off thing, sadly, as they have already announced that they’d use them on future models, together with the illuminated kidneys for a brasher approach.

Now, since it premiered at the end of November, several rendering artists have tried to make it look a bit more appealing, with emphasis on the production variant that is otherwise due late next year. And considering that they didn’t have much to work with, the results are still controversial. This includes Kolesa’s attempt at trying to polish up the Concept XM by giving it a new front bumper, with less prominent creases and a lower grille and painting it white.

Those extremely thin taillights have become thicker, and the BMW roundel has been added to the tailgate, which is bigger. The rear bumper is less aggressive compared to the one of the study, and the same goes for the diffuser. The tailpipes are still there, unfortunately, but at least the roofline has gone down the more normal route, features the typical shark fin antenna, and ends with a spoiler.

Normal door handles are part of the digital makeover, and the charging port on the left front fender was phased off. They also deleted the coachline, gave it new side skirts and red brake calipers, visible behind the dual-tone alloys that carry over from the concept, which boasts a PHEV powertrain

It combines a V8 gasoline engine with an electric motor that develop a total of 739 hp and 737 lb-ft (999 Nm) of torque. The 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) acceleration time has yet to be announced, but it probably takes roughly 3 seconds. The XM can travel on zero-emissions for 30 miles (48 km), apparently. When it goes on sale late next year, it is rumored to carry an MSRP of over $150,000.