Photo: mobile.de
The BMW X5 is the perfect embodiment of how the performance SUV market works. On the one hand, consumers want their 2-ton vehicles to be powerful, but on the other they can't afford the fuel bills. So manufacturers have to invest in diesel engines that deliver both the mpg and the mph goods.
The M50d engine is available in a multitude of BMW models made by the M Performance division, including two versions of the 5 Series. However, the X5 M50d is by far the most popular.
It's not quite like a real M car because it lacks the sporty suspension, responsive throttle and extra-sharp steering. But for most folks, it's great everyday ride.
"Oh, but diesel engines are never as powerful as their petrol counterparts," we hear you say. Except this one is still the only inline-6 with a tri-turbo setup in the world. It delivers no less than 381 PS, while maintaining fuel consumption numbers comparable to a Golf GTI.
In our daily search for damaged or unloved vehicles, we've recently stumbled upon this 2014 X5 M50d. It hasn't been used that much, because of a massive fire, most of the front end is beyond recognition.
BMW forums talk about reliability problems caused by the XXL turbocharger. However, nothing we've read explains this kind of damage.
The fire seems to have originated from the engine compartment, but it's also possible that vandalism is the cause. Diesel engines aren't known for spontaneously bursting into flames like this, but there's enough plastic in a modern car to sustain a fire.
Any crashed car is a good occasion to check out the mechanical components that are otherwise hidden. In this case, we can see the tips of the front chassis and the whole engine. Somehow, the mounts for the front suspension and the chassis crossmember are gone, while one wheel has disintegrated.
Lastly, we come to the sticky subject of price. This "beauty" can be yours for €16,000, available at a dealer called Autohandel Rene Lutgens in the Netherlands. That's a small fraction of the €119,000 demanded by the local BMW dealership when this performance SUV was new.
It's not quite like a real M car because it lacks the sporty suspension, responsive throttle and extra-sharp steering. But for most folks, it's great everyday ride.
"Oh, but diesel engines are never as powerful as their petrol counterparts," we hear you say. Except this one is still the only inline-6 with a tri-turbo setup in the world. It delivers no less than 381 PS, while maintaining fuel consumption numbers comparable to a Golf GTI.
In our daily search for damaged or unloved vehicles, we've recently stumbled upon this 2014 X5 M50d. It hasn't been used that much, because of a massive fire, most of the front end is beyond recognition.
BMW forums talk about reliability problems caused by the XXL turbocharger. However, nothing we've read explains this kind of damage.
The fire seems to have originated from the engine compartment, but it's also possible that vandalism is the cause. Diesel engines aren't known for spontaneously bursting into flames like this, but there's enough plastic in a modern car to sustain a fire.
Any crashed car is a good occasion to check out the mechanical components that are otherwise hidden. In this case, we can see the tips of the front chassis and the whole engine. Somehow, the mounts for the front suspension and the chassis crossmember are gone, while one wheel has disintegrated.
Lastly, we come to the sticky subject of price. This "beauty" can be yours for €16,000, available at a dealer called Autohandel Rene Lutgens in the Netherlands. That's a small fraction of the €119,000 demanded by the local BMW dealership when this performance SUV was new.
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