Not exactly the prettiest unibody sport utility vehicle out there, the XM is marketed as a full-on M by the peeps at BMW. Closely related to the X7 in more than one way, the plug-in hybrid SUV is the second-ever vehicle developed by M since the M1 of 1978.
What makes it a bonafide M? For starters, the S68 engine. A twin-turbo V8 developed from the internal combustion-only S63, the 4.4-liter mill is joined by an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The plug-in part of the powertrain consists of a 25.7-kWh battery pack and an electric motor, which is neatly integrated into the ZF-supplied transmission. BMW also offers a straight-six engine under the 50e moniker, but somewhat curious of a full-blooded M, the 3.0-liter powerplant is codenamed B58. That's a regular-production engine rather than the M-specific S58 derived from the B58.
Shared with the M760e, said powertrain leaves much to be desired in this hulking sport utility vehicle with a snouty front end. The XM in the featured clip is the full-fat V8, though, and it's pretty darn impressive on the dyno. Pictured at Performance Eurowerks in Illinois, the luxury-oriented model lays down a whopping 614.84 horsepower at 6,500 revolutions per minute and 569.14 pound-feet (771.65 Nm) of torque at only 2,400 revolutions per minute.
Assuming a 20 percent loss, the crankshaft figures would be 768 horsepower and 712 pound-feet or 965 Nm (including electric drive). Said estimates come from IND Distribution, a BMW M parts specialist from Illinois. Even if the loss is more like 10 percent, one cannot escape the fact that the XM is more powerful and torquier than advertised.
The only configurator for the XM lists 644 horsepower at 5,400 revolutions per minute and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) on full song. There's also a higher performance tier available under the Label Red moniker, which puts out a simply ridiculous 738 horsepower and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm). The red-painted XM in the clip below is the standard V8 rather than the aforementioned Label Red, with the latter due to arrive at US dealers in the coming fall.
Priced at $159,900, excluding taxes and extras, the V8-powered XM is manufactured exclusively in South Carolina at BMW Plant Spartanburg in Greer. Tipping the scales at 6,063 pounds (2,750 kilograms), the X7's more controversial sibling is rocking a near-perfect weight distribution (49.1% front and 50.9% rear).
The XM is so heavy that Performance Eurowerks' corner weight scales couldn't handle the German utility vehicle's mammoth tonnage. Maybe a tractor trailer weigh station could? Jokes aside, the XM is this heavy due to its fairly large battery pack. The charging system supports up to 7.4 kW, meaning 4 hours and 15 minutes for a complete charge from 0% to 100%. It's not known how many examples will be produced for the current model year, but we do know that the Label Red is limited to 500 units worldwide. BMW hasn't confirmed how many are coming stateside, yet we look forward to quite a few of them considering the US' love for SUVs, including fugly ones like the XM.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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