Following the M1 supercar that BMW developed with Lamborghini’s help in the 1970s, the second-ever BMW M vehicle developed exclusively by the go-faster division is much obliged to scare kids with its oversized kidney grilles and split headlights. Based on the CLAR cluster architecture of the X7, the sporty crossover is offered with a plug-in hybrid V8 setup.
An electric motor integrated into the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission helps the 4.4-liter combustion engine develop 480 kW. That’s 644 horsepower in American ponies and 653 horsepower where they use the metric system. The Bavarian automaker quotes 360 kW for the twin-turbocharged V8 and 145 kW for the e-motor. Codenamed S68, the force-fed combustion engine is gifted with a cross-bank exhaust manifold.
Rated at 590 pound-foot (800 Nm) combined or 479 pound-foot (650 Nm) and 206 pound-foot (280 Nm) separately, the plug-in system features a pre-gearing stage that increases the e-motor torque to 332 pound-foot (450 Nm) at the transmission’s input. Zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers) takes 4.3 seconds, and top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour). Opting for the M Driver’s Package improves the full-size utility vehicle’s top speed to 168 miles per hour (270 kilometers per hour).
Priced at $159,000 plus $995 for the destination charge, the XM will be joined by a hotter sibling in mid-2023 that will be priced at $185,000. The “Label Red” specification promises 738 horsepower (748 ps) and 738 pound-foot (1,000 Nm) thanks to a more potent engine and motor.
201.2 inches (5,110 millimeters) long and featuring an identical wheelbase to the X7 (122.2 inches or 3,105 millimeters), the five-seat XM weighs more than 6,000 pounds. BMW quotes 6,062 pounds (2,750 kilograms), which is quite a chonker even by X7 standards. Be that as it may, the family-sized X7 cannot cover 30 miles (50 kilometers) in full-electric mode.
The assembly plant in Spartanburg, North Carolina, will handle production, which is expected to start late in 2022 for the 2023 model year.
For all the information available right now on the all-new XM and the Label Red specification, check out the release and specs sheet below.
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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