This Is The Most Powerful BMW Ever

• First standalone M model since the epic M1.
• Powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 along with an electric motor.
• Makes 653PS and 800Nm with a 0-100kmph time of 4.3 seconds.
• Has a 29.5kWh battery pack with a maximum all-electric range of 88km.
• XM Label Red gets 748PS and 1,000Nm, slated to premiere in the second half of 2023.

BMW’s M division is revered for making outright drivers’ cars with neck-snapping performance and top dynamic capabilities. The latest of the lot and sitting on top as the flagship is this bulky SUV which BMW lovingly calls the XM. 

A super SUV with impressive numbers and wild styling that might make you question the marque’s design direction is what the XM is all about. With 653PS on tap, it is the most powerful production BMW ever, even surpassing the BMW M5 CS.

Love it or hate it?  

Love it or hate it; the XM is definitely going to be the talk of the town for the next couple of days. It is also going to help increase the number of folks who loathe BMW and its current design direction. 

For starters, there’s a huge kidney grille, which also happens to be illuminated. It is not easy to describe the XM’s styling with words. It is huge with a busy design that has so much going on in so many places.

There’s generous use of gold all throughout while the gaudy-looking 23-inch wheels with BMW lettering on the centre cap instead of a logo perfectly sum up the design.

 

Meanwhile, the cabin looks absolutely stunning, accentuated by the colours of choice. The design pattern for the roofline and the unfussy design are a welcome contrast to the XM’s exterior. Highlights include M multifunction seats, knee pads and a model-specific M leather steering wheel, along with M-specific graphics including shift lights.

BMW is offering four trim options along with vintage leather for the upper sections of the instrument panel and door panels. A Bowers & Wilkins 1500-watt Diamond surround sound system is an option while a Harman Kardon system comes as standard. 

Hybrid for the win? 

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Yes, if you strictly talk numbers. There’s 653PS and 800Nm from a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that is mated to an electric motor that lives inside the eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

The battery pack that supports this motor is a 25.7kWh (usable energy capacity) unit that also makes sure you’ve got 88km of all-electric range. The result of all this is a 0-100kmph time of 4.3 seconds accompanied by the burble of the high-revving V8 for an SUV that weighs over 2.7 tonnes. 

There are three driving modes: Sport, Sport Plus and Electric. The latter comes bundled with a special soundtrack for acceleration composed by Hans Zimmer. Yes, the same Hans Zimmer who’s got two Oscars to his name. 

Handling all these is the M xDrive which in true BMW fashion is rear-biassed! There are two modes: 4WD Sport and 4WD Sand specifically tuned keeping in mind those with a penchant for dune bashing.

Other dynamic highlights include a rigid body, long wheelbase, wide wheel track, M-specific chassis bits, adaptive suspension, active steering and high degrees of wheel camber to make the XM dynamically competent.

More poweeeer?  

These numbers are already impressive and make the XM the most-powerful production BMW ever. But BMW’s got another trick up its sleeve which is slated for a 2023 launch. Dubbed the XM Label Red, this special edition develops 748PS along with 1,000Nm. Simply put, that makes the XM Label Red more powerful than the recently unveiled V12-powered Ferrari Purosangue. 

Deep pockets? 

Production is set to commence in December 2022 at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, USA while deliveries will start in 2023 with a focus on the US, China and Middle-East markets. Prices begin from $159,995 (Rs 1.3 crore) for the XM and $185,000 (Rs 1.5 crore) for the Label Red. The XM is a bit of a bargain when you consider the PS per USD. For  similar numbers in a performance SUV, you pretty much need bottomless pockets.