For the first time, BMW is bolting the M badge to one of its crossovers, the 2010 X6M
Few new products have done more to polarize potential buyers than the BMW X6. Neither sports car nor sport-ute, it boasts a design that you either love or hate.
In terms of luxury features, it’s easier to agree that the X6 delivers pretty much all you could expect of a premium crossover vehicle, except perhaps performance. Apparently, in the muscle category, the folks at BMW itself felt there was a need to beef up the X6, and for that they have turned to their performance arm, BMW M GmbH.
On paper, the numbers looks good: a walloping 555 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque, and 0-60 times of just 4.6 seconds. But there’s another figure that is likely to ignite still more controversy. The standard-issue X6 wasn’t exactly the lightest of products, at roughly 5,000 pounds, something that already ran afoul of BMW’s stated philosophy of decreasing fuel consumption and CO2 emission. The X6M? It weighs in at a whopping 5,324 lbs, pushing it into Hummer territory.
So how does BMW avoid being accused of hypocrisy? By using an all-new downsized 4.4-liter V-8. Here, less means more, considering the X6M’s raw power. But that raises yet another concern.
While other makers have been willing to attach a performance badge to all sorts of products, BMW has been reluctant to overly expand the use of its vaunted "M."
For years, BMW strictly limited the growth of the M-badge. While arch-rival Mercedes-Benz seemed willing to appliqué the AMG logo on just about every model with the base tri-star, Bimmer saw “M” as a medal of honor to be worn by only its sportiest products. No SUVs or crossovers, not even an M7 sedan. Suddenly, however, the old rules have been abandoned. So, does the new X6M drive like a true M car?
BMW M GmbH has put a lot of work in the development of the two new crossover M models, variants of the X5 and X6. They are the first Bimmers to combine xDrive all-wheel-drive with M technology and the first M models to be equipped with a TwinTurbo engine – a performance strategy had always avoided because of that dreaded turbo lag.
“With the new M TwinPower Turbo V-8’s special exhaust manifold, we have overcome this,” contends Kay Segler, chairman of BMW’s M division, who was on hand during the first media drive of the X6M, in Atlanta, this week. The approach delivers a quick and potent flow of exhaust gases to the Twin Scroll turbos, that, as we soon experienced, deliver the sort of instant power you seldom experience.
With the 2010 X6M, BMW opted for a smaller engine with a twin-scroll, twin-turbocharger design that eliminates the traditional turbo lag.
BMW didn’t want us to rely on the occasional passing maneuver on the freeway to test things out. Instead, we headed over to the challenging Road Atlanta race track, where we were able to push the bulky crossover to an impressive 143 mph on the long straight. To a race driver like myself, it also matters what a car does in corners. Although I would definitely not prefer the X6 M in race trim, its handling is amazing, even with its heavy weight and high center of gravity. Equally impressive is the ease with which you can slow down the hefty car fast enough to take it elegantly through the next chicane.
In the shorter and longer bends, you can readily forget the X6’s weight — though it’s hard to ignore the height, considering the CUV’s command seating. With all systems engaged for optimal sportiness, using the M button on the steering wheel, it feels more like a rear wheel driven passenger car than an xDrive ute. And you only notice a hint of understeer before the car reacts to the throttle and allows you to drift.
Few products are more polarizing than the BMW X6. With the debut of the 2010 X6M, BMW could engender even more of a debate.
The underpinnings of the M model have been finely tuned and I can confirm that the M engineers have done a wonderful job. To start with, the chassis sits about 0.4 inches lower than the standard-issue X6. Power comes to the asphalt via 20-inch wheels, with 275/30 R 20 rubber up front and 315/35 R20 rubber in the rear.
The xDrive system divides the power between front and rear wheels and is enhanced by Dynamic Performance Control, which shifts torque from the inner wheel to the outer, effectively using torque to help steer you through a corner.
The six-speed M Sport automatic transmission shifts fast and can also be operated by paddles on the steering wheel. Drive hard and the gearbox will respond in kind. Under normal driving conditions, BMW has tuned the transmission to deliver shifts better tuned to efficiency, though there’s still a penalty to be paid, the new CUV yielding mileage numbers that likely won’t please the Sierra Club: an estimated 12 mpg City, 18 Highway (compared with 15 and 20 for the conventional X6.
The performance numbers will impress, but the fuel economy figures might be more troublesome.
Still, had the maker gone the traditional, brute force approach of going with a big, M-Series engine, who knows how low mileage might have gone. For now, BMW officials insist the turbo technology will be limited to the X series of crossovers, though, in the longer run, BMW may want to use the technology for the 3 and 5 Series, as well. It would better suit the corporate philosophy of EfficientDynamics.
Notwithstanding the fun- to-drive qualities of the BMW X6 M on track, daily driving will matter more to most drivers, and there the crossover delivers a nice mix of performance and comfort. As for looks, there are those who would rather die than be seen in one, and others who would die to drive it for one day. We certainly saw a fair share of thumbs-up reactions as we cruised our way to Road Atlanta.
Can a crossover deliver the same sort of performance and agility aficionados expect of a BMW M model?
The harshest judges will likely be those familiar with the agile dynamics of the traditional BMW M cars, and for them, this huge ute won’t come close to the agility of the M 5 and M3 saloons.
BMW, though, is convinced that the car will sell. And I think they may be right. But we’ll have to wait to find out. The car will reach dealerships worldwide only on September 6th, and is expected to carry a price tag that will nudge the $100,000 mark.