The 750 hp BMW XM Concept announces a plug-in hybrid SUV exclusive to the manufacturer’s M sports department, a first since the legendary M1. The production model is scheduled for 50 years of BMW M in 2022.
BMW SUVs are X badged, and when the manufacturer entrusts its M sports department with the exclusive development of a model of this type, the vehicle resulting from this mixture of genres is named BMW XM.
Yes, like the Citroën. But apart from its name, the overpowered German juggernaut has little to do with the French sedan of the 1990s. The BMW XM is announced in the form of a concept car. The production SUV, which will go into production in late 2022 in the United States, will be the second Motorsport model not to be derived from BMW’s regular lineup after the 1978 M1 supercar.
It will be the most powerful production BMW in history, a minimum to try to be worthy of this heritage.
Muscular mass
The BMW Concept XM is not subtle, and its front panel announces that of the next generation of the most upscale BMWs. The concept car’s oversized and domed grille is highlighted by its backlit trimming and by the bifocal lights tucked between the hood and the imposing triangular fairings of the shield air intakes.
Its grille is traversed by double horizontal bars visually accentuating the already imposing width of the car. The styling is massive and angular, right down to the hood bulges. The hollow in which the brand’s logo is nestled seems like carved in stone. The two hood air intakes echo the additional headlamps installed on the roof.
Behind the windshield, the cabin receives a large curved digital instrument panel and a textured headliner, the lighting of which gives an impression of relief in line with the geometric shapes of the body. The brown leather upholstery looks surprisingly traditional in this ultra-modern atmosphere.
The windshield pillars are black, and raising the rear quarter windows to the rear strengthens the muscles of the vehicle at the stern. The bronze tint of the upper part and the gray color of the bottom of the car are separated by a black line which emphasizes the beltline. Under the steeply sloping pillars of the tailgate, at the top of which is the BMW emblem in a nod to the M1, the very thin taillights extend generously over the fenders.
Below, we find the two double tailpipes typical of BMW M, with one detail. As the Concept Z4 of 2017 (then the production model) inaugurated the superposition of the front light sources, the Concept XM is the first of its line to feature a vertical arrangement of the cannulas.
To support the vehicle’s impressive visual mass, BMW fitted it with 23-inch diameter rims. As for the physical weight of the Concept XM, we can imagine it well above two tons.
A 750 hp plug-in hybrid V8
As you might expect, it’s an electrified V8 that takes place under the hood of the BMW Concept XM. The Bavarian manufacturer announces that this first plug-in hybrid mechanism designed by Motorsport develops 750 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque. We can assume that the transmission takes place to all four wheels through an automatic gearbox, but BMW is still stingy on technical details. These could be revealed over the coming months, with the presentation of the production XM part of the festivities planned in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of BMW M.
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