SUVs with racing genes are becoming the rule rather than the exception. The new generation of BMW X6 M Competition it materializes in a flying panzer (tank) with a 4.4 V8 engine with 625 hp and 750 Nm, capable of firing it up to 100 km/h in just 3.8s and continuing up to 290 km/h.
Growing environmental awareness would make one think there would be little interest in such extreme vehicles, but BMW's new M division sales record suggests otherwise…
Until two decades ago we called them “jeeps” and they were generally valued for their rolling qualities and commanding position in cities and off-road aptitude for occasional trips on unpaved roads. Questions like “What is the size of the trunk? How high is the car from the ground? Do you have reducers? And how many kilos can you tow?” were the norm.
But today? Almost all of them have become SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) and are a new species of "long-legged" vehicles that differ little more from "normal" cars than for that very reason.
And then within the category there is a new strain of testosterone-injected versions that are infecting more and more customers, especially within premium German brands and Italian sports car manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo (Stelvio Quadrifoglio) and Lamborghini (Urus ). And with heavyweights like Aston Martin and Ferrari about to join what is becoming a crowd.
Record sales for division M
On a broader spectrum, many people may be surprised that it's not just plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars that gain market share and consumer preferences.
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BMW has just shown that sports cars are on the rise by reaching a new sales peak endorsed by its M-labeled models in 2019: 136,000 units registered represent a 32% increase in sales compared to 2018 and mean that M has surpassed AMG, the arch-rivals of Mercedes-Benz. Part of the success happens because in 2019 BMW's M division made the biggest product offensive in its 48-year history, with versions of the X3, X4, 8 Series Coupé/Cabrio/Gran Coupé and the M2 CS.
This is the context in which the third generation of the M versions of X5 and X6 are released, taking advantage of all the evolutions of the “base” models and adding the usual magic dust, both visually and dynamically.
In this first experience behind the wheel (in Phoenix, Arizona), I preferred the X6 M Competition (an option that adds 13,850 euros compared to the 194,720 euros of the X6 M). Since they were released 10 years ago (the M versions of the X5 and X6) their cumulative sales volumes are approximately 20 000 units for each of the bodies.
If you're going to be radical, then let it be behind the wheel of the silhouette whose controversial “hump” deserved much criticism on its arrival in 2009, but which managed to seduce customers and even competitors, as in the case of Mercedes-Benz, which did not avoid a certain “ collage” when he drew the rival GLE Coupe a few years later. And even because, being shorter, it has better road performance versus the X5 (which has more space in the second row and a bigger trunk).
A certain air of Darth Vader…
The first visual impact is brutal, even though the exterior design probably shouldn't be considered universally beautiful, with a certain Darth Vader look, especially when viewed from the rear.
If the format of the “normal” X6 already requires a more “non-conformist” taste to pass, here the “visual noise” is considerably amplified with the larger air intakes, kidney grille with double bars, “gills” M in the front side panels, rear roof spoiler, rear apron with diffuser elements and exhaust system with two double ends.
This Competition version — the only BMW brought to the Arizona desert — has specific design elements, such as the black finish on most of these elements and spices up everything on the engine cover, exterior mirror covers and fiber rear spoiler carbon, which are optionally available.
M, also inland
The M world signs are also visible when I step inside. Starting with the head-up display with unique graphics/information, multifunctional seats with reinforced side support and standard Merino leather finishes, which can be even more “tched” with superior leather coverings in these M Competition variants.
From the elevated driving position I can easily access the configuration buttons to change the engine, dampers, steering, M xDrive and braking system settings. The M Mode button allows the interventions of the driver assistance system, the dashboard screens and the readings of the head-up display to be configured individually; there is a choice of Road, Sport and Track driving modes (the latter exclusively for versions with the Competition suffix). And two individually configurable settings can be selected using the red M buttons on either side of the steering wheel.
Just before taking off, a quick glance at the dashboard confirms that there are two 12.3” digital screens (the instrument panel and the center screen) and the head-up display of the iDrive 7.0 generation are among the best on the market, in line with the high overall quality of materials and finishes.
4.4 V8, now with 625 hp
Boasting a more powerful engine than direct competitors Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo or Audi RS Q8, the X6 M Competition relies on the revised 4.4 liter twin turbo V8 unit (which benefits from variable camshaft timing and variable timing from valve opening/closing) which increases power by 25 hp compared to the predecessor or 50 hp in the case of this Competition version, courtesy of a different electronic mapping and a higher turbo pressure (2.8 bar instead of 2, 7 bar).
The “juice” is then sent to all four wheels with the help of an eight-speed automatic transmission with torque converter, with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. The transmission and the M rear differential (which can vary the torque delivery between the rear wheels) have been tuned to produce a traction bias in the rear wheels.
One of the technical innovations is the braking system without a physical connection between the left pedal and the calipers, which features two programs, Comfort and Sport, the first having a smoother modulation.
Other chassis tweaks include stiffeners on both axes to deal with increased “g” forces, increased camber (tilt in relation to the vertical plane) on the front wheels and increased lane width, all for the sake of cornering and cornering. of stability. Standard tires are 295/35 ZR21 at the front and 315/30 ZR22 at the rear.
Is it possible to launch 2.4 tons at 290 km/h? Yea
And how does all this “war arsenal” translate into the conduct of the X6 M Competition? From the first step on the accelerator, it is clear that the 750 Nm delivered from 1800 rpm (and that is how it remains until 5600) makes the most of it to camouflage the enormous weight of the car (2.4 t) and with very little delay in entry into action of the turbo, which is a registered trademark of BMW M.
The contribution of the very competent automatic transmission is also relevant to obtain “ballistic” performance, both in pure acceleration and in speed recovery, increasing even more the “dramatism” in sportier driving modes (and whoever drives can also make it the fastest case response by manually selecting the three Drivelogic function settings).
3.8s from 0 to 100 km/h (-0.4s than its predecessor) is the reference number that gives an idea of how fast everything happens and the maximum speed of 290 km/h that the X6 M Competition can reach (with “Driver's Package”, (optional costing €2540, along with a one-day on-track sporty driving training), also puts you in a class that only a handful of SUVs can access.
All accompanied by an impressive soundtrack, which can be deafening if that is the driver's wish, as it can be intensified through the sportier driving modes. To the point that it even seems preferable to turn off the digitally amplified exhaust frequencies, which not only make everything a little bit exaggerated but also have a less organic sound, as they almost always do.
The BMW M engineers like to make everything customizable and it's even felt that way, but there's a point at which they seem like more tweaks even for an enthusiastic driver who will likely decide to set the two preferred general settings in M1 and M2 and then live with them daily.
don't walk just straight
Even if you use all the brutality of this world when stepping on the accelerator, it's very difficult to feel any signs of slipping the front wheels on a hard drive, because it's the rear wheels that do most of the work and then the permanently variable timing of torque between the front axle (up to 100%) and the rear makes everything go very smoothly.
Even more so with the valuable help of the electronically controlled limited-slip differential, which manages the torque in each of the rear wheels, making an important contribution to enhancing grip, the ability to turn and for the sake of overall handling.
The overall behavior would be even more agile if the X6 M (and also the X5 M) were to integrate the directional rear axle, as with other X6s. Chief Engineer Rainer Steiger excused his absence to me; it just didn't fit…
If you want to feel more of the X6 M Competition in your spine, and shake your rear in a kind of demonstration of canine happiness, preferably on a circuit, even with some effort due to the huge rear rubbers, you can turn off the stability control and activate the four-wheel drive in the Sport program, which emphasizes rear-wheel drive even more.
Still, the laws of physics prevail and so the weight of the car is felt as the masses are violently pushed back and forth and side to side.
The other two dynamic aspects that may deserve some future tweaking are steering response — always very heavy, but not necessarily communicative — and suspension stiffness, as even the Comfort configuration is close to the limit where your back starts to complain after the first tens of kilometers over asphalts that are not directly related to a pool table cloth.
The right choice"?
Does buying an X6 M Competition make any sense after all? Well, leaving aside the issue of financial availability to do so (it's always 200 000 euros...), it seems to be a model tailored for American millionaires (they absorbed 30% of sales from the previous generation and where the X6 is built), Chinese (15%) or Russians (10%), in some cases because anti-environmental contamination laws are more tolerant in others because exhibitionism tics are too strong to be repressed.
In Europe, and despite the overall quality and dynamic attributes of the highest level, there are probably more affordable options (even within BMW itself) for those who can afford to look for explosions of emotions behind the wheel (or more “bang for buck” as the Americans say) and with less (much less) remorse and environmental damage.
And as these (X5 M and X6 M) are probably among the last SUV M that don't feature some sort of electrification, if you're really interested in owning a BMW sporty SUV it might be a good idea to wait a few years.
And the Bavarian brand is almost grateful, as it will have to sell two unprofitable 100% electric models for every X6 M registered — 0+0+286:3= 95.3 g/km — to stay close to 95 g/km of CO2 emissions in the average of your fleet and thus avoid heavy fines…