When BMW introduced the X6 not too long ago, it was touted as a Sport Activity Vehicle instead of a SUV because of its emphasis on performance rather than utility. For the New York International Auto Show, BMW is upping its game again by unveiling the BMW X6 M for the first time to public, driving home the point that its Sport Activity Vehicle is sporty enough to stand next to its better-known speed demons such as the M3 and the M5, which share the same legendary M-designation.
How do you get a 2.5-ton X6 up to speed in a hurry? The standard BMW X6 xDrive50i's twin-turbo V-8 does the trick pretty well, using its 400 bhp and 450 lb.-ft. of torque to propel this X6 to 60 mph in mere 4.8 sec. Now just imagine what the X6 M's 547 bhp and 500 lb.-ft. of torque can do....
BMW engineers extracted more power from the 4.4-liter twin-turbo engine thanks to 21 psi of boost from the twin-scroll turbos that are complemented by a patented pulse-tuned exhaust manifold. The result is a responsive engine with a broad torque band that doles out power linearly with minimal lag. According to BMW, the X6 M can sprint to 60 mph in a lightning quick 4.5 sec.
Reigning in all that power and making sure it's all put to good use on asphalt is the 6-speed M Sports automatic transmission, which is coupled to the xDrive all-wheeldrive with a sportier electronic algorithm. There is even a launch mode available for owners who want to impress the neighbors. Standard on the X6 M is self-leveling air suspension and Adaptive Drive with Electronic Damping Control (EDC) that can lower the ride height for better road-hugging abilities.
Expect the X6 M to show up in the dealers later this fall, likely priced in the high-$80s.
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