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Hi there!
There we are, the X6M, BMW's latest M-product.
But before you get too excited...
...I want you to listen to something.
We're going to accelerate.
Ruben, hold it tightly.
Are you having goose bumps yet?
I'm not.
Except for the fact that we're driving very fast now, a bit too fast for this road in fact.
This M is very different than what we're used to from BMW.
And we've got to find out if that's positive or negative.
This is a very special M...
...this is BMW Motorsport's first product that has 4wd...
...an automatic gearbox and turbos.
That makes this the quickest accelerating SUV on sale today.
Although BMW prefer to use the term Sports Activity Coupe...
...or Sports Activity Vehicle.
Then they're also the best in their class...
...but there's no competition.
That's the disadvantage of making up new segments all the time.
How quick is it then? I hear you ask.
0-62 in 4,7 seconds...
...that's M3 and RS6 territory.
That's very impressive for such a big and heavy car.
Of course its top speed is limited to 155 mph.
If you give BMW some extra cash...
...they'll stretch that up to 170 mph...
...but then you have to do a driving course because is much more dangerous of course.
It's got a twin-turbo V8...
...with 555 hp...
...and 680 Nm of torque which is available from 1500 rpm.
That's impressive, but there's a but. That's the downside.
It's very, very quick.
Sometimes I'm flabbergasted at how fast it can go.
But you never get goose bumps.
It just doesn't sound very exciting...
...sometimes it sounds like a four-cylinder...
...that's really a shame.
BMW've got such beautiful engines that sound great...
...and they've given this M-product a relatively boring sounding engine.
What else makes an M-product?
Of course also it's handling.
There was nothing wrong with that on the X6 to begin with...
...but they've changed a couple of things.
It's got air-suspension at the rear instead of conventional steel springs.
It's been lowered a bit, 0.4 inch.
That's that much.
It's still a high car, that fits the concept.
It steers fine...
...but there are a couple of small points.
If you brake into a corner very hard, it dives down.
That doesn't give you much confidence.
Especially because it accelerates so quickly...
...you want to have total control under breaking...
...and it just doesn't give you that.
So it does handle like an M should...
...but can I leave black stripes on the road while accelerating out of corners?
No, because it's 4wd. That means you can't just drift it.
When it's wet and slippery it'll work eventually...
...I'm not claiming that I'm very good at it, but it will work.
But under normal, dry conditions...
...it'll just understeer a bit when taking a corner too quickly.
They've done something to the exterior of course.
They've painted more body panels.
It's got bigger air intakes at the front...
...four exhausts at the back and M-strips at the sides.
The X6 already was quite aggressively styled...
...so it's hard to make something extra special from that.
Something that is special, are the leather strips in the interior...
...they're made from carbon fiber-leather. They come from a lightweight cow.
Very beautiful.
The price? 155.000 euros.
That's a lot of money...
...but providing it's got 555 hp...
...and lots of other stuff, it's quite reasonable.
Its competitors aren't that much cheaper. The ML63 AMG, Cayenne Turbo or Turbo S...
...and maybe the Audi Q7 V12 TDI. Although it's slower and more expensive...
..and a diesel. Although it sounds more exciting than this petrol V8 sometimes.
What am I saying?
Does this car give me the M-feeling?
Speed wise it does, but experience wise a bit less.
It think that's mostly due to its V8.
Rumors say BMW's also going to use this engine in the new M5.
I hope they don't.
Unless they change the exhaust or the intake...
...so that it'll sound a bit more exciting.