The BMW XM lives in a world of its own within a crowded segment of performance SUVs. However, as we discovered during our test drive last month, it is not comfortable enough to be a great luxury car and not sporty enough to be a good M car. It may also look like it came from another planet but Larte Design decided to add even more exclusivity, if that’s possible at all.
In a culmination of six months of engineering and design efforts, Larte reveals its most ambitious project yet. The vehicle you see in the attached gallery is actually the XM Label (previously known as the XM Label Red), of which just 500 units will be built. It gets a distinctive Frozen Carbon Black exterior but that’s the smallest of the visual enhancements.
Larte’s kit is built entirely from carbon and comprises 17 parts. The design process behind the project involves creating a life-size clay model of the vehicle, followed by careful carbon fiber formation and multiple stages of processing before lacquering at the company’s production facility. The exterior enhancements include a custom hood with an aggressive design, a front two-piece splitter, an expressive radiator grille in Toronto Red, striking side moldings, wheel arch extenders, and a powerful diffuser with custom carbon exhaust tips.
The vehicle’s profile is further accentuated by 23-inch red-trimmed forged wheels. One of Larte’s signature touches is the double brake lights, seamlessly integrated into the main lighting and complementing the limited edition’s Toronto Red elements. The hexagonal twin exhaust pipes at the back with carbon fiber tips, dual spoilers on the trunk lid, and upper sporty spoiler contribute to an even more aggressive appearance for the SUV.
No upgrades are seen under the hood where there’s still a hybridized 4.4-liter V8 engine. In the XM Label, it generates 748 horsepower enough for a 0-62 miles per hour sprint in just 3.8 seconds.
Larte’s upgrade kit costs approximately $46,450 and includes all the exterior components, including hood and wheel arch extenders. A set of custom 23-inch wheels can be acquired for another $9,400.
