BMW’s most powerful production vehicle to date recently lost the “Red” part of its name as it now simply goes by the XM Label… label. It’s just as controversial as ever since the plug-in hybrid SUV represents a mélange of some staggering numbers: 738 horsepower, 737 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque, over 2,700 kilograms (nearly 6,000 pounds) weight, and a $185,000 starting price. On top of that, the first dedicated M model after the M1 takes the shape of a huge plug-in hybrid SUV.
A new video shot in Germany on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn shows how the BMW XM Label performs at wide open throttle. It accelerated without breaking a sweat up to around 290 km/h (180 mph) when the electronic top speed limiter is programmed to kick in on the vehicles equipped with the optional M Driver’s Package. With a 577-horsepower combustion engine working together with a 194-horsepower electric motor, the electrified M SUV can haul.
Of course, enthusiasts are not judging a performance car solely based on how fast it goes in a straight line, but the XM Label does deliver impressively rapid acceleration given its heft. BMW’s engineers can’t overcome the laws of physics regardless of how much trickery they can embed into their M cars. Consequently, the XM won’t ever be as great in a corner as an M2 G87 due to its extra bulk and higher center of gravity.
It can partially compensate for its lack of agility with acceleration bursts while the driver and passengers are cocooned in a leather-lined cabin with an illuminated headliner and a comfy back seat known as the M Lounge. An adaptation of this plug-in hybrid powertrain will be going into two additional models in 2024 when the M5 Sedan (G90) and M5 Touring (G99) will break cover. Those vehicles should feel more nimble by riding lower to the ground while (hopefully) carrying around less weight.
It won’t be long until BMW is going to launch a fully fledged M car without an internal combustion engine. The Neue Klasse platform will serve as the foundation for an electric M3 expected to land as early as 2027 or 2028. The XM, together with its inline-six 50e and Label derivatives, kick-starts the electric revolution at M GmbH. Some had hoped the XM to be a true follow-up to the M1 but we got an SUV instead because that’s what most people want nowadays.
Source: Moscarblog / YouTube
