SPORTS ACTIVITY.

In the V12 LMR, the 6.1-litre V12 engine was throttled down to around 580 hp by air intake limiters; at the time, this is what the regulations stipulated for vehicles such as the Le Mans Roadster (hence the LMR abbreviation) when racing. In the X5 Le Mans, the 12-cylinder was let off the leash. Breathing freely, this experimental vehicle had up to 720 Newton metres of torque to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. The official top speed of the super SAV was recorded as 278 km/h. This driving performance was unrivalled at the time and is still remarkable by today’s standards in the successful SUV and SAV segments. During Stuck’s record-setting drive, the BMW X5 Le Mans – setup without rear seats – even reached an incredible 311 km/h top speed.

Inside, the driver and passengers experience the SAV’s massive torque from four distinctly sporty bucket seats. Although the large centre console is extensively covered, the interior largely resembles the comfort of the standard version. “The philosophy of our vehicles is based on the perfect interplay of dynamics, agility, precision and suitability for everyday use,” says Markus Flasch, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH.

This is just as true today as it was when the X5 Le Mans provided a first taste of what models like the BMW X5 M were capable of achieving in the years to come. The latter’s M TwinPower Turbo 8-cylinder petrol engine, with 4.4 litres displacement and 460 kW (625 hp), is the most powerful engine of all BMW production vehicles. Equipped with two twin-scroll turbochargers, high-pressure injection and Valvetronic, the high-performance unit in the BMW X5 M Competition sends a clear signal on the road and on the race track: 750 Nm torque, 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and 0 to 200 km/h in 13.4 seconds. The X5 Le Mans would be very proud of its worthy heir.