HIGH-PERFORMANCE GOES LARGE.

At the 2009 international Auto Shanghai motor show, BMW M had a big surprise up its sleeve. With the launch of the BMW X5 M (E70), several new technologies were introduced into its range. The M-specific all-wheel drive xDrive and the turbocharged engine were features that no standard M automobile had had before. The body shape of the X5 M also represented completely new terrain for BMW M. In the summer of 2009, the world's first high-performance SAC was unveiled when the BMW X6 M celebrated its premiere in Atlanta.

The first media test drive for the X5 M and X6 M was not conducted on the US state of Georgia’s extensive highways – instead BMW M sent journalists to chase the fastest lap times on the Raceway Road Atlanta motorsport circuit. At that time this was a more than unusual for an SAV, the press found. Their conclusion: very impressive.

The M engineers did a lot of work to avoid any room for criticism of the new models, placing a particular focus on driving dynamics.

The four-wheel drive BMW xDrive was perfectly matched to the special performance characteristics, as was the Dynamic Performance Control standard on both models. In conjunction with the M specific chassis design, including Adaptive Drive and a newly developed Servotronic steering system, this resulted in the unique characteristics of the X5 M and the X6 M: exceptional stability and precisely controlled steering that set the basis for a highly dynamic driving experience. 

The power centre of the first generation of the X5 M and X6 M is located under the bonnet, as is customary at BMW M. The newly developed V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, cross-cylinder bank exhaust manifold and gasoline direct injection, helped the two M automobiles to achieve undreamt-of propulsion. The 408 kW (555 PS) of power and the enormous torque of 680 Nm create an impressive driving experience that will long be remembered.

Although the recipe for maximum driving pleasure in a SAV was known, the limits had not yet been reached. With the second generation of the BMW X5 M (F85) and X6 M (F86), BMW M further enhanced their driving dynamics, without neglecting the everyday features that are important for models in the X family. The result was again impressive.

Presenter Matthias Malmedie is the authority on German television for automobile enthusiasts. You could say: M for stands for motorsport, M stands for BMW M – and M stands for Malmedie. The presenter of the TV programme ‘GRIP - Das Motormagazin’ has a proven weakness for particularly powerful vehicles and thus also a special affinity for BMW M. In short: when tires squeal and smoke on German television or the internet, Matthias Malmedie is usually not far away. His unmistakable conclusion on his first encounter with the BMW X6 M: “Awesome!”