The sheer size of the thing
You see, this car seems to defy the laws of physics; it weighs over two tonnes, is the size of a Panzer tank and has a nuclear bomb for an engine. This means that its acceleration is so violent that on a smooth road, with the driving aids off, it will spin all four wheels when you put your foot down.
Inside and out
It looks enormous! I hopped out of the car and inspected it from every angle and it certainly looks like an X6 with everything turned up to 11, including the obscene 21-inch wheels. Inside is typically BMW with a great level of quality, simplistic controls complete with the iDrive infotainment system and, in keeping with the car, a massive M steering wheel for good measure.
Have I grabbed your attention yet?
The car just sucked me in; I was baffled by the sheer pace of the gigantic machine. I have driven the new M6, which features the same engine. On the other hand, this car, with its four-wheel-drive, just puts down the power so much better than the 6 Series.
Speaking of power, the X6M has a lot of it - try 423kW/750Nm. Yes, an SUV with more power than a Nissan GTR. It will also go from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and with the Driver’s Package fitted, will do 280km/h. I can’t dip into the topic of fuel economy because let’s just say, it’s a fan of 95 octane, despite having eight gears.
M car sound
Then there’s the noise… it does have a V8 motor with two turbochargers strapped to it, nonetheless, noise is an area where I was in two minds about the car. It sounds demonic, there’s no denying that, but I don’t find it to be particularly melodic, like one might find in a Ferrari or AMG V8. The crack that ruptures through the exhaust pipes on an up-shift when the car is in its most ferocious setting, swayed me back to the positive side of things though.
Ride and handling
Any car designed to wear the M badge has to excel in this area and while this car is no track-day hero, it is really very well sorted and strikes a balance between compliance and performance. It holds on through fast sweeps and tighter bends far better than a car of its size should. Stopping power is also impressive with massive cross-drilled six-piston front callipers, which inspire confidence.
So is it an M car?
This isn’t like the M4, which has an animalistic tendency to try and ruin you, this is a more usable, more versatile M car and despite me wanting more of the old M car, my goodness, I cannot deny that this car is what more people are looking for from a performance vehicle.
A few colleagues of mine mentioned that you will get similar thrills from the X6 5.0 but I have to concede that this X6 M is a different animal compared to the rest of the X6 range and, it’s infused with enough M DNA to satisfy most.
