derBayerische May/June 2024 - 16

T H E 2 0 2 4 B M W X M - S E R I O U S X M
■ (Clockwise Above) A smooth, aggressive, and upscale look. There is a portable charger within this storage bag. The portable charger. The gold outline
makes the badging " pop " .
Some in the " me like car, me drive fast " category initially dismissed the
XM as a confusing " parts bin Franken car " .
But once you're behind the wheel, adjust the seats and mirrors, press the
red ignition button, it's clear that the XM is a well-designed, well-engineered
vehicle. And as we were tackling
the California 17 to California 1
route to Monterey in the pouring
rain (here we go again), it's clear
that BMW exceeded their
objectives. The XM is the latest
example of BMW having fun;
developing their latest interoperation
of an ultimate performance
luxury (very mild) hybrid
powered SAV, aimed at the
serious enthusiast.
As with most hybrid
vehicles, the XM starts up very
quietly. In electric-only mode,
the XM has a 30-mile range, ideal
for those " quick run " shopping
trips and errands. The battery
pack is charged using Level 1
chargers, which are much more abundant than the Level 2/3 fast chargers.
Throughout Northern California, we found several shopping centers and hotels
that had free Level 1 chargers - and most of them were operable!
And because the XM is a purpose-built " M " vehicle, it's best to keep both
hands on the steering wheel. Quickly stepping on the accelerator awakens
the V-8 engine and the XM starts to show its Motorsports roots. The XM
transforms quickly from a large golf cart to a bucking Brahma bull.
The chassis, drivetrain, suspension, brakes, and steering work in
16
harmony to produce a refined driving experience. While we've thoroughly
enjoyed our time with today's M vehicles, because they're based on production
vehicles, when pushed they seem to have a bit of a " changeover " lag -
similar to Tony Stark transforming into Iron Man. There is no such " lag " with
the XM. This is a purpose-built
" M " vehicle. It's Iron Man.
In our recent X1 review, we
described how the poor condition
of the California roads is accentuated
in the rain. Surprisingly,
despite wearing Pirelli summer
tires, as with an F1 and Le Mans
Prototype car, the XM drives in an
outstanding manner on both the
California freeways and the
Northern California backroads
and even in the rain.
That is where the contradic■
(Above) A spacious and practical-size rear-cargo rea.
tion between the front- and rearpassenger
design is realized.
As much as the driver and front
passenger are set up for a spirited
run at Laguna Seca, Willow
Springs, Summit Point, or Nürburgring, the rear passengers are set up for
high-speed autobahn cruising. It's best to keep that in mind before tackling a
mountainous or curvy backroad.
One would think that a sticker price of at least $160,000 would make the
XM unapproachable to the mass market. However, when one considers that
the average transition price of full-size SUVs and full-size trucks are close to
exceeding six figures, AND that the Aston-Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley, and
Ferrari SUVs have MSRPs close to $200,000, the XM seems almost affordable.
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