Flip on the M Drive interface and make sure all is set to Sport. Tap the shift lever to the left, into the Sport gate. Take a deep breath. Now, mash the gas pedal and hang on for dear life. Look straight ahead. Concentrate.
In only 4.6 seconds, you’ll hit 100 km/h and keep thrusting forward. In 12.8 seconds, you’ll have covered a quarter-mile while punching through the wind at 176 km/h. I just hope you’re not doing this on a public road.
And that’s the problem. A 5,400-lb (2,450 kg) SUV that scorches the earth with 555 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque is totally, absolutely, unabashedly insane. Actually, about the only thing even more unworldly than an X5 M is an X6 M, which has less cargo space. A vehicle like this can only be fully exploited on a race track, where you can push it to its limits.
The politically incorrectness starts under the hood with BMW’s new 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged, 32-valve V8. It’s mated to a 6-speed automatic with a sport mode and paddle shifters, and the prodigious power is funnelled through an all-wheel drive system that’s rear-wheel biased, of course. Expect this engine to replace the 500-hp V10 in the next M5 and M6.
In Sport mode, the X5 M blasts off with nosebleed-inducing force, and the exhaust belches during every full-throttle upshift. Nice. In the normal ‘D’ position, the transmission is more relaxed, and the vehicle doesn’t feel as frenetic. Yet no matter how fast you’re accelerating, you always feel in control.
The fat 275/40R20 front and 315/35R20 rear tires stick to the road like crazy glue. That is, until the temperature drops below freezing point; then, you’ll need winter tires, which will cost you at least $2,000 and that doesn’t include spare rims and installation.
Towing capacity is 6,700 lbs, or 3,050 kg. Fuel economy figures are 17.0/11.9 L/100 km city/highway for the X5 M; our average is 17.2 L/100 km. Not that it really matters.
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| A 5,400-lb SUV that scorches the earth with 555 horsepower is totally insane. |
In only 4.6 seconds, you’ll hit 100 km/h and keep thrusting forward. In 12.8 seconds, you’ll have covered a quarter-mile while punching through the wind at 176 km/h. I just hope you’re not doing this on a public road.
And that’s the problem. A 5,400-lb (2,450 kg) SUV that scorches the earth with 555 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque is totally, absolutely, unabashedly insane. Actually, about the only thing even more unworldly than an X5 M is an X6 M, which has less cargo space. A vehicle like this can only be fully exploited on a race track, where you can push it to its limits.
The politically incorrectness starts under the hood with BMW’s new 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged, 32-valve V8. It’s mated to a 6-speed automatic with a sport mode and paddle shifters, and the prodigious power is funnelled through an all-wheel drive system that’s rear-wheel biased, of course. Expect this engine to replace the 500-hp V10 in the next M5 and M6.
In Sport mode, the X5 M blasts off with nosebleed-inducing force, and the exhaust belches during every full-throttle upshift. Nice. In the normal ‘D’ position, the transmission is more relaxed, and the vehicle doesn’t feel as frenetic. Yet no matter how fast you’re accelerating, you always feel in control.
The fat 275/40R20 front and 315/35R20 rear tires stick to the road like crazy glue. That is, until the temperature drops below freezing point; then, you’ll need winter tires, which will cost you at least $2,000 and that doesn’t include spare rims and installation.
Towing capacity is 6,700 lbs, or 3,050 kg. Fuel economy figures are 17.0/11.9 L/100 km city/highway for the X5 M; our average is 17.2 L/100 km. Not that it really matters.
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| In Sport mode, the X5 M blasts off with nosebleed-inducing force. |