This is our first official look at a vehicle we now know will be called the BMW Concept XM. Not to be confused with Sirius XM radio, BMW says this concept will debut at a future Art Basel show, presumably the Miami show in early December. And we know it'll be an electrified model developed by BMW's legendary M Division.

We can also see in BMW's provided image the XM's immense kidney grilles, illuminated at their peripheries for extra effect—as if you could possibly miss them, illuminated or not. At least the openings have more horizontal span, avoiding the somewhat awkward, toothlike verticality of the BMW iX's infamous mug. Regardless, the sharp angles and the heavy faceting on the hood speak to something dramatic, and the tiny shards of headlight reveal that BMW wants your eyes to focus on the kidney-shaped billboards inboard of them.

While that's what we can make out of the teaser, what can we make of the vehicle itself? It'll likely be a stylized, exaggerated version of the upcoming BMW flagship SUV. We expect it to be X7-sized, but with a coupe-like roofline and sporting pretensions. As for the electrification aspect, think twin-turbocharged V-8 enhanced with a hybrid system, likely a plug-in hybrid setup. It should easily top the output of most powerful X7 variant, the Alpina XB7 at 612 hp. Think 700-hp-plus for the XM.

Will the name stick around? We'd had this model pegged as the X8 M, and maybe that'll return for the production version. There's also the Citroën aspect—while the XM has been out of production for more than 20 years, it's still on many enthusiasts' radars. And certainly European enthusiasts will remember the model's striking, angular, unconventional styling that made it an icon of the 1990s. Everyone else will just wonder how the "XM" moniker fits into BMW's contemporary naming scheme. We don't have an answer for that, but maybe we will when the wraps come off in a few weeks.

BMW's M Division is prepping something special. Judging by the brand's latest teaser, it's also something quite terrifying. We've heard bits and pieces of information about the upcoming XM SUV for several months now; previous reports suggested it would be called the X8. Expected to produce around 750 horsepower from its V8 hybrid powertrain, the monster SUV will be extremely powerful. Now, BMW has teased the Concept XM's face ahead of its official unveiling and it's best to sit down before taking it all in. The twin grilles have been enlarged to the point that the headlights had to be squeezed in on the outer edges of the vehicle's face.

It's an outrageous design and one can only hope that the production model is toned down. Based on spy shots we've seen, that does appear to be the case. Nevertheless, the Concept XM's grille isn't just huge, the outer edges have also been illuminated for added menace. Each grille is basically an irregular octagon with eight sides. Clearly, BMW wanted to make a big statement for what will be the first standalone M car since the iconic M1.

The hood has aggressively raised bulges that we've seen before on the new M3 and M4. As mentioned, the headlights are exceptionally small and proportionally at odds with the enormous grille. Above the windshield, there are another pair of lights. The rest of the body is all sharp creases and squared-off lines.

Along with electric assistance, the XM is expected to be powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. That 750-hp output would make it BMW's most powerful product yet, easily surpassing the 627 horses produced by the 2022 BMW M5 CS sedan. In previous spy shots, the rear of the XM showed off unusual stacked exhaust pipes, although nothing else about it was as shocking as this latest Concept XM teaser.

We should see the dramatic SUV in full in a few weeks, as BMW tagged Art Basel in its teaser. This event will be held at Miami Beach from December 2.

750-HP BMW XM Concept Previews an Insane Performance SUV Flagship

Nov 30, 2021
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• The BMW XM concept is a preview of a new SUV that will be the second stand-alone M model (after the M1 of the late 1970s).
• The XM concept is powered by a plug-in-hybrid powertrain using BMW's twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and produces 750 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful M production car.
• It will be built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and we'll know more details and specs by the time it debuts in production form next year.

Marcus Syring, BMW M's head of design, says the company wanted something unexpected to celebrate the firm's 50th anniversary, and here it is: the XM concept, a 750-hp plug-in-hybrid SUV with design elements inspired by the original M car, the M1 of the late 1970s.

BMW says it made this concept an SUV to fit into a growing segment of high-performance utes such as the Lamborghini Urus and the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue. After all, one out of three M cars sold in the United States is an SUV. Earlier spy photos and trademarks had suggested that BMW was working on an X8 and X8 M coupe-like SUV to slot in the lineup above the X7 three-row SUV, but it appears that the XM has taken its place. The new SUV will only be sold as a high-performance M model, and this concept you see here is about 80 to 90 percent of what the production version will be when it arrives at the end of next year, Syring says.

"Good design starts with good proportions," he says. The XM's design will incorporate the elements of BMW's SUVs, M Power, its luxury class, and electrification altogether. Its thin daytime running lights and horizontal kidney grilles give an aggressive look when approaching other cars on the road. It's "big for presence," he says about the iconic kidney grilles. Two BMW roundels on the rear window are reminiscent of the M1. The XM has the same 122.2-inch wheelbase as the X7 SUV, and it rides on a set of 23-inch wheels. Even the two-tone bronze and gray color scheme could be a production option.

The XM's plug-in-hybrid powertrain uses BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine paired with an electric motor and produces 750 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful production M car ever, according to BMW, ahead of the 627-hp M5 CS. The XM also outmuscles the Lamborghini Urus (641 horsepower), Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid (670 horsepower), and the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat (710 horsepower). Syring says it's possible that this powertrain could be used in other M models such as the M5. BMW is hoping for around 30 miles of electric driving range.

Syring wanted the XM's driver and passengers to feel like rock stars, he says, with the cockpit as the front stage with a curved display screen and the rear seat as backstage (there isn't a third row as in the X7.) The central controls and vents are canted in a group of three like the M logo. This vintage brown leather will likely make production, Syring says, and it's paired with carbon-fiber elements. "It's that strong," he says. "We have to do it." The rear seats, however, are covered in a deep aqua quilted velvet material, though that's unlikely to make production, but the textured headliner will, and it's illuminated with ambient lighting.

The XM will enter production at the end of next year at BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a price expected to start well over $100,000. Check back here for more details and specs when the production version is revealed, likely next year.

3 November 2021

BMW Group boosts performance with significantly higher earnings

• Automotive segment reports nine-month free cash flow of € 6.3 billion
• Segment EBIT margin comes in at 11.3% for nine months
• BMW brand grows nine-month market share in Europe, Asia and Americas
• Deliveries of fully electric vehicles up by 121.4% for nine-month period


Munich. The BMW Group continued to demonstrate its high level of profitability in the period from July to September 2021, with revenues, profit before tax and net profit all at record levels for a third quarter. The Group’s strong performance during this period was driven in particular by favourable product mix factors and positive pricing effects for new vehicles as well as stable selling prices of pre-owned vehicles.


. . . the Group is relentlessly driving forward the process of becoming a climate-neutral premium automobile manufacturer.


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E-mobility expanding at faster pace -- high growth rates achieved

The BMW Group is swiftly and systematically expanding its range of electrified models. With demand for electrified vehicles on the rise, it sold 231,575 fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles during the first nine months of 2021, twice as many as one year earlier (2020: 116,400 units; +98.9%). Sales of fully electric vehicles grew particularly dynamically, rising by 121.4% to 59,688 units (2020: 26,957 units).

The BMW Group’s electric mobility strategy is moving relentlessly towards its steep ramp-up phase. As early as 2023, the Group will have 25 electrified models on the roads -- 13 of them fully electric. In the period up to 2025, the BMW Group is set to grow its sales of fully electric vehicles by an average of more than 50% annually, delivering around two million fully electric vehicles to customers by the middle of the decade.