BMW M has revealed the Concept XM at the 2021 Miami Beach show, its first new vehicle concept set to become a standalone BMW M vehicle after the M1, which came in the ’70s.
According to BMW, the Concept XM provides a first glimpse of the brand’s new front end design which will be applied to the M3 maker’s forthcoming luxury-class models.
Up front, the humungous kidney grille steals all the attention and very slim main lights flank it. The front bumper is aggressively styled whereas the bonnet is a bit neutral, but it still features a couple of intake ducts. It will have curved display screens, ambient lighting and the latest generation BMW iDrive system
Along the sides, the car has uniquely-shaped wheel arches, 23-inch alloy wheels, a bold ‘black belt’ that rises in accordance with the lower window line, narrow greenhouse and a sloping roof with contrast paint job.
There are wrap-around tail lamps at the back, narrow windscreen, a small boot lid (the loading lip is the tallest this writer has ever seen in an SUV), sharply styled bumper, and quad exhaust outlets.
There are concept car elements in the model like the searchlights incorporated into the roof and the BMW logo laser-etched onto rear glass, while the paint scheme of the vehicle comprises a Gold-Bronze upper section and Space Grey (metallic) lower area.
Stepping inside the Concept, one would see a driver-focused cockpit design. The cabin is draped in brown leather (gives it a vintage look), and BMW has made use of carbon-fibre and even copper materials.
While the steering wheel with red accents seems ordinary, the car does have twin wide and curved display screens positioned on a decorative surface that spans the driver’s section of the dash.
The second row of the car has a bench seat with backrests that have hollow sections in them, like in the seats up front, and the general theme is that of a lounge area. The material used here is velvet that has diamond quilting, which applies to the carpets as well.
BMW simply says the Concept XM is powered by a V8 engine and an electric motor. Additionally, the car is said to have a newly developed M Hybrid drive system.
Total power output is a claimed 550 kW or 737.5 BHP and peak torque output is a claimed 1000 Nm. Being a hybrid, the car also has an electric-only range of up to 80 km.
The production version of the Concept XM (to be simply called the BMW XM) will become the most potent BMW M car ever and the German brand aims to start manufacturing the model at the end of 2022.
It will be produced at BMW’s plant at Spartanburg in the USA (the United States is the most important market for the car) and will come only in plug-in hybrid form and exclusively as an M model.