BMW Concept XM: Barrel, X-Monster!

The sustainability campaign of the BMW i Vision Circular didn't last long in Munich: With the near-production Concept XM, they present a monster super SUV with a fighting dog look, which is supposed to scare the likes of Lamborghini Urus and others with its generous length of 5.11 meters. Inside, there should be plenty of space thanks to the 3.1-meter wheelbase, plus a width of 2.20 meters and a height of 1.73 meters, bringing the XM close to vans like the Sprinter and others. The M GmbH is not looking at sportiness with the new X-monster, but rather performance in every aspect. According to M GmbH CEO Franciscus van Meel, they are completely reinterpreting the segment of high-performance automobiles, aiming to break conventions and push boundaries. They didn't make it small, because the old rule of more power and more material always results in a simple, absolutely not intelligent formula for luxury – making the XM pretty much the exact opposite of the i Vision Circular.

For propulsion in the most powerful BMW ever, the revised V8 biturbo with a strong electric machine is supposed to provide: resulting in 750 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque. The battery, which must offer significantly more than 20 kWh to glide up to 80 kilometers purely electrically, weighs heavily in a negative sense. This drivetrain is also likely to be found in the top-of-the-line 7-series and the successor to the M5, perhaps with a smaller battery there. The V8 must meet the Euro-7 standard. The battery should be more densely packed to offer more capacity at an acceptable weight than in the X5 40e xDrive.

Of course, BMW managed to design the rear section here as a plush "lounge" that offers more airiness than in the 7-series and others. Here too, the Munich team once again relies on petrol-colored, quilted velvet that, together with the soft carpet, evokes Bavarian baroque castles – or cool cuddle lounges, depending on your perspective. The roof lining seems to have been inspired by Bavarian rococo churches: A three-dimensional prism structure can look like a relief thanks to indirect and direct lighting. The ambient light here can be adjusted in the three BMW M colors red, violet, and blue.

In stark contrast, the command post: Here, sports seats and instruments are covered in brown leather, which would certainly be available in an optional vegan version, and a copper thread in the carbon on the center console sets an accent between "loft" and "sports car". How much of this will be experienceable depends on the weight: Under 2.5 tons, there won't be much to desire, which means that, not only in terms of dimensions, it tends towards vans like the Sprinter.

BMW predictably sees the main market in the USA, where it is supposed to be built in Spartanburg from the end of 2022. Incidentally, in 2022 the M-GmbH, founded in 1972, will be fifty years old – with a rather questionable birthday present.

What does this mean?

After the visionary Concept I Vision Circular, now the monster XM – conceptually simply meaning "M" as in "MORE of everything." Or 'vui huift vui' – much helps much, as they say in Bavaria – nevertheless neither in terms of energy nor land consumption, and thus not really in terms of sustainability. For its birthday, M GmbH is actually giving itself a M-onster. …too bad that super sports cars like the M1 and Co. are so mega-out….