BMW Introduces Performance-Tuned X5 M, X6 M for 2010

Dating back to 1985, BMW has offered factory-tuned variations of most of its vehicles as coveted M cars which continually showcase the pinnacle of street legal performance. To date, all of BMW’s current vehicles have been offered as tuned M cars except the flagship BMW 7 Series and the BMW X Series sport activity vehicles (SAV). This trend will change when the 2010 BMW X5 M and 2010 BMW X6 M go on sale later this year. Like the M3, M5 and M6, the all-new X5 M and X6 M will maximize performance and handling and receive more distinguishable looks that will improve the car’s styling and aerodynamics. BMW will use the 2009 New York International Auto Show to show off its duo of performance-tuned SAVs.

For improved power, both performance SAVs will use BMW’s newly developed twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 capable of 555 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The direct-injected V-8 has the pair of twin-scroll turbochargers mounted between the two banks of cylinders along with the catalytic converters to help the engine fit in the both vehicles’ compact engine bay. To reduce turbo lag, BMW uses a pulse-tuned exhaust that provides a steady flow of exhaust gases to both turbochargers to keep them both spinning. The twin-turbo V-8 also gets a pair of intercoolers, which helped BMW maximize boost pressure up to an impressive 21 psi. BMW claims that both vehicles will be able to run from 0-60 miles per hour in just 4.5 seconds. Shifting duties are performed through a BMW’s six-speed M Sports Automatic transmission to maximize shifting response, control and comfort using three operational modes: Drive, Sport and M Manual. In M Manual mode, the driver can manually shift the gearbox using aluminum shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel. As expected from shift paddles on real performance vehicles, the paddles are pull style with the right side controlling upshifts and the left side controlling downshifts. Finishing off the sporty transmission, BMW equipped both the X5 M and X6 M with a Launch Control feature to increase straight-line acceleration performance.

For comparison, the 2009 X6 uses a detuned version of this same 4.4-liter direct-injected, twin-turbo V-8 putting out only 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, while the 2009 X5 uses a 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V-8 putting out 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 2010 BMW X5 M further expands the current X5 lineup which this year also added the diesel-powered X5 xDrive35d to the existing lineup of the 3.0-liter inline-6 xDrive30i model and the aforementioned V-8 powered xDrive48i.

Like all M models, the new X5 M and X6 M will focus as much on handling as they do on power and performance. BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and a specially tuned Dynamic Performance Control highlight the handling capabilities of the new M SAVs. xDrive provides quick, electronically controlled power distribution to the front and rear wheels, while the Dynamic Performance Control enhances driving stability by distributing torque between the left and right wheels. Both systems act in concert to reduce oversteer and understeer which helps to improve performance, agility and traction. The driver-controlled M Dynamic Mode maximizes all performance capabilities shifting the xDrive more toward the rear and raises the threshold of intervention for the Dynamic Stability Control system. One of the most essential aspects in vehicle handling is in the brake system and the X5 M and X6 M do not disappoint. The massive two-piece four-wheel disc brakes measure 15.6 inches up front use four-piston calipers and 15.2 inches in the rear using floating calipers.

The final key to the M equation is styling. The 2010 X5 M gets a front end treatment more inline with the X6 thanks to reshaped headlamps and a more aggressive front fascia giving both vehicles an identical look up front. The new front end for both vehicles features deeper front fascias with massive air inlets to feed the intercoolers and offers a more menacing glare from the bi-Xenon headlamps. Both vehicles also ditch the two-tone look by providing a monochromatic paint scheme to the lower body cladding. The four-passenger X6 M still offers a sporty profile and swept roofline, but adds a sportier rear fascia with a quartet of chrome tipped exhaust outlets and small vents in the fascia for improved airflow to the brakes. Likewise, the X5 M gets a similar rear end treatment. The performance look of both new M Models is finished off by staggered-width front and rear tires using 275/40R20 tires up front and 315/35R20 tires in the rear mounted to stylish 20-inch five split-spoke alloy wheels.

Both the 2010 BMW X5 M and the 2010 BMW X6 M will go on sale later this year, and while pricing has yet to be announced, the starting MSRP of both should be significantly higher than the current top of the line models which are $51,200 and $66,650, respectively.