The new BMW X5 M sees BMW M GmbH setting the pace once again in the high-performance Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) segment.
Innovative engine technology
The new M TwinPower Turbo engine for the BMW X5 M is the most powerful unit ever developed by BMW for an all-wheel-drive vehicle.
Powerful looks and exclusive equipment
With the striking use of form, the new BMW X5 M clearly flag up their sporting ambitions. With the exterior painted fully in body colour, it cuts a low-slung figure on the road, while mixed tyres showcase the sporty track width and lend extra credence to the premium perception. Additional exterior design modifications, moreover, elevate the M models even further than before from the standard BMW X5. Large air intakes at the front end, side gills with a model badge and Air Breathers, signature M exterior mirrors in twin-stalk style, a typically M fourtailpipe exhaust system and a rear spoiler give them a standalone look M fans will immediately recognise. Setting the seal on this exclusive range of features are M-specific 20-inch light-alloy wheels with mixed tyres or forged 21-inch M light-alloy wheels (optional).
The high-quality interior impresses with its well-thought-through combination of sporty features, exclusive materials and flawless workmanship. The M instrument cluster, M leather steering wheel with aluminium gearshift paddles and M gearshift lever – which works in the same way as the familiar M Double Clutch Transmission – are complemented by electrically operated M sports seats for the driver and front passenger, an M driver’s footrest and the optional Head-Up Display which, in addition to the standard system, also includes an M-specific display with gear indicator, rev band and shift lights.
A finely balanced overall concept
At BMW M GmbH, high performance is about more than engine output and top speeds alone. Here, high performance means all of a vehicle’s components working in perfect harmony and the precise interplay of various details resulting in maximum performance, agility, precision, poise and assurance out on the road.
Function-led design
The function-led design of the new BMW X5 is immediately clear with athletic, dynamic looks betraying their high-performance credentials before they so much as turn a wheel. The four large air intakes and flaps at the front end, and the diffuser at the rear, are more than just a case of style for style’s sake. Instead, their presence is an essential part of the engineers’ drive to optimise aerodynamics and ensure efficient cooling.
Thanks to a clever aerodynamics concept, the airflow is guided so efficiently around the car that drag is minimised and lift is also reduced. The engine, powertrain and brakes are all kept sufficiently cool, even when placed under extreme loads on the track. Elements which look like pure design accents when they first catch the eye are, in fact, busy fulfilling functional tasks. For example, the M-specific Air Breathers behind the front wheels reduce turbulence in the front wheel arches.
Optimum temperature management The high-performance engine under the bonnet of the new BMW X5 M requires a high-performance cooling system in order to guarantee the optimum operating temperature in all conditions – i.e. normal everyday driving, stop-start traffic and extreme action on the race track. A highly efficient, newly developed combination of low-temperature and hightemperature radiators, which also handles the cooling of the turbochargers, charge air and transmission oil, maintains an optimum temperature, even with all components working flat out.
Eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic The new BMW X5 M send the engine power to the wheels via the newly developed eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, which mirrors the operating concept of the M Double Clutch Transmission used by other M models. With its instantaneous responses, rapid gear changes and super-direct reaction to load changes, the torque converter auto links up seamlessly with the new higher-torque turbocharged engine and showcases its talents in hugely impressive style. At the same time, its wider ratio spread allows it to offer a clear drop in fuel consumption over the six-speed transmission of the previous-generation cars, as well as an increase in driving comfort and improved performance. This is also the first torque converter to enable “creep on demand” through the Low Speed Assistant.
The new eight-speed M Steptronic transmission allows drivers to sit back and enjoy automatic shifts or change gear manually using the gearshift paddles on the M leather steering wheel. And for the perfect getaway, the driver can activate the Launch Control system adapted from use in racing cars. Here, the driver keeps their foot on the brakes and pushes the accelerator down almost to the floor, which prompts the system to dial in the ideal getaway rpm. Releasing the brakes prompts Launch Control to let the car off the leash, and it accelerates off the line with maximum propulsion.
The driver can also use the three-stage Drivelogic function to choose whether to prioritise fuel economy, comfort or sports performance. This function is available both in automatic mode and in sequential SPORT mode.
Intelligent all-wheel drive
BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive and Dynamic Performance Control play a key role in the outstanding dynamics of the new BMW X5 M. The xDrive system employs an electronically controlled multiplate clutch to allow fully variable distribution of drive between the front and rear axles – from 100 per cent at the rear to up to 100 per cent at the front. This ensures the best possible traction in all road conditions. In the interests of greater agility, xDrive brings a rear-biased basic set-up to the BMW X5 M.
The driving dynamics system Dynamic Performance Control oversees the continuous distribution of drive between the rear wheels – both under load and on the overrun – regardless of engine output. Working in combination with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the result is a whole new bracket of dynamic flair, agility and traction. The car follows the course set by the driver far more accurately, whatever the road surface, and the system also reduces the amount of wheel work required of the driver: the steering responds more directly and far fewer corrections are necessary. Moreover, the inherent propensity of conventional all-wheel-drive vehicles to understeer is eliminated. An improvement in traction is also impressively noticeable (on road surfaces with differing friction levels, in particular), and active safety is markedly enhanced as a result. The driver can see how Dynamic Performance Control is operating on the display, with arrows at all four wheels visualising where the engine power is currently being sent.
An open door to controlled drifts
Among the other highlights of the overall concept behind the new BMW X5 M is Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). The control functions of DSC have been optimised over previous versions of the system to improve driving dynamics further still. Added to which, extra functions enhancing active safety (Brake Standby, Brake Drying, Fading Compensation) and comfort (Start-Off Assistant, parking brake with automatic hold function) have also been introduced.
Dynamic Stability Control allows the driver to choose from three modes: DSC on, MDM (M Dynamic Mode), DSC off. While DSC on counteracts understeer and oversteer to great effect with brake inputs, MDM allows greater wheel slip – to give keen drivers the chance to execute some mild drifts. However, the driver aids will also intervene to assist the driver in this mode if a predefined dynamic limit is exceeded. Deactivating DSC (through DSC off) gives the driver the chance to fully explore the car’s dynamic limits on the track and nudge the car into power oversteer (i.e. a drift) using the accelerator. In this mode, the system will only introduce brake inputs in extreme situations involving significant shifts in lateral acceleration.
The new M TwinPower Turbo engine
To say the newly developed engine of the new BMW X5 M has a pounding heartbeat would be something of an understatement. After all, the 4.4-litre V8 uses innovative M TwinPower Turbo technology – consisting of cross-bank exhaust manifolds, a pair of TwinScroll turbochargers, High Precision Direct Petrol Injection and VALVETRONIC – to push torque and output to higher levels still. This unrivalled combination ensures that a strong wave of torque is maintained from low revs and allows the engine to impress with its direct and rapid responses, vivacious appetite for revs, linear power delivery and customary M soundtrack.
Maximum performance meets outstanding efficiency
The peak output of the new M turbocharged engine powering the BMW X5 M is, at 575 hp, four per cent higher than that of its predecessor and is available between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm. At the same time, the engine’s peak torque has been boosted by around 10 per cent to 750 Nm, which can be enjoyed across an extremely broad rev band – from 2,200 to 5,000 rpm. The extraordinary power development of this M turbocharged engine allows the new M version of the BMW X5 to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 4.2 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.
