With 550kW of power and 1000Nm of torque, the BMW XM Label Red is the most powerful BMW M road vehicle ever made, and they were kind enough to hand me the keys to it for a week. It’s a 500-car limited edition that sits at the top of the family tree and sports an exorbitant price tag of $349,900 plus on-road costs and competes with super SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX707.
It’s absurdly fast in a straight line with a trick hybrid twin-turbo V8 engine that matches the drive concept of the new BMW M Hybrid V8 endurance racing car. You can drive it around like a granny in all-electric mode with 83km of range, but switch it into Sports Plus, and this bi-polar performance SUV will propel you from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds before going on to a top speed of 250 km/h (290 km/h with M Drivers Package).
We can’t forget about technology either because it’s filled to the brim with screens and other odd-ball features such as a geometric headliner, heated and cooled cupholders, and an augmented-reality driver display.
If nothing else, the BMW XM Label Red is a showcase of everything we should expect from the BMW M division’s next generation of vehicles. And I have to say, for a vehicle that’s so overtly “overdone,” we should all be excited about where they’re heading. Looks aside of course.
RELATED: I recently got behind the wheel of the BMW i5 M60.
What Powers the BMW XM Label Red?
- Engine: 4.4-litre M TwinPower V8 engine and electric motor
- Power: 550kW total, engine produces 430kW at 5600rpm
- Torque: 1000Nm total, engine produces 750Nm at 1800rpm
- Electric-only range: 82-88km from 27.5kWh lithium-ion battery
The BMW XM Label Red is powered by the same 4.4-litre M TwinPower V8 engine and electric motor combination as the standard XM, but it’s been turned up significantly in this application. Petrol-alone the Label Red makes 430kW of power and 750Nm of torque which represents a 120kW/100Nm increase over the standard XM’s engine.
You then add in an electric motor that can contribute up to 145kW to the maximum system output and an additional 280Nm of torque, do a few software calculations, and you end up with a maximum power figure of 550kW and 1000Nm of torque.
It’s rapid in a straight line thanks to a combination of a rear-biased M xDrive four-wheel drive system and an M Sport differential that combines to achieve a 0-100km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds. Ridiculous numbers for a vehicle that weighs nearly 3 tonnes with humans inside.
Plant your foot from a standstill, and you can feel the instant torque of the electric motor that does an excellent job of getting this supersized SUV to move. However, maybe the most exciting thing about this powertrain is the fact it’s likely to provide the base for the next BMW M5 sedan.
How Does the BMW XM Label Red Drive?
The BMW XM Label Red drives how it looks. It’s menacing and fast. Not just in a straight line either, because you can hustle this thing through corners at stupid rates thanks to M suspension Professional that comes with electronically controlled dampers and active roll stabilisation with Active Roll Comfort to eliminate body roll on one side of the vehicle.
Dynamically, it’s not at the levels of Range Rover Sport SV with its 6D Dynamic suspension, but it would hustle a DBX707. The Lamborghini Urus and Ferrari Purosangue need not worry.
M-Hybrid Mode is the default powertrain mode and it leans heavily on the electric motor when you’re driving around the city. Like all modern M-cars, you have customisable M buttons on the steering wheel (M1 and M2) for when you want full kill with the press of a button. Configure M2 to use 4WD Sport mode for the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system, and the car gets very rear-bias.
When you’re done making your passengers sick in corners, put the XM Label Red into Electric mode and take advantage of the 25.7kWh battery that delivers an all-electric range of 83 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. It’s a great way to minimise fuel consumption during the working week, and we spent most of our time commuting in electric mode, charging it up every second night off a wall plug.
Official fuel consumption figures are laughable at 1.7 litres per 100km with the battery fully charged but expect to get closer to 16 litres per 100km when you’re not using the XM Label Red as a golf car. You paid good money for that 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 for a reason, so you’ll want to use it every now and then.
The small battery means 0 to 100 per cent charge takes 4.25 hours using the 7.4-kW onboard charger, or just plug it into the wall before it’s empty, and it’ll recharge overnight. You can also use the engine to recharge the battery, but it’s quite inefficient and uses a lot of petrol doing so.
Suspension is firm like a BMW M car should be, but it contradicts everything your brain says to you while sitting inside. You’re seated in a cabin full of soft leather and cushy seats (some of the best we’ve ever sat in), but the ride quality is akin to a BMW M4 in Sports mode and I’d love to see some more variation between driving modes.
Ride quality was further compromised by the 23-inch wheels on our test car and I’d highly recommend choosing the smaller 22-inch wheels.
What’s the BMW XM Label Red Like on the Inside?
While most other performance SUVs on the market fill their interiors with Alcantara and carbon fibre, the BMW XM Label Red chooses premium leather and metals instead. The result is a cabin that presents more like a BMW 7 Series than a Lamborghini Urus and leans more toward the Bentley Bentayga or Aston Martin DBX in terms of materials. It’s clearly aimed at a different buyer.
You’ll struggle to miss the ‘Sculptural headliner’ that features more than 100 LEDs and plays an epic light display every time you get in the car. They’ve chosen this feature over a giant panoramic glass roof and we think it’s better for it. You also heated and cooled cupholders, a wireless charging pad for your phone, gesture control features for parking, comfort access, soft close doors, 4-zone climate control, and more.
Technology is at the centre of the experience, and beyond the colour-changing LEDs, you get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in front of you that combines with a head-up display and a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Sound comes from an outstanding 1500-watt Bowers and Wilkins sound system that’s right up there with the best units on the market, including our favourite to date in the Audi S8.
The M Multifunction seats are also worth shouting out because they’re some of the most comfortable we’ve ever sat in. They come with the Comfort Pack which adds ventilation, heating (front and rear), and massaging.
Finally, rear passengers can take advantage of the M Lounge which adds wrap-around leather for a couch-like experience. There’s plenty of legroom, and while it’s not the level of the BMW X7, it’s more than enough. I could imagine sitting back here for a long trip up the autobahn at 200km/h but your kids will appreciate it just as much on the private school drop-off.
Should You Buy the BMW XM Label Red?
The BMW XM Label Red offers luxury and performance in equal measure, but most importantly, it previews an exciting future of hybrid powertrains for BMW M.
While luxurious, polished, and fast, there’s a feeling that you’ve signed up as an early adopter when driving the car. Combine this with obscene looks and the second-hand market prices and depreciation needs mentioning because you can walk into a dealership right now and pick a dealer demo XM for $100,000 less than it’s original asking price. Even this 1-of-500 Label Red (30 in Australia) can still be bought brand-new.
Put all this to the side, critically review the stand-alone product, and it’s impressive. You don’t have to love the way it looks, and I found excitement in the simple fact there’s a 750HP twin-turbo V8 Hybrid in BMW stables. When and what they unleash this powertrain on will be the true test of the XM Label Red.
BMW XM Label Red Standard Specification for Australia
- BMW M TwinPower Turbo V8 with M HYBRID developing 550kW/1000Nm
- Adaptive M Suspension Professional
- Eight-speed M Steptronic transmission
- M Sport Differential
- 22-inch M Light alloy wheels (23-inch wheels a no-cost option)
- Tyre Pressure Monitor
- Travel & Comfort System
- Heated and cooled front cup holders
- M Multifunction front seats
- M Seat Belts
- M High-Gloss Shadow Line
- Comfort Pack (Ventilated Seats, Massage Function, Heat Comfort Pack, Heated Front and Rear Seats)
- Sun Protection Glazing
- Driving Assistant Professional
- Parking Assistant Plus
- Live Cockpit Professional with HUD
- BMW Connected Package Professional
- Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System
- Wireless Smartphone Charging
- Digital Radio
- Comfort Access
- Soft Close Doors
- Alarm
- BMW Gesture Control
- Personal eSim
- BMW IconicSounds Electric
- BMW Individual Interior with Leather ‘Merino’ upholstery in Black/Fiona Red combination
- BMW Individual Metallic Paintwork
- M signature interior trim in Carbon Fibre, featuring M accents in red and blue
- 4-Zone Climate Control
- BMW Iconic Glow illuminated grille surround
- 5 Year BMW Service Inclusive (BSI) package
- Flexible Fast charge cable (Mode 2)
- Public Charging cable (Mode 3)
BMW XM Label Red Edition
The BMW XM Label Red Edition – limited to just 30 examples for Australia – includes the following over the standard kit.
- BMW Individual Frozen Carbon Black exterior finish
- Kidney frame, rear diffuser inserts and waistline in Toronto Red
- 22-inch M light allow wheels Double Spoke 922 in Jet Black with Red Accent
- BMW Individual leather ‘Merino’ with exclusive contents in Fiona Red/Black
- “1 of 500” plaque located in cabin
BMW XM Label Red Wheel Options
- 22-inch light-alloy wheels double spoke style 922 M Bicolour, Jet Black with Solid Jet Black burnished finish
Only for BMW XM Label Red - 22-inch light-alloy wheels double spoke style 922 M Bicolour, Jet Black with Red Accent
Only for BMW XM Label Red Edition - 23-inch light-alloy wheels double spoke style 923 M Bicolour, Jet Black with Solid Jet Black burnished finish
No cost option for BMW XM Label Red; not available for BMW XM Label Red Edition - 23-inch light-alloy wheels double spoke style 923 M Bicolour Night Gold accent, Black with Night Gold burnished finish
No cost option for BMW XM Label Red; not available for BMW XM Label Red Edition
BMW XM Label Red Exterior Accent Colour Options
- Side accent band in Toronto Red
No cost option for XM Label Red; standard on BMW XM Label Red Edition - Side accent band in High-gloss Shadowline
Standard on XM Label Red; not available on BMW XM Label Red Edition - Kidney frame surround and rear diffuser insert in Toronto Red
Not available on XM Label Red; standard on BMW XM Label Red Edition - Kidney frame surround and rear diffuser insert in High-gloss Shadowline
Standard on XM Label Red; not available on BMW XM Label Red Edition
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