BMW XM Label Red, even more power?
I think it was last year when I tested the “normal” BMW XM and I did not like it. It was way too heavy, it took a corner like a piece of sh*t, the brakes couldn’t slow it down and it was fugly (that is what Gen Z’s call: fucking ugly). So what did BMW do? They take the car and make it even more powerful. That seems a good idea, not.
Bonkers
A thing I remembered about the XM was that it had a lot (read: enough) power. The normal XM was “653hp/800 Nm”-strong and BMW being BMW just dropped an extra 95 hp and 200 Nm of torque in the same mastodont. That means that the BMW XM Label Red has an impressive 748 horsepower and 1.000 Nm of torque making this the most powerful production M-car E V E R! The biturbo 4.4L V8 pushes out 585 hp (that used to be 489 hp) and gets an electric motor-housed in the 8-speed M-steptronic gearbox- producing an extra 197 hp.
All of this adds up to an acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and onto a limited top speed of 250 km/h, or 290 km/h if you pay even more money (more on this later). The car is provided with a 25.7-kWh battery good for 83 electric-driven kilometers (in theory) and up to a speed of 140 km/h. The battery and big engine contribute to the high weight of the car. With almost 2.7 tons, the car can be called obese. But the truth needs to be told: this will be the fastest obese-thing you will ever encounter in your life. Even Lizzo moving to a free “all you can eat”-buffet, can’t keep up!
But this was also pretty good with the non-Label Red (it wouldn’t however keep up with this monster), but the biggest problem came next. The “breaking and cornering”-part! The brakes were so vague, you would even think there was something wrong and then you prayed the car would go in the corner. But now, with this Label Red, the strangest thing happened and the car could decelerate just as fast as it could accelerate (or almost). Finally, I could turn the corner in with just a little bit more confidence and yes, the car did what I hoped it would do. Keep in mind that this was still 2.7 tons but it could turn like a 2-2.2 tons car. To be honest, I was so happy! I knew I wasn’t going to die the week I had the BMW XM Label Red. BMW really solved the problem of the normal XM, a thing I thought was pretty impossible!
The looks
Exterior-wise I could just copy my previous test with the normal BMW XM. I think I’m going to do that and quote myself.
I quote: “With the dimensions of the BMW XM, you would think it’s the biggest car in the line-up. But with a length of 5,110mm, width of 2,005mm and height of 1,755mm the XM is just a little bit smaller than the X7. This definition of a typical American SUV feels that big, but thanks to the rear axle steering you could take a tight corner without hitting something like a house. Furthermore, this BMW XM suffers from the typical modern BMW oddities when it comes to styling. The big luminous kidney grill on an ever bigger nose with an abundance of lines that flows over to a back that lacks any line or shape. We aren’t a big fan of this styling.”
And it got worse! The red details don’t make it prettier and just made it look like someone with no taste at all got on the configuration page and just did it with his eyes closed and afterward went like: “That seems right”.
Another quote
Yes, I feel another quote coming!
I quote: “On the inside of the BMW XM, there is little to complain about! Just like -almost- all the other BMWs, the interior breaths quality and doesn’t lack drive support systems (sometimes as an option). The seats are beautiful, very supportive and are just comfy enough (only just). With a typical M-styled steering wheel that contains the M1 and M2 buttons and a “visually one-piece and slightly curved screen consisting of a 12.3 and 14.9-inch screen”, the drive should feel special enough. Isn’t this the case? Then the roof that comprises 100 colorful LEDs should do the trick! Yes, there isn’t a panoramic roof, but a light show. At the rear, there isn’t a movie screen -that you might expect- like in the i7. But leg- and headroom isn’t an issue. Trunk space isn’t either, with 527 liters and the possibility to enlarge that to 1,820 liters.”
And that’s still the case! The XM is still a very nice place to be in and has a massive booth even though it’s a plugin hybrid. BMW knows how to make nice interiors and they’ve been doing it for a long time.
Pricing
No no no, I can’t quote this bit. It has the same end result as the normal XM: this price is as massive as the car’s dimensions. The normal XM starts at around 177.000 euros (that’s expensive) and this Label Red starts at 204.300 euros (that’s even more expensive). That said, the BMW XM Label Red is pretty well equipped and maybe then you will spec the “M driver package” for only 2.495 euros making the car go 290 km/h. For only a little bit more than 1% of the total cost, I would spec it.
Conclusion
I was scared of getting in this car with the memory of the normal BMW XM and I was wrong! The BMW XM Label Red is the car the normal XM should have been. Fast, comfy and not in the mood to kill you in the corners. It’s a green light for me! PS: Try to specify it so it is not “in your face” if you know what I mean.
