BMW Concept XM revealed

BMW has teased the first stand-alone M model in 44 years with the all-new plug-in hybrid BMW Concept XM at the Art Basel Miami Beach show today.

Planned for series production at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US, the Concept XM is the first stand-alone M car since the mid-engined M1 coupe.

The 1000Nm Concept XM – not to be confused with the famous Citroen nameplate sold between 1989 and 2000 – will run for 80km on battery-electric power before its twin-turbocharged V8 kicks in.

BMW M’s first electrified model will deliver a claimed maximum output of 550kW of power via both the combustion engine and a single high-performance electric motor.

“The BMW Concept XM represents a complete re-imagining of the high-performance car segment,” returning BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel said.

“It underlines the ability of BMW M to break with established conventions and push boundaries in order to offer fans of the brand the ultimate driving experience.

“The series-production car – the first pure BMW M model since the legendary BMW M1 – also shows how we are approaching the step-by-step electrification of our brand.”

It also shows how much the new car market has shifted since the M1’s debut in 1979. The “complete re-imagining of the high-performance car segment” has seen BMW’s stand-alone M car morph from a two-seat mid-engined supercar to a five-seat SUV.

The XM concept will adopt BMW’s new design philosophy for its front-end, which features the larger grille that was introduced on the all-electric BMW iX this year and is planned to trickle across to all of BMW’s luxury models as they are released.

Its headlights have been split into two modules per side, walking away from decades of BMW design hardpoints, with a slim LED daytime running light module above the main lights and the new BMW badge on its angular bonnet.

Featuring an integrated XM logo, the kidney grille is more horizontal than it is on the iX, and looks more octagonal in shape than it ever has before.

BMW has taken a leaf out of Range Rover’s book by fitting the two-tone bodywork with black A-pillars to accentuate the windscreen’s rake, while two power domes appear to house the V8 beneath the bonnet.

There are two air intakes in the bonnet, aping the design of the LED spotlights in the roof, while it adopts the upcoming M2’s triangular corner cutouts in the apron as well.

A long bonnet, 23-inch wheels and a coupe-style sloping rear roofline dominate the two-box design of the Concept XM’s profile.

While BMW isn’t making much of it, the production version of the Concept XM will also be capable of Level 3 driver-assistance, meaning BMW will take the legal responsibility for the car’s movements while the driver relaxes at up to 60km/h on divided highways.

The cockpit is more driver-focused than in the mother ship iX, with an illuminated sculptural headliner that M calls a ‘luxurious retreat’.

While warm brown leather dominates the seat upholstery, the rest of the trim is a combination of fibre materials, most of which are recyclable synthetics, including a carbon-fibre with an interwoven copper thread.

The new curved multimedia display will make its way across all luxury BMW products, but will start life in the XM production car, and there are red accents on the steering wheel and console for performance-related buttons and switches.

The rear seat is being called an ‘M Lounge’ by BMW, which attempts to move M on from a pure performance brand into something more luxurious with the Concept XM.

There are black tinted windows to increase the privacy of occupants in the large rear bench seat, which comes complete with diamond quilting and deep-pile carpet to match.

“The design of the BMW Concept XM is an extravagant statement by BMW M in the heart of the luxury segment,” said BMW’s Head of Design, Domagoj Dukec.

“It has a unique identity and embodies an expressive lifestyle like no other model in the BMW line-up.” To be built in both left- and right-hand drive, the electrified Concept XM will almost mostly be sold in Australia after its global release in 2022.