The BMW X3 M40i is probably my favorite modern Bimmer. Having recently spent a week with it, I’m totally smitten. It combines fun, comfort, performance and practicality like no other modern BMW I’ve ever driven. It also feels like a bit of a return to form for the brand, as the steering, suspension tuning and handling felt reminiscent of the sort BMW used to make back in the generation of the E46 and E39. I wasn’t ready for how much I was going to like the X3 M40i but what surprised me ever more was its performance.
Powered by a variant of BMW’s new B58 3.0 liter turbocharged I6 engine, the BMW X3 M40i makes 355 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. That punchy motor is paired with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic and powers all four wheels. When all combined, the X3 M40i can get from 0-60 mph in about 4.6 seconds. That’s quick for what will likely be used as a soccer-mom SUV. But it feels a lot faster than that, likely because it’s being done in a small-ish crossover.
In this new video from AutoTopNL, we take a look at what it’s like to blitz the Autobahn in the X3 M40i. As it rockets off the line onto the famous German highway, it gathers speed in a manner that a small SUV simply shouldn’t. It’s seriously quick and it’s not just to 60 mph. Even, after 100 mph, it just keeps pulling. It eventually hits its top speed of 260 km/h (161 mph), which is really impressive in a small SUV.
What’s more impressive is how fast it hits that top speed. It’s not long after merging onto the Autobahn that it’s blitzing at 260 km/h. In a car with a decent back seat and a large trunk. It just reinforces my love for the BMW X3 M40i. If I could afford one, I’d be at the dealer signing papers instead of typing…
