We’re taking a pause from our 7 Series G70 coverage to share a spy video of an equally controversial car. The XM is about to make the transition from last year’s concept to a production model, but not before a final round of tests. Heavily camouflaged prototypes were seen this week tackling the Nürburgring, flaunting their stacked exhaust tips.
Since the final version will arrive about a year after the concept, chances are the design won’t go through many changes. We’re tempted to believe the XM will remain faithful to the ultra-edgy showcar. After the X7 LCI and the new 7er / i7, it’s the next high-end BMW to get the split headlights. Also noticeable are the 23-inch wheels of last year’s Concept XM, along with the typical M mirrors.
The biggest visible change thus far compared to the 2021 preview is the adoption of traditional door handles. Some of the more recent BMWs have flush handles, but it looks like the XM will have the old design. However, the camouflage could be playing tricks on us. Elsewhere, the greenhouse is quite small for such a large vehicle, mainly because of the heavily sloped roofline.
Expected to make 750 horsepower in production guise, the XM will become the most powerful production BMW. It will not only be significantly more potent than the 627-hp M5 CS, but also stronger than the recently announced 660-hp i7 M70. Being a large SUV with a big twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor, it’s also going to weigh about as much as the moon.
With production in Spartanburg starting towards the end of the year, the 2023 BMW XM will likely be unveiled in the following months. We’ve heard through the grapevine there will be two lesser versions, one dubbed XM Black Label with around 650 hp and a base model called XM Red Label with 600 hp. As for the top dog, it’s supposedly called XM Competition.
Source: Automotive Mike / YouTube
