Without question, the most polarizing BMW of this century is the XM. Built from the ground up as an M car, the BMW XM isn’t built on a pre-existing BMW model. Instead, it’s a standalone M Division product, the first such car since the original BMW M1. So you’d imagine that it would be some sort of sleek, lightweight sports car, to match the ethos of the brand. It isn’t, though. Instead, the XM is a monstrous hybrid SUV that weighs as much as a school bus and features the strangest BMW styling maybe ever. In other words, it’s the perfect car for a Doug DeMuro video.
In his latest video review, DeMuro checks out the BMW XM to show you all of its quirks and features and there are many. In fact, the BMW XM might be the quirkiest, featured-packed Bimmer in history. Everything from its exterior design, to its interior design, to its engine, to its very existence is odd. I’m surprised DeMuro was able to make this video under an hour long.
Up front, the BMW XM is the most unusual looking BMW of all time. Not only does it features new and unique design features, such as the grille and the headlights, but it’s also just proportionally strange. It looks like its sections were designed by different people, in different rooms, without discussing anything with each other and then just slapped all the designs together. There are lines, angles, and shapes that go everywhere and nowhere.
Inside, the front compartment is pretty typical of modern Bimmers, with the same iDrive screen as every other new Bimmer, a similar center console to cars like the X5, and even similar door cards. However, the back seat is incredibly unique. Its design is drastically different than the front’s, which makes the rear seat look and feel special. The headlight is especially cool, with an odd geometric pattern that’s side lit for ambient effect, That’s never been seen before on a car interior.
Under the hood lies BMW’s new S68 engine, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, which is paired with an electric motor, making it a plug-in hybrid. It produces 650 horsepower, making it the most powerful car in BMW’s history. However, it will also be able to drive up to 30 miles on pure electric power.
But that’s just scratching the surface of the XM’s quirks and features. DeMuro’s video is far longer and more comprehensive than that, showing off the true oddities of the vehicle. He talks exterior design, lighting, interior design, tech, and even the headliner, to prove just how odd and quirky it is. It’s a car that seems tailor-made for a Doug DeMuro video.