Much like with the 7 Series, BMW has refrained from giving the X7 the M treatment. There were a couple of M Performance versions available for the pre-facelift model, namely the M50i and M50d, but both have been discontinued. Nowadays, the LCI is offered in an M60i flavor, which was pitted against the defunct diesel that perished in 2020 with a Final Edition. The special version marked the end of the bonkers quad-turbo diesel engine.
The folks at Carwow lined up the two performance SUVs in a heavyweight battle to see which one was faster in the quarter mile. We’ll remind you that the X7 M50d used the “B57D30S0” engine, an inline-six 3.0-liter unit that produced 394 hp and 560 lb-ft (760 Nm). As for the X7 M60i, it has the M division’s new S68, a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 mild-hybrid capable of 523 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm).
Aside from having entirely different engines, the two luxobarges are separated by about 140 kilograms (308 pounds), with the X7 M60i being the lighter version. Looking at the specs, the gas model should be notably quicker since BMW has rated it at 4.7 seconds for 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) whereas the M50d takes a full second more.
Predictably, the X7 M60i was substantially quicker to the quarter-mile mark. Even with five people inside the SUV to make it heavier, the gas model still crossed the finish line ahead of the quad-turbo monster. In the subsequent rolling races from 50 mph (80 km/h) to the half-mile, the gap between the two was even bigger, in the M60i’s favor yet again.
The X7 M50d did manage to win one duel by coming to a halt first in the brake test from 100 mph (161 km/h) but that’s merely a consolation prize.
Hopefully, it won’t be too long until we’ll see how the XM / XM Label and the 2024 X5 M Competition fare in drag races. The latter should be the quickest-accelerating BMW SUV of them all, even though the heavier plug-in hybrid XM packs more punch.
Source: Carwow / YouTube
