BMWBLOG was given the opportunity to shoot the new X3 at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. BMW brought the “G45” in its most expensive flavor by displaying the M50. It replaces the M40i sold during the “G01” years and is the sole M Performance model. Yes, the M40d is dead, but a six-cylinder, non-M diesel is planned for 2025.

Echoing the press images, BMW brought the X3 M50 with its fresh Dune Grey paint job. The luxury crossover also had the 1037 M wheels we saw in the official photos. It’s a 21-inch set with a two-tone look offered as an upgrade over the standard 20-inch alloys. The old X3 M40i already had the M-signature side mirror cap design so it’s no surprise its replacement mimics the look of a real M car.

What its predecessor didn’t have was a quad exhaust system, which is becoming the norm on M Performance models. We’ve already seen it on the X1 M35i, X2 M35i, and the recently launched M135 hot hatchback. When the M235 debuts near the end of this year, it too will double the number of exhaust tips over the outgoing car.

The car’s design is somewhere between a facelift and a true next-generation model. It is instantly familiar but there are plenty of novelties separating it from the “G45.” The interior is a more drastic departure from the “G01” by having a simplified cabin with iDrive 9. Usually, having that infotainment with curved displays means the separate rotary knob is gone. However, that’s not the case here. You don’t have to rely on the touchscreen all the time since the physical dial is still there.

BMW has been putting the small gear selector in the electric iX3 since fall 2022 but not in the versions with combustion engines. The fourth-generation crossover now has it as well, along with a flat-bottomed steering wheel. For the first time in a BMW, the dashboard can be covered with a material made from recycled polyester. As for the upholstery, the X3 M50 we filmed had an Espresso Brown color for the vegan leather (Veganza).

BMW plans to build the new X3 at two different plants. The gasoline and diesel versions will roll off the assembly line as usual in Spartanburg. The plug-in hybrid (xDrive30e) is going to be made in Rosslyn (South Africa). The first deliveries take place in Q4 2024 in Europe and the United States. Other markets will have to wait until the start of 2025.

As we reported yesterday, there won’t be another X3 M.