These days it seems the term polarizing constantly appears when talking about new BMWs. With its bronze trim, intricate front fascia and oversized proportions, the new XM certainly fits that definition. It’s a three-ton high-performance SUV, but maybe it should have been a pickup truck.
A new render from X-Tomi Design offers a taste of what such a thing could look like. And you know what? That’s not really good. Full-size pickups have certainly grown over the years, both in capability and in over-the-top designs with massive grilles and chiseled faces. The BMW XM shares the same wheelbase as the company’s three-row X7 SUV, so it’s not small. And judging by the more than 70 comments on our first BMW XM article, most Engine1 readers aren’t exactly fond of her looks. It is also an understatement.
This rendering changes nothing to the front, but the bulky rear is obviously removed in favor of a rather basic mic bed. The bronze trim is still there and the front fascia is as busy as it’s ever been. We’ve all gotten used to larger-than-life pickup trucks, and in the United States, they’re more popular than ever. Maybe that’s why this rendering is so interesting. As a chunky SUV, the XM seems to have few fans when it comes to style. But does it look better as a van?
It would definitely be an animated transporter. The XM is the first autonomous M vehicle since the M1, and it’s not something BMW takes lightly. There’s a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 under the hood making 483 horsepower, but it doesn’t work on its own. It is a plug-in hybrid, with an electric motor integrated into the transmission for an additional 194 hp. In total, the XM generates 644 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and it claws the ground with all-wheel drive. An upgraded Label Red edition due next year ups the ante to 735bhp. It would make an average pickup truck.
Of course, this is just a fictional fantasy, although an interesting one. Does the XM really look better as a pickup truck? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and check out more BMW discussions in the ride on cars podcast.
These days it seems the term polarizing constantly appears when talking about new BMWs. With its bronze trim, intricate front fascia and oversized proportions, the new XM certainly fits that definition. It’s a three-ton high-performance SUV, but maybe it should have been a pickup truck.
A new render from X-Tomi Design offers a taste of what such a thing could look like. And you know what? That’s not really good. Full-size pickups have certainly grown over the years, both in capability and in over-the-top designs with massive grilles and chiseled faces. The BMW XM shares the same wheelbase as the company’s three-row X7 SUV, so it’s not small. And judging by the more than 70 comments on our first BMW XM article, most Engine1 readers aren’t exactly fond of her looks. It is also an understatement.
This rendering changes nothing to the front, but the bulky rear is obviously removed in favor of a rather basic mic bed. The bronze trim is still there and the front fascia is as busy as it’s ever been. We’ve all gotten used to larger-than-life pickup trucks, and in the United States, they’re more popular than ever. Maybe that’s why this rendering is so interesting. As a chunky SUV, the XM seems to have few fans when it comes to style. But does it look better as a van?
It would definitely be an animated transporter. The XM is the first autonomous M vehicle since the M1, and it’s not something BMW takes lightly. There’s a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 under the hood making 483 horsepower, but it doesn’t work on its own. It is a plug-in hybrid, with an electric motor integrated into the transmission for an additional 194 hp. In total, the XM generates 644 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and it claws the ground with all-wheel drive. An upgraded Label Red edition due next year ups the ante to 735bhp. It would make an average pickup truck.
Of course, this is just a fictional fantasy, although an interesting one. Does the XM really look better as a pickup truck? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and check out more BMW discussions in the ride on cars podcast.