When the X6 was launched in the middle of last year, it seemed a little too audacious to be true. Yes, with the X5, BMW succeeded in making an SUV (what they refer to as an SAV, Sports Activity Vehicle) handle like a sedan, but could they really make a behemoth like the X6, despite its coupe-like roof line, really handle like a sports car?

Well, my disbelief lasted all of two minutes once I actually drove the car at the end of last year. That disbelief was replaced with awe and astonishment at what the BMW engineers had succeeded in achieving, which, frankly, was disregarding the laws of physics completely! And that particular X6 was powered by a 3.0 liter, twin turbo, V6 diesel. This is powered by a mammoth 4.4 liter, twin turbo, V8 petrol.

Since introducing the X6 last year, BMW have taken another, perhaps even more audacious step – they’ve recently launched an M version of the X6. The X6 M and X5 M are both powered by a more powerful version of the 4.4 liter V8 found under the hood of this car. However, as you’d expect, the M division has succeeded in unleashing more horsepower from this twin-turbo V8 – to the tune of 555 horses – making it the most powerful M car ever produced. So, let’s see if the X6 xDrive50i is a good starting point for an M car?

The first time you see an X6, its takes a few seconds for your mind to process its large dimensions combined with its sloping roof line. It really does look like the silhouette of a coupe transposed on the body of an X5. Once you get used to it, however, while it never really makes complete sense, it does have a unique appeal that’s undeniable. It’s certainly a very imposing vehicle, with its tall and aggressive stance. It truly does seem to look down at you in disdain with its seemingly flared nostrils. The rear, on the other hand, has slightly cartoon-like proportions, but its steamroller rear tires ensure that it looks purposeful nonetheless. In one word, it has ‘presence.’

On the inside, the X6 is impeccable. Every surface is swathed in the finest leather, wood or brushed aluminum. The seats are perhaps the most comfortable, and highly adjustable, I’ve ever experienced. You sit high up, but in hip hugging seats, facing a sporty three spoke steering wheel, and you’re not quite sure what to make of it all. Then you fire up the engine, which in this case has freight-train properties, and it all begins to make sense.

This is a car with the driving position of an SUV that can not only out-accelerate most sports cars, but out-corner them as well. Of course, it’s helped in doing so by mammoth 275/40 R20 tires in front, and 315/35 R20 tires at the rear. It also has an incredibly stiff chassis, which is supported by multiple braces in the engine bay to ensure that the car responds immediately when the steering is turned. And while the steering feels considerably heavier than the M3 at low speeds, it does feel better as you pick up the pace – giving you the confidence to push the X6 through the corners. Our test car didn’t come with Active Steering, which is a highly recommended option because it makes the X6 feel about half its size. If the X6 without Active Steering is a physics defying assault on your senses, then the X6 with Active Steering is a perverse attempt by the BMW engineers to reconfigure your brain cells into permanently believing that you’re behind the wheel of sports car on stilts. And speaking of recommended options that actually work, this X6 had another – a head-up display. Courtesy of your favorite jet fighter, this is a digital display of speed projected in the direct field of vision of the driver. I thought it would take some getting used to, but it’s completely intuitive and unobtrusive, while ensuring that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road.



What is truly incredible about this machine, however, is the engine. Slot the fly-by-wire joystick-like gear lever into ‘Drive.’ Then, step on the accelerator pedal with any sort of intent and you’re catapulted towards the horizon with the same kind of ferocity as in the M3. And if the X6 xDrive50i feels almost as fast as the M3, I shudder at the thought of what stepping on the gas in the X6 M would feel like – I’m inclined to believe that only a NASA astronaut would be comfortable with that kind of thrust in such a large machine.

The 6-speed automatic transmission can be operated manually via paddles behind the steering wheel. In this case, however, they’re mounted on the steering itself – you push down on either paddle to change up, and pull back to change down. You can also change gears using the gear lever if you wish. The nature of the engine is such, however, that you never really have to take it out of Drive. It doesn’t matter how quickly you want to accelerate, you simply dab the throttle, and while the shifts are nowhere near as fast as in the M3, there’s no turbo lag at all – the two needles (speedo and tach) simply surge across their respective gauges, unequivocally indicating lift-off.

It truly is an incredible power unit. The two turbochargers are, for the first time ever, fitted centrally within the V of the cylinder banks. This not only makes the engine more compact, and saves weight, but also reduces pressure loss between the intake and exhaust sides, which results in greater efficiency and less turbo lag. And since the X6 has two smaller turbos, versus a larger single turbocharger, lag is reduced that much more. It also has direct injection, which results in instant power delivery. As you step on the throttle, it sounds like a World War II fighter as all 440lb/ft of torque is accessed from as low down as 1750rpm – it’s an experience to savour.



Through the corners, sitting as high up as you do, you just don’t expect the X6 to be anywhere near as agile as it really is. It remains completely flat, with no body roll whatsoever, completely belying its tall stance and relative girth. It also has all-wheel drive and Dynamic Performance Control to help it carry inconceivable velocity through the turns. DPC, unlike traditional stability control systems, doesn’t simply apply the brakes to the wheel that’s slipping (which in turn slows you down), but instead supplies additional torque to the wheels that have grip. This not only helps you drive around the corner safely, but quickly as well. In fact, it’s near impossible to breach the monumental limits of this car on anything but the most tight and twisting mountain roads – and even then the X6 seems to relish the challenge. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as agile or playful as the M3. It just can’t be – there’s simply too much mass. But what the engineers have succeeded in doing is camouflage it to such an extent that you hardly feel it from the drivers’ seat. I can only imagine how much further the boffins at the M division have taken this trickery – suffice to say, the X6 M will be an M car like never before. Does it make sense? Not really. Will it be a worthy M car? I think it could well surprise us all.

As far as the X6 with a 4.4 liter producing a lesser, but still considerable, 400 horsepower goes – it’s certainly an impressive feat of engineering. If you can afford it, and you’re looking for a unique automobile with presence, comfort, and the uncanny ability to embarrass fellow road users in flashy sports cars – this is it. And if you believe that the engine is the heart of an automobile, buy it for the engine alone.

Me, I’ll still take the M3 any day of the week, thank you.

Engine	:	4,395cc / V8 / 32 valves / twin-turbochargers
Fuel	:	Petrol
Transmission	:	6-speed automatic / All-Wheel Drive
Power	:	400bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque	:	440lb/ft @ 1750rpm
Acceleration	:	0-100km/h – 5.4 seconds
Price	:	Rs. 83 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi)