By Anthony Karr, Motor1.com
The X3 M together with its coupe-SUV twin X4 M are the latest performance models to join BMW M’s range. During our first drive of the X3 M, we learned that the SUV is actually a pretty capable machine that’s worthy of the M badge.
The Bavarian company has invested a lot into developing the performance
SUV and making it a beast and it believes it should become the
best-selling M model in the very near future.
The M division’s
best-seller globally currently is the M2 Competition which, depending on
the region, is followed by either the M3 or M5. BMW expects the new X3 M to reshuffle the charts and take the top spot within the next few years. Australia’s Motoring recently had a chat with BMW Australia spokesman Adam Davis, who confirmed to the publication BMW’s ambitions about the X3 M.
“We expect the X3 M to be the highest selling M car. It is now by far
the biggest selling M or M Performance car in Australia. So it’s a
logical progression for the X3 M to follow the same course for M cars.”
Global BMW boss Markus Flasch is also sure that’s the most likely
direction: “The X3 M will be within the high-performance segment
probably the highest selling.”
With up to 503 horsepower (375
kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque, the X3 M is
the most powerful production X3 ever released. It has an eight-speed
automatic gearbox with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that allow
you to take control of gear-shifting. In Competition form, the 0-60
miles per hour (0-96 kilometers per hour) sprint takes exactly 4.0
seconds. Top speed is electronically governed to 155 mph (250 kph) –
these are some impressive numbers that should make the performance SUV
the best-seller of BMW M. Or at least that's what BMW believes.
