RE: BMW's diesel X6 M?
Tuesday 20th December 2011

BMW's diesel X6 M?

It's an M car, but not as we know it...



"This is a new kind of car," says Brian Watts, the BMW M division's head of marketing. "On every road, you feel like you're on a race track. It deserves the M badge."

This is a pretty brave thing to say about the X6 M, from a purist's point of view, but when we tell you that this is expected to be a teaser for a new diesel version of the M-badged X6, you might find it even more upsetting.

But then again there is a possibility that a 381hp, tri-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel powerplant might be more than a little appealing. Especially with 546lb ft of torque.

It's called (we think) the X6 M50d. And it's certainly going to prove controversial. Whether it'll prove to be good, well, that's something we can't call just yet...

 

Author
Discussion

Luca Brasi

Original Poster:

885 posts

195 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
That is wrong on so many levels. Oh well, as long as M keep making proper M-cars, I don't really care.

DodoRacing

539 posts

228 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
It's upsetting to see and X6M Diesel(or any X? M for that matter) before a new Z4 M. Sad to imagine that M GmbH engineers had to give in to the marketing people.

kambites

70,291 posts

242 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
I can't really think of a vehicle that better sums up what I dislike about modern cars. hehe

ETA: Still it'll sell, so good luck to them.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 20th December 11:20

5lab

1,788 posts

217 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
DodoRacing said:
It's upsetting to see and X6M Diesel(or any X? M for that matter) before a new Z4 M. Sad to imagine that M GmbH engineers had to give in to the marketing people.
its not marketing, its just profit margins. of the people who can afford to buy a new 'm' car, there are far more who would like to waft around, sitting high up, using relatively little fuel, than there are who would like to sit with there arse a couple of inches above the floor in an uncompromising, noisy 2 seater

toppstuff

13,698 posts

268 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
The negativity that will no doubt follow will be entirely predictable. Yawn.

But if you want high performance with a high driving position, then this car is for you.

And there is nothing wrong with that. This is a free market and presumably BMW know that people will buy the car. Makes money for BMW and results in some happy punters. Smashing.

I don't mind the car personally, and a hugely powerful diesel sounds pretty crazy.

Vive la difference !


JD84

210 posts

173 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
If this is the advert all over you tube, I hate it; dare I say the guy looks like he should be in an anorak outside of school.

Also, other than company buyers, who is going to spend 70 plus grand on a niche engine in a niche car. If I had to have an x6 why on earth would I spec this diesel over the petrol from the m5.

Apologies for spelling and grammar, but I am being lazy on my phone.

Numeric

1,499 posts

172 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
The M badge has held little value for many years - every person with an M body kit on their 118d seems to think they have the ultimate driving machine and more than a few glue an M badge somewhere... but it doesn't take away that the real Ms are awesome bits of kit and if this is really just another badge job then we can file it in the brain as a marketing lash up and hope it pays for the next great thing!

Dave Hedgehog

15,574 posts

225 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Numeric said:
The M badge has held little value for many years - every person with an M body kit on their 118d seems to think they have the ultimate driving machine and more than a few glue an M badge somewhere... but it doesn't take away that the real Ms are awesome bits of kit and if this is really just another badge job then we can file it in the brain as a marketing lash up and hope it pays for the next great thing!
BMW pimped the M badge as fast and as hard as Audi did with quattro biggrin

gumsie

680 posts

230 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
inkiboo said:
Only on PH would people be moaning about a car that produces 20bhp less than a E39 M5 and consumes less than half the fuel.
It's not just about the figures.

moskvich427

227 posts

196 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
BMW pimped the M badge as fast and as hard as Audi did with quattro biggrin
Exactly - the M535i of the 80s springs to mind.

The X6 is an utterly pointless car... but the engine within sounds like a gem.

Mr Whippy

32,072 posts

262 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
FFS, especially with 546lbft of torque.

It's IRRELEVANT.

It's a lower revving engine than any equivalent petrol, thus the torque advantage it has at the crank is lost in longer gearing.

6500rpm gearing vs 4500rpm gearing ~ 378lbft of torque... around about smack on with the 367lbft the old V8 M5 made with ~ 395bhp peak... surprising that they correlate so closely. It's almost as if there is a trend between torque and rpm, called, ummm, lets call it power... biggrin


Please please please stop using a torque figure as anything meaningful with regard to performance! The power figure tells 90% of the story about how fast it'll go!

It's a 400bhp diesel X6 M-sport basically. Great for 90% of people who won't use half the power anyway.

Dave

T16OLE

2,964 posts

212 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Mr Whippy said:
FFS, especially with 546lbft of torque.

It's IRRELEVANT.

It's a lower revving engine than any equivalent petrol, thus the torque advantage it has at the crank is lost in longer gearing.

6500rpm gearing vs 4500rpm gearing ~ 378lbft of torque... around about smack on with the 367lbft the old V8 M5 made with ~ 395bhp peak... surprising that they correlate so closely. It's almost as if there is a trend between torque and rpm, called, ummm, lets call it power... biggrin


Please please please stop using a torque figure as anything meaningful with regard to performance! The power figure tells 90% of the story about how fast it'll go!

It's a 400bhp diesel X6 M-sport basically. Great for 90% of people who won't use half the power anyway.

Dave
Well said, couldnt agree more that its a X6 M-Sport though, its degrading to M

toon10

6,929 posts

178 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
This car is wrong on so many levels. A diesel people carrier albiet a posh one with an M badge. Sales and marketing devaluing heritage but they built it because it will sell.

GroundEffect

13,864 posts

177 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Mr Whippy said:
FFS, especially with 546lbft of torque.

It's IRRELEVANT.

It's a lower revving engine than any equivalent petrol, thus the torque advantage it has at the crank is lost in longer gearing.

6500rpm gearing vs 4500rpm gearing ~ 378lbft of torque... around about smack on with the 367lbft the old V8 M5 made with ~ 395bhp peak... surprising that they correlate so closely. It's almost as if there is a trend between torque and rpm, called, ummm, lets call it power... biggrin


Please please please stop using a torque figure as anything meaningful with regard to performance! The power figure tells 90% of the story about how fast it'll go!

It's a 400bhp diesel X6 M-sport basically. Great for 90% of people who won't use half the power anyway.

Dave
That's the whole point of giving BHP figures, so you don't need to know the gearing effects...

Oddball RS

1,757 posts

239 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
gumsie said:
inkiboo said:
Only on PH would people be moaning about a car that produces 20bhp less than a E39 M5 and consumes less than half the fuel.
It's not just about the figures.
Don't believe the quoted MPG figures for a minute, most 'powerful' diesels are WAY down on the manufacturers figures, esp if you through in even a modern slush box. Real world i bet this won't crack 20-25mpg max.

g3org3y

21,904 posts

212 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
DodoRacing said:
It's upsetting to see and X6M Diesel(or any X? M for that matter) before a new Z4 M. Sad to imagine that M GmbH engineers had to give in to the marketing people.
^This. Unfortunately, money talks.

Timmycube

12 posts

180 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
I'm not posting here to comment on the car, just the advert.

It's so cheesy that when it started I thought it might be a spoof! Come on;- The guy points into the camera whilst talking!

I can only assume this advert targets a different demographic to me? (Well, it has to because I can't afford a new Golf, let alone a new X6!)

MC Bodge

26,418 posts

196 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
From an engineering point of view, it is probably a good solution to the task of taking the a large 'utility(-ish) vehicle' and turning into a 'sporting car'. The requirement for 'sporting' ability has little to do with driving and more to do with image anyway.

Obviously, making it a bit lower, lighter, changing the transmission and fitting sensible wheels might have been better.

Something like this, but with smaller wheels?

inman999

34,196 posts

194 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
That video is truly horrific. BMW selling its soul to the marketing men/women.

Buff Mchugelarge

3,316 posts

171 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
These 'things' always make me laugh,

If you want a fast, practical, large BMW buy an M5 (its faster, handles better, more MPG, more room)
If you want a stupid, oversized, chelsea tractor buy an X5(its cheaper, more mpg, more practical)
If you want a fast coupe buy an M3..(they're just cool. You wont have the pointing and laughing issues)

Why would anyone buy one of these? seriously?

And yes.. That ad is cringe worthy in its cheesiness