RE: BMW exposes X3 and X4 M to the world
Discussion
mr_fibuli said:
The interesting thing about these is that I'd put money on them sharing the same engine and drive train as the next M3/M4 - "S" version of the B58 engine, ZF 8 Speed like the new M5, possibly 4wd?
I know it probably goes against the grain but I like the idea of 4wd in the next M3/M4...if its switchable like the M5. Then you have the grip in wet weather when you want it...and if you enjoy show boating you have Rwd only for plenty of fun too. Still have no clue why people bother commenting on these articles with the same dross replies. The market wants a range of cars and some people like to drive something different to you.
Pistonheads quality journalism continues though with forced stereotypes. Good luck with getting taken seriously by manufacturers next year.
For anyone interested I have an E46 M3 (which I believe is still counted a worthy car) but also thoroughly enjoy punting around a nearly new X5 for completely different reasons. Will seriously consider one of these because it can be the "M" of SUV's, and in my experience that means it can offer something different and not always less smile inducing.
blingrims said:
Still have no clue why people bother commenting on these articles with the same dross replies. The market wants a range of cars and some people like to drive something different to you.
In this particular case the first half of the original article was pretty much one of those dross replies. 
9k rpm said:
As someone with 2 kids under 2 and all the associated junk that comes with them this really appeals to me for when we Holiday in France and the rest of the time. As long as the price doesn’t seem to silly I’ll be chopping my M4 in for one. M5 is too expensive and won’t have a boot as big.
Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
If there was an M3 Touring option would you choose that over the X3M? Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
I don't have kids, it's just me and the wife, but if I were in the market for a pacey car with extra storage then I think I'd be looking for a fast estate.
HorneyMX5 said:
9k rpm said:
As someone with 2 kids under 2 and all the associated junk that comes with them this really appeals to me for when we Holiday in France and the rest of the time. As long as the price doesn’t seem to silly I’ll be chopping my M4 in for one. M5 is too expensive and won’t have a boot as big.
Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
If there was an M3 Touring option would you choose that over the X3M? Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
I don't have kids, it's just me and the wife, but if I were in the market for a pacey car with extra storage then I think I'd be looking for a fast estate.
If pace above space was the aim, I'd go saloon.
I'd wager Audi lose more sales of the RS4/RS6 by not having a saloon than BMW do by not having a touring. AMG sell 6 saloons for every estate, and that ratio is getting wider with more SUV options.
Roma101 said:
And so the PH anti-BMW lobby whine on. It’s beyond boring now. Even worse, the journalists have joined the pack. Matt - I really rated you, but your last two articles on the BMW SUVs have not been your finest hour. Ever heard of objectivity?
The article was beyond terrible. Dreadful to project his own, pathetic prejudices and beliefs so strongly into what should be an objective piece.Are we ever going to get am article on the next Lotus Exige saying it's an utter piece of crap because it's really unrefined compared to most cars, it has a pathetic size boot compared to an E class estate and how it's too low to go off roading? Of course not.
I think it’s important to note that a huge success, which the X56M were, doesn’t really mean anything.
M isn’t what it used to be.
A wide appeal M is just business.
M to BMW changes as often as the wind.
It was never really a fixed thing, but decades after the originals the basic M just means flashy and powerful over most other metrics.
The specials have always been more focussed and interesting.
Just because BMW feel they have to badge these full M doesn’t mean they have to live up to perceived M’ness, just sell a lot and fit the market demographic expectations.
If you want a “proper M” for you buy the closest thing and modify it to suit.
Cripes, imo even a slightly tweaked E30 325 msport was more alive and buzzing and sporty feeling to me than the well regarded E46 M3 which felt a bit cocooned and aloof.
Mass market appeal cars that cost a lot will never be that focussed, sadly.
M isn’t what it used to be.
A wide appeal M is just business.
M to BMW changes as often as the wind.
It was never really a fixed thing, but decades after the originals the basic M just means flashy and powerful over most other metrics.
The specials have always been more focussed and interesting.
Just because BMW feel they have to badge these full M doesn’t mean they have to live up to perceived M’ness, just sell a lot and fit the market demographic expectations.
If you want a “proper M” for you buy the closest thing and modify it to suit.
Cripes, imo even a slightly tweaked E30 325 msport was more alive and buzzing and sporty feeling to me than the well regarded E46 M3 which felt a bit cocooned and aloof.
Mass market appeal cars that cost a lot will never be that focussed, sadly.
Its amazing how "pointless" everyone says a BMW X and a number and a letter M is, then if someone posts something like an KTM Xbow, Ariel Atom it suddenly has a point, even a BAC Mono does and that only has one seat, ok we all think cool, but that is a bit "special" really isnt it, a car with less seats than a motorcycle thats named after a virus !
And also, though we like a bit of Motorsport, from an objective point of view, it is the most pointless pursuit known to man, cars going round and round in a circle.
But, hold that thought, things dont have to have a point !
If someone enjoys something and it doesn't do anyone else any harm then crack on, as car enthusiasts that like some very compromised cars, we are on shaky ground calling a slightly compromised version of an SUV pointless due to a more rakish roofline, more power and some badges.
And also, though we like a bit of Motorsport, from an objective point of view, it is the most pointless pursuit known to man, cars going round and round in a circle.
But, hold that thought, things dont have to have a point !
If someone enjoys something and it doesn't do anyone else any harm then crack on, as car enthusiasts that like some very compromised cars, we are on shaky ground calling a slightly compromised version of an SUV pointless due to a more rakish roofline, more power and some badges.
HorneyMX5 said:
9k rpm said:
As someone with 2 kids under 2 and all the associated junk that comes with them this really appeals to me for when we Holiday in France and the rest of the time. As long as the price doesn’t seem to silly I’ll be chopping my M4 in for one. M5 is too expensive and won’t have a boot as big.
Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
If there was an M3 Touring option would you choose that over the X3M? Yes yes I’ll hang my head in shame of course.
I don't have kids, it's just me and the wife, but if I were in the market for a pacey car with extra storage then I think I'd be looking for a fast estate.
Ok, so my BMW history is a presently owned 1966 2000CS with some Alpina tweaks - yes it’s a 4 cylinder, but a very charismatic one of the Escort Twin Cam type idea. BMW are of course best known for their smooth inline sixes, and in the past I’ve had a white with black leather manual 325i SE E36 saloon, an Estoril Blue M Roadster S51, a Dakar Yellow E36 M3 Evo and an E46 M3 in Estoril Blue, plus a V12 (two sixes!!!) E38 750il in Oxford Green with tan leather and those very nice 18” wheels with about 20 thin spokes which sound like Alpinas from my description , but which are a factory option. The rears much more heavily dished than the fronts, from factory. This one is a friend’s car but I split the bills with him while he was away for 6 months and I used it as a daily driver, so I am including this too. Also a pristine 2002 Turbo almost 20 years ago when they cost 12k rather than 70-80. Another 4 cylinder with charisma. Anyhow ..
We can surmise I really like BMW cars of the traditional , high performance, good looking type which we all love them for. I would not buy this X3M or X4M as I have no need for a practical car whatsoever. However for a yuppie or whatever they are called nowadays, a young person doing well, who bought a secondhand 911 at 26 and at 34 now has a kid, this is the sort of thing they might want to buy. The point is, it is 6 cylinder and petrol. 5 years ago people were banging on about the diesel Audi SQ5 , the emperor sure had been clothes shopping with that one. This car is clearly going to be a lot nearer my old BMW performance cars than the SQ5 is to , say, the B7 RS4.
As an aside , I drove an i3 and an i8 not so long ago, and while the i8 was ok in a 911-goes-vegan type of way, the i3 was genuinely brilliant. I was super impressed by the performance. The inevitable electric future might well be ok based on these two.
So in the present, the X3M is a petrol 6 cylinder, not a 3 or 4 cylinder turbo diesel with 9 turbos and no charm. Of course it will handle fairly well. This is good news, surely, for parents who really want an M2 Competition or an M4 (or a 911) and not, say, an Evoque SD4?
We can surmise I really like BMW cars of the traditional , high performance, good looking type which we all love them for. I would not buy this X3M or X4M as I have no need for a practical car whatsoever. However for a yuppie or whatever they are called nowadays, a young person doing well, who bought a secondhand 911 at 26 and at 34 now has a kid, this is the sort of thing they might want to buy. The point is, it is 6 cylinder and petrol. 5 years ago people were banging on about the diesel Audi SQ5 , the emperor sure had been clothes shopping with that one. This car is clearly going to be a lot nearer my old BMW performance cars than the SQ5 is to , say, the B7 RS4.
As an aside , I drove an i3 and an i8 not so long ago, and while the i8 was ok in a 911-goes-vegan type of way, the i3 was genuinely brilliant. I was super impressed by the performance. The inevitable electric future might well be ok based on these two.
So in the present, the X3M is a petrol 6 cylinder, not a 3 or 4 cylinder turbo diesel with 9 turbos and no charm. Of course it will handle fairly well. This is good news, surely, for parents who really want an M2 Competition or an M4 (or a 911) and not, say, an Evoque SD4?
Edited by myhandle on Tuesday 11th September 21:52
Edited by myhandle on Tuesday 11th September 22:18
Edited by myhandle on Tuesday 11th September 22:22
Edited by myhandle on Tuesday 11th September 22:47
Funk said:
chazwozza said:
Can't even be bothered to read it. Coming to a school run near you because of the badge soon.
Hah, I didn't bother after the first paragraph either - utterly pointless vehicles and they'll sell by the boatload no doubt.J4CKO said:
If someone enjoys something and it doesn't do anyone else any harm then crack on
But I think it does some Pher some harm based on the hostile, absolute and binary comments about the cars and about their drivers...or the perceived drivers, where massive but convenient generalisations are drawn, similar to people judging entire groups of people based on how they choose to pay for a car. I don't really understand the motivations behind the systematic hostility but I assume it's borne out of bitterness and unhappiness. DoubleD said:
Funk said:
chazwozza said:
Can't even be bothered to read it. Coming to a school run near you because of the badge soon.
Hah, I didn't bother after the first paragraph either - utterly pointless vehicles and they'll sell by the boatload no doubt.And if we are talking about a true M car, such as the M3, it's a 5 seater passenger car at the end of the day, not a sports car. But it's as close as a sports car for a 5 seater as you'll get. These sports suvs ate just that, as sporty as you can make that type of vehicle.
When we're on the road, we're not trying to get a personal best each time we take it out, we just want to enjoy driving when we can. You can enjoy driving all sorts of vehicles, and anyone who says they couldn't have fun in one of these is probably lying. Sure, an M3 might beat it in a race, but that's not what it's all about.
This shootout between the Merc gle63 v bmw x6m shows you can have a lot of fun driving cars like these.
https://youtu.be/vpV3xYGqh9k
Ranger 6 said:
Hoofy said:
...Most people will use these cars ("SUVs") for commuting, school runs, weekend shopping trips. They're just MPVs with 4WD.
BUT b
ks to mud plugging. We need more of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqPRwm-C_8I
I'm not most people and while it's not the Dakar I do have off-road history with X3s. But I have done the school run as well...BUT b
ks to mud plugging. We need more of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqPRwm-C_8I
Ares said:
Funk said:
Hah, I didn't bother after the first paragraph either - utterly pointless vehicles and they'll sell by the boatload no doubt.
Even more utterly pointless post.This car is no more utterly pointless than a 300bhp hot hatch or a 500bhp saloon.
) IMO -- the hatch and the saloon solve the same problem better, more elegantly. These M-on-stilts things are less good than they could be due fashion.Sure with enough engineering thrown at the problem, they can be made OK. Same as you can make jeans with holes from new last, or salad with rucola taste good. It just takes *a lot* of unnecessary effort.
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