RE: 2023 BMW XM | PH Review

[E90_M3Ross]

I think it's awful but there probably is method to their madness.

It doesn't look like anything else, it's bold. People with lots of cash don't always want something that looks like something else. Maybe. Not sure.
I still don't like it

[Arsecati]

Alpenus said:

Where would this forum be if it wasn’t for moaning, only thing that gets you lot to log in

And where would this forum be without people moaning about other people moaning.

[S600BSB]

Where did it all go wrong for BMW.

[CDP]

No on pretty much every level.

[E90_M3Ross]

S600BSB said:

Where did it all go wrong for BMW.

It will vary for a lot of people. Many regard the E46 3, E39 5 and E38 7 series as peak BMW. I still think the later cars are nice, and have aged very well. They also still drove well and had great engines (E9x M3 and E6x M5 and M6 are possibly BMWs best M engines ever).

In terms of going downhill there hasn't been an M engine since the E9x M3 that has made me think "wow". My dad had the V8 M6 back in 2012. Stonkingly fast and potent, but bland (in my opinion).

Styling is another matter. I think the current 3 and 5 series are really nice looking cars, I also like the 2 series. But the other cars are terrible. Their core cars have historically been the 3 and 5 series, they probably are less so now with the rise of the SUV, but these are still nice cars, and still, supposedly, class leading in terms of how they drive. I have seen a few M3s and M4s with "that grille" and, to be honest, I don't mind it. It looks better in the metal I think, but that doesn't mean I prefer it to some earlier cars.

[Alpenus]

Arsecati said:

And where would this forum be without people moaning about other people moaning.

This

[SuperSonicSloth]

Money can't buy taste. I'm genuinely intrigued to see how many of these things they manage to sell.

[Mouse Rat]

There's a lot of people with a lot of money about who want the newest, shiniest, thing no matter how bad or tasteless.
They want to be noticed. This will sell.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

Is this the 'Beaver Tooth' or 'Hippo' era of BMW car design? I think it needs to be confirmed for posterity.

'The Ultimate Driving Machine'....

[JimbobVFR]

Twinair said:

I’d be genuinely concerned about parking this - anywhere else than in a covered garage - away from people with eyes…

And I'm struggling to imagine a garage big enough, not many are I'd have thought

[Ruffo]

Well someone in BMW has won a bet!

[Maccmike8]

I like it. Would happily have that on the drive.

[SuperSonicSloth]

Mouse Rat said:

There's a lot of people with a lot of money about who want the newest, shiniest, thing no matter how bad or tasteless.
They want to be noticed. This will sell.

You're absolutely right, I fear.

[OPC100]

I watched thestraightpipes review on it and couldn't believe that one of them actually said he liked the way it looks. Only redeeming feature for me is the V8 sound, the rest is just horrible.

[Arsecati]

Mother of sweet divine jaysus!!!!!!

Anyway, not much point me saying anything else, but I had to say something (what with this being PH, and thus feeling utterly compelled to). I didn't actually read the review because I couldn't be @rsed (what exactly was it going to tell me?), but I've read every single post here in the comments section, and by god did it not disappoint.

Funny old place is PH, where the comments section are pretty much guaranteed to be more entertaining than the actual article!!

[Hereward]

Being kind I could say this expresses similar monolithic brutalism to the Rolls Royce Cullinan at one third of the price. Tremendous value!

[9k rpm]

So it’s ugly and crap. Well done BMW.
What is going on over there.

[Om]

JimbobVFR said:

And I'm struggling to imagine a garage big enough, not many are I'd have thought

The kind of people who buy this don’t want it hidden away in a garage. They want it on show at the front of their semi-detached new build with its arse hanging out over the pavement.

[DMZ]

The review was entertaining.

I’m not sure I get buying a BMW to stand out. Surely people buy BMWs to fit in? If you have a lot of money and want to show it with a car, you don’t really start with a BMW.

[TWPC]

Hereward said:

Being kind I could say this expresses similar monolithic brutalism to the Rolls Royce Cullinan at one third of the price. Tremendous value!

Very generous of you to find a point in favour of the XM. However, I counter that the Dacia Bigster looks like it will offer the same aesthetic for one fifth of its price (and a bargain one fifteenth of the Cullinan).