The verdict: More an “Ultimate Look-at-Me Machine” than an “Ultimate Driving Machine,” the 2024 BMW X6 M Competition is loud, large and more than a little bit loony.
Versus the competition: The X6 M’s competitors are just as loud, large and loony as it is; the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe matches it perfectly, right down to an inefficient use of space, tons of power, a stiff ride and silly track modes.
If you haven’t been paying attention, allow me to point out that the German automakers have lost their minds. For proof, look no further than this Velvet Blue crossover coupe from BMW, the 2024 X6 M Competition. The whole crossover coupe idea is already ridiculous — lopping off the top of a perfectly good SUV to create a curiously squat, high-riding, four-door hatchback that delivers less utility but costs more money — but to then ramp the thing up to supercar levels of performance? They’ve done so via in-house tuning divisions (M Division at BMW, AMG at Mercedes-Benz) that stuff insanely overpowered engines under the hood — with available carbon-ceramic brakes at the Mercedes’ corners — then add all manner of electronic suspension and drive mode frippery. The whole thing is just nuts.
Related: 2024 BMW X5, X6 M Competitions: Hybrid V-8 Promises Efficiency Boost
Super Sports Car Equipment
Nuts or not, that’s what we have here: a version of the X6 (essentially an X5 SUV with a chopped top) that’s been given the M treatment. This model tops the X6 range, which starts with a basic X6 xDrive40i that’s powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that makes 375 horsepower. Next is the X6 M60i xDrive, which swaps out the six-cylinder for a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 making 523 hp. If you’re ready to go full mental, here it is: the X6 M Competition, which makes 617 hp and 553 pounds-feet of torque with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. A sport dual exhaust system enhances engine breathing, and it’s selectable to be loud or not.
The X6 M’s engine is mated to a special eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission that’s been thoroughly modified to handle the increased power. BMW made a number of changes, including the addition of a higher-capacity cast-aluminum oil sump with cooling fins, a more rigid hydraulically damped transmission mount for more direct power delivery and shorter gear ratios through the first three gears for improved hard acceleration from a dead stop. The transmission also incorporates an electric motor that’s part of the vehicle’s 48-volt mild-hybrid system, and it can provide up to another 12 hp and 147 pounds-feet of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a permanent all-wheel-drive system that incorporates an active limited-slip rear differential and a special traction control system to help retain composure and grip in any kind of driving situation.
The result: a massive five-seat SUV that can rocket from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, BMW says. I wasn’t able to record any instrumented tests, but given the ungodly immediacy of the power delivery I experienced in my long weekend with the X6 M in and around San Francisco, I have no reason to doubt it. Power comes on in a locomotive-like, unstoppable rush and propels the X6 M to ridiculous speeds in a roaring surge of old-school V-8 power. It’s an intoxicating feeling that none of the new crop of hyper-fast electric vehicles can duplicate — regardless of fake, piped-in starship noises.
There’s also a huge array of driving-related adjustments that can be made to the X6 M via the center multimedia screen. Drivers can even create two custom modes and assign them to bright red M buttons on the steering wheel. These buttons are pretty useful if you suddenly find yourself in a situation where ramping all the settings up would be helpful — like if you’re coming upon a section of twisty two-lane canyon highway that calls for throttle mapping, transmission shifting, steering feel and a host of other things to be amped up to maximum sportiness. If you’ve set a bunch of conditions to one of those buttons, you can just punch it to activate those custom settings, then tap it again to disengage, allowing for instant transformation of your X6 M from comfortable cruiser to backroad brawler — then back again as needed — without hunting through any menus. Pretty slick, I must say.
It Hustles, Too
The X6 M is a lot more than just a straight-line acceleration machine: the steering feel, the huge brakes, the electronically controlled suspension — all of it aims to make the X6 M a weekend track machine. It’s a pretty daft goal given its huge size and nearly 5,500-pound curb weight; nobody is ever going to take one of these on a track. But like its Mercedes-Benz counterpart, the GLE63 S Coupe — which I did drive on a track to prove you could (but not necessarily that you should) — it’s ready should you decide to try. In typical BMW fashion, it’s as athletic as a big SUV like this could possibly be. Its massive wheels and tires provide incredible grip (and a fairly stiff ride); the super-chonky steering wheel is begging for you to grip it; and it displays a willingness to run that necessitates great restraint to not always drive like a maniac. Like many vehicles of its ilk, the X6 M’s biggest problem has nothing to do with the car itself — it’s the fact that everyone else on the road will be in your way. I can’t lie, it’s a blast to drive, but it’s a burden to use.
Enough Already
Each new BMW I test confounds me even more with the level of complication of its controls and systems. This X6 M is no exception. The digital dashboard is certainly dramatic, but it’s not user-friendly. Living with one might eventually bring familiarity and ease of use, but it’s a steep learning curve. Even simple actions like adjusting the cabin temperature and air direction are hidden in unusual controls and icons, buried in dedicated menus that you’ll have to figure out how to find. Even the reconfigurable digital instrument panel is busy, difficult to change up and distracting when you just want to see simple information. Simply put, there’s a lot going on in the X6 M, it takes a while to learn how to use it, and it’s all extremely distracting — when none of it really needs to be.
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One advantage the BMW has over its main Mercedes-Benz competitor is that nothing on the steering wheel itself is touch-sensitive. The Mercedes’ control systems have touch-sensitive sliders on the steering wheel, meaning there’s large portions of it that you can’t touch without accidentally activating something, and that is hot garbage. The Mercedes-Benz MBUX multimedia system is better organized and easier to use, but its control systems are not.
Comfortable, ‘Coupe-ish,’ Compromised
The rest of the X6 M Competition’s interior is quite nice. The front seats are supportive, and they’re covered with excellent-quality materials, as is the rest of the cabin. Backseat headroom is a little compromised given the chopped-top nature of the X6, and legroom is just OK for such a large SUV. The cargo area suffers similar packaging issues, with a lower roof and hatchback opening, and there’s a rather high liftover to get things up into that cargo area. On top of all that, rear visibility is also compromised, again due to this vehicle’s exterior shape. You’ll really, really need to want the coupe-like look of the X6 in order to put up with all this. The X5 M Competition is mechanically the same, far more useful and no less sporty.
The other reason you’ll really, really need to want one of these is how much they cost. A new 2024 X6 xDrive40i starts at around $75,000 (all prices include destination fee), but an X6 M Competition starts just north of $128,000 — a staggering sum. My test vehicle, which had $5,000 Velvet Blue paint and a $3,500 leather interior, among other options, rang in at $146,345. That’s nearly twice the cost of a base X6. Woof. It should be noted, however, that the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe I tested cost $147,260, or near-as-matters exactly the same as the X6 M Competition I drove.
I tell ya, though, the X6 M Competition’s looks (and V-8 rumble) stopped every passerby, valet and hotel doorman in their tracks. I heard so many compliments about its looks, how mean and aggressive it is, and how sweet it sounds. The lust and desire in so many people’s expressions and comments made me think I’m the only one who thinks the idea of this thing is barmy. The fact that it and the GLE63 S Coupe exist is proof that someone out there wants these things, even if it’s just a handful of folks. For them, it’ll be just perfect.
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