XM Label Red unleashed as most powerful BMW yet

BMW has taken the wraps off its most powerful road-legal M car to date, the XM Label Red, and it’s coming to SA.

Behind the bold red kidney grille resides a 4.4l V8 twin-turbo petrol engine combined with an electric motor for a total system output of 550kW — making it the most muscular sports SUV in the market and outgunning rivals like the 490kW Lamborghini Urus Performante, 500kW Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-hybrid and 520kW Aston Martin DBX 707.

The power output is 70kW up on the regular XM plug-in hybrid that was launched just a few months ago, with torque rising by 200Nm to 1,000 Nm.

This gives the XM Label Red the claimed ability to scorch the 0-100km/h sprint in a supercar-like 3.8 seconds — half a second quicker than the regular XM. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, but rises to 290km/h on cars with the M Driver’s Package, which will be standard issue on models sold in SA.

Perhaps the most eye-popping figure is the low fuel consumption, claimed at just 1.7l/100km when driven sedately, due to the electric motor helping to increase the efficiency of the combustion engine. The car is able to drive on solely electric power for up to 83km, at a top speed of 140km/h.

The high-voltage battery can be recharged from zero to 100% in 4.25 hours at a home or public AC charger.

With two electronically controlled and continuously adjustable flaps, the sports exhaust system provides a fittingly emotive accompaniment to the engine’s power delivery.

The Label Red is more powerful, more exclusive and more extravagant, says BMW, aimed at “customers with a taste for an extroverted lifestyle and a passion for ultimate performance in a car reaching beyond traditional conventions”.

Power is channelled to the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox. To optimise road-clawing ability, an electronically controlled M Sport rear differential provides fully variable distribution of drive torque between the left and right rear wheels.

Adaptive M suspension, active roll stabilisation (ARS), an M Sport braking system and four-wheel steering come standard.

Customers can opt for a more subtle black instead of the extroverted red accents on the front kidney grille and side windows, and there are more than 50 BMW Individual special paint finishes available. The BMW XM Label Red rides on 22-inch light-alloy wheels.

The cabin décor includes red accents, a BMW Curved Display with M-specific content, head-up display, parking assistant plus, a premium Harman Kardon audio system, and a three-dimensional prism headliner with 100 individual LEDs.

An exclusive edition limited to 500 examples will feature an exterior paint finish in BMW Individual Frozen Carbon Black metallic.

The BMW XM Label Red makes its world premiere at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition later this month and production begins in August at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US.

It is not yet confirmed when the vehicle will arrive in SA, and at what price.