BMW X5 M and X6 M revealed before official debut

Before their official debut at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW’s new X5 M and X6 M performance SUVs have officially seen the day's light. Based on the latest X5 and X6 regular counterparts, the updated duo now comes with more power, extra gears and a host of other technological enhancements. 

The performance duo gets its power from an uprated version of the familiar twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, rated here at 575-bhp and 750 nm of peak torque, that is about 20 bhp and 70 nm of torque more than the predecessor. Both models comes equipped with a common eight-speed Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, which takes them from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds flat. BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive comes as standard with the duo, but with a rear-biased torque split unique to these M variants. The system employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch to allow fully variable distribution of drive between the front and rear axles, from 100 percent at the rear to up to 100 percent at the front.

The M-engineers has also worked over the suspension setup. The duo features modified upper wishbones, which result into enhanced camber as well as optimized camber progression, and steering pivot axis to aid agility in corners. The coils are also stiffer than before, causing a 10-millimeter drop in the ride height. While the self-levelling air suspension does its duty at the rear. And yes, not to forget, all of this is adjustable, with the modes- Comfort, Sport and Sport+ to choose from.

The SUVs rides on 21-inch light alloy wheels, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, measuring 285/35 up front and 325/30 in the rear. The brakes are vented steel discs with massive six-piston calipers up front and a single-piston set at the rear. And there’s also a choice of two new and exclusive paint finishes- Long Beach Blue Metallic and Donington Gray Metallic.

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