2020 BMW X4 M

2 0 2 0 B M W X 4 M C O M P E T I T I O N ~ B Y R I C H C E P P O S

Advanced Rocketry

Highs: Another rocket-assisted family mover; takes no stoplight guff; turns, too. Lows: So stiff, so costly, feeds the hyper-ute insanity machine.

Possibly the most remarkable thing about the performance of the BMW X4 M is that it’s not so remarkable anymore. In Competition guise, this compact all-wheel-drive hatchback on tiptoes hurls itself to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, claws around a skidpad at 0.97 g, and stops from 70 mph in just 147 feet. But these days, it has plenty of company: a host of juiced SUVs in multiple sizes and price classes that post similar or even better numbers.

Not that the X4 M is anything but impressive. Like most BMW :\a\_`]\_a°S\_aV¼RQ ]_\QbPa` aUR adV[ab_O\ V[YV[R`Ve `V[T` _UN]`\QVR` AUR baRμ` UN[QYV[T V` `UN_] Va` _VQR V` \[ aUR `aVß `VQR \S NPPR]aNOYR N[Q Va` V[aR_V\_ V` VZ]RPPNOYf aNVY\_RQ V[ ¼[R ZNaR_VNY` And of course, you pay handsomely for its ability to make you think you’re driving a car: The X4 M Competition starts at $81,395. It reminds us how much and how quickly high-performance SUVs have Rc\YcRQ `V[PR aUR ¼_`a \S aUR `]RPVR` P_NdYRQ S_\Z aUR ]_VZ\_QVNY automotive ooze just 28 years ago. t h e n u m b e r s

Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

Base/As Tested ............... $81,395/$86,495

Engine: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection Displacement ......................... 183 cu in, 2993 cc Power ..................................... 503 hp @ 7300 rpm Torque ............................... 442 lb-ft @ 2600 rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ................................................. 112.8 in • L/W/H ..................................... 187.5/75.9/63.8 in • Curb Weight ............................................. 4539 lb

t e s t R E S U L T S

Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.2 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 3.3 sec 100 mph ........................................................ 8.0 sec 130 mph ....................................................... 14.4 sec 150 mph ....................................................... 21.5 sec Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ........................ 4.6 sec 1/4-Mile ................................... 11.6 sec @ 119 mph Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................ 161 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ...................................... 147 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ............... 0.97 g

EPA Fuel Economy

• Comb/City/Hwy .......................... 16/14/19 mpg C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ................................................... 15 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Driving ............................ 26 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Driving Range ............... 440 mi

T H E N U M B E RS

HOW WE GOT HERE

A brief history of the hyperactive SUV and how fast each game changer warped the scenery.

1992 GMC Typhoon

The first high-performance SUV was genespliced together not in Germany or Japan, but in Michigan. The Typhoon was so far ahead of its time that no manufacturer cashed in on the potential it represented for another eight years.

2010 BMW X5 M

Though hi-po SUVs were proliferating, it took another seven years after the Cayenne Turbo came out before one of these beasts could haul itself to 60 mph in under four seconds. It was the X5 M that did it, thanks to its ripped 555-hp twin-turbo V-8.

Base ............................... $29,530 Engine ..................... turbo 4.3-liter V-6 Torque ............... 350 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 185 ft Curb Weight .............................. 3822 lb

2000 Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG

The Typhoon may have been the first performance SUV, but it looked like an evolutionary dead end until Mercedes bred the ML55 AMG. Its track numbers are modest by today ’s standards, but it stirred up enough excitement to prove the hot SUV’s viability.

2016 Tesla Model X P90D

The next leap came when a Tesla Model X lowered our 60-mph record for SUVs to 3.2 seconds in 2016. For reference, the Bentley Bentayga and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk could manage only 3.4-second blasts to 60 in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Base ............................... $65,495 Engine ............................... 5.4-liter V-8 Torque ............... 376 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 178 ft Curb Weight ............................... 4913 lb

2003 Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Porsche stunned its fan base when it took the leap into SUVs with the 2003 Cayenne. Despite howls that Zuffenhausen had betrayed its heritage, the Cayenne sold well. The Turbo model was also the first SUV to reach 60 mph in five seconds flat.

2019 Lamborghini Urus

And then there is the Urus. Not only is its 3.1-second 60-mph time the quickest we’ ve ever recorded for an SUV, but it performs better than many sports sedans. It’s a prime example of how far engineers have pushed back at the laws of physics.

Base ............................... $89,665 Engine ............ twin-turbo 4.5-liter V-8 Torque ............... 457 lb-ft @ 2250 rpm Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 170 ft Curb Weight .............................. 5724 lb

Base .............................. $86,225

Engine ............ twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 Torque ................ 500 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 162 ft Curb Weight .............................. 5329 lb

Base ............................. $116,700

Motors .............. 2 induction AC motors Torque ..................................... 713 lb-ft Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 172 ft Curb Weight .............................. 5594 lb

Base ........................... $203,995

Engine ............ twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 Torque ............... 627 lb-ft @ 2250 rpm Braking, 70–0 mph ...................... 149 ft Curb Weight ............................... 5314 lb

60 mph, sec 1/4-Mile, sec @ mph

Typhoon

5.3*

14.1* @ 95

ML55 AMG

Cayenne Turbo

6.5*

5.0* 15.1* @ 94

13.5* @ 104

X5 M

3.9

Model X P90D

3.2 12.4 @ 112

11.6 @ 116

Urus

3.1

11.3 @ 121

Power, hp @ rpm

280 @ 4400 342 @ 5500 450 @ 6000 555 @ 6000 532 641 @ 6000

Typhoon ML55 AMG Cayenne Turbo X5 M Model X P90D

Roadholding, g

0.79

Typhoon

0.75

ML55 AMG

0.82

Cayenne Turbo

0.89

X5 M

0.86

Model X P90D Urus

1.02

Urus