The X3 M is a recent, but long overdue, addition to BMW M’s portfolio. Debuting in 2019, the X3 M represents BMW’s answer to Audi’s long-running SQ5 and Mercedes’ GLC63. Enthusiasts that needed some space now have options beside the $100,000 X5 M. Make no mistake – the $73,000 X3 M isn’t going to work into everyone’s budget. But then, I suppose 500 horsepower super-SUVs aren’t meant for everyone.
Having driven more than a few X3 Ms in the past – both the original and the more current LCI model – I had a pretty good idea of what the car could do. But when I met the car’s owner to take it for a drive, I was in for a little bit of a fun surprise. After tossing me the keys, he casually mentioned “By the way, it’s tuned! 93-octane only.” Okay then.
After inquiring how much power the X3 M might make, I received an answer akin to “roughly 600 horsepower”. Having been around enthusiasts that throw numbers like that around all the time, I assumed this X3 M was probably making little more power than stock, but many more pops and burbles. I laugh a little bit, feign over-excitement, and hop in the car. My initial suppositions were exactly wrong.
I realized this X3 M was not being oversold by my humble host after maybe 10 seconds of driving it. I needed to merge into some quick moving traffic, so I squeezed the accelerator down to maybe the halfway mark. The ZF8 automatic transmission downshifted eagerly, immediately deciding that it was time to blast off. Somewhere between “the speed limit” and “help me I’m definitely going to jail”, I eased back off and took a minute to catch my breath. I was amazed that this thing felt every drop of 600 horsepower. This was also around the time I realized that driving a stock X3 M will simply never deliver quite the same thrill ever again.
But that’s actually a huge compliment to the X3 M. Being the first BMW M product to receive their most recent inline-six, the S58, expectations were very high. But I’ve always found the S58 to feel a little bit tamer in the X3 M than in say, the…
