The BMW M division’s first dedicated model in 40 years has leaked online, showing it won’t stray too far from last year’s XM concept.
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The 2023 BMW XM – the first standalone BMW M model since the 1970s M1 supercar – has leaked in online patent images, a few months before its official launch.
While the BMW XM was spied with minimal camouflage, the new patent renderings highlight the car’s angular lower front bumper, slim LED headlights and large ‘kidney’ grilles.
The XM’s window line incorporates a unique in-set design, stretching from the car’s front guard to the rear wheel-arch panel.
The concept car’s ultra-slim tail-lights have been replaced with a more traditional set of LED lamps, although the stacked quad exhaust tips remain.
Compared to the BMW XM concept, the production car’s roofline appears to be more conservative, leading to its uniquely-shaped rear window expected to feature BMW logos etched into the glass – a nod to the M1 supercar.
The patent images don’t provide a look inside the BMW XM’s cabin, although spy photos suggest the company’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch central touchscreen will likely be equipped.
BMW has confirmed the XM will be powered by a new twin-turbo V8 petrol-electric hybrid system, developing 480kW and 800Nm at launch, with assistance from a “high-performance” electric motor.
A higher-performance version is expected later – rumoured to wear the Black Label name – with nearly 550kW and 1000Nm.
The 2023 BMW XM is rumoured to be revealed next month, ahead of production starting in December 2022.
BMW Australia has not yet confirmed its plans for the XM, however it appears a logical fit for Australia, given the local popularity of BMW X SUVs and M performance models.
