Photo: bmw
It looks like all the hard work put into the making of the new BMW X6 M is paying off. In a recent interview with Herbert Bayerl, the project leader for the new car, Sport Auto found that the new Sport Activity Vehicle will match the Nurburgring lap time of the BMW E92 M3.
Ok, you might say that’s nothing at first but you have to look at the full picture. The old model was clocked at 8 minutes and 24 seconds. That one also had a 4.4-liter V8 making in excess of 550 HP and it also weighs around 2.3 tons. However, it was the dynamics of the car and the way the weight moved around (not to mention the aerodynamic part) that held it back.
Chip in the older version of xDrive and the old 6-speed transmission and it quickly starts to make sense why it wasn’t all that fast. The new model... Well let’s just say it’s miles away.
5,000 miles (8,000 km) to be more precise. That’s the distance the car covered during development that helped the M division improve its performance.
During this time, according to Herbert Bayerl, the X6 M proved to be just as fast as the E92 M3 that had 420 HP and weighed less than 1.7 tons. If that’s true, that means the SAC will go around the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes and 5 seconds, basically pulverizing the current record for a full-size SUV.
Furthermore, the whole thing was achieved without changing a thing to the car. Basically, any model should be able to do this. A good deal of the praise should go to the decision of replacing the runflat tires with special, track-ready ones. The stock X6 M comes with Pirelli P Zero tires while the upgraded, 21-inch wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport UHP rubber.
Are we about to see a Nurburgring lap time war similar to the one done by front-wheel drive models earlier this year? Probably not.
Chip in the older version of xDrive and the old 6-speed transmission and it quickly starts to make sense why it wasn’t all that fast. The new model... Well let’s just say it’s miles away.
5,000 miles (8,000 km) to be more precise. That’s the distance the car covered during development that helped the M division improve its performance.
During this time, according to Herbert Bayerl, the X6 M proved to be just as fast as the E92 M3 that had 420 HP and weighed less than 1.7 tons. If that’s true, that means the SAC will go around the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes and 5 seconds, basically pulverizing the current record for a full-size SUV.
How does the competition stack up?
At the moment, Range Rover’s Sport SVR is holding that record with a run of 8 minutes and 14 seconds. In third place would be the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with 8 minutes 34 seconds, admittedly, the previous-gen one.Furthermore, the whole thing was achieved without changing a thing to the car. Basically, any model should be able to do this. A good deal of the praise should go to the decision of replacing the runflat tires with special, track-ready ones. The stock X6 M comes with Pirelli P Zero tires while the upgraded, 21-inch wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport UHP rubber.
Are we about to see a Nurburgring lap time war similar to the one done by front-wheel drive models earlier this year? Probably not.
Google News