Slowing Others on Track with Brakes
At the conclusion of the 2023 MotoGP season, the manufacturer unveiled their official safety car for 2024 – the XM SUV. Although not drastically altered, there are a handful of minor alterations when compared to what’s available in showrooms worldwide.
Drawing on the pinnacle Label Red variant, this safety car will come fitted with Recaro seating for six passengers complete with harnesses, a fire extinguisher, and a prominent front splitter. It is sensible to equip the XM with the splitter, seeing that it is sure to be speeding around race tracks with tight corners – a task the vehicle is quite unaccustomed to. Additionally, it has been kitted out with a roof shelf and flickering lights. When it commences its offical service in March 2024, the car would flaunt the branded BMW M colors.
Frank van Meel, the CEO of BMW M, highlighted the significance of the XM being the first ever MotoGP Safety Car with an electric drive system. “It is a logical step for the most powerful BMW M automobile we have ever created to become the new face of our safety car fleet in MotoGP,” he said. To refresh the memory, the Label Red is equipped with a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 plug-in hybrid engine that generates 738 horsepower.
The XM could be described as clocking in a whopping 6,100 pounds; an incredible feat that induces groans of disappointment.
The premiere of the XM is scheduled to occur in Doha next year, and we are immensely interested to witness how it compares to its prior vibrant models such as the 2023 M2 safety car.
As a component of the BMW M Award, honoring the individual with the most outstanding qualifying times, BMW gifted Francesco Bagnaia an exclusive XM Label Red – which makes quite a statement given its initial cost of $185,000. This victory marks Bagnaia’s second as he took first place in the previous year’s presentation of the BMW M Award.
“When I won the BMW M Award for the first time last year, it was fantastic. Ever since then, I have been determined to do it again this season and I am absolutely delighted that I managed to achieve my goal,” enthused the Ducati Lenovo driver.
The XM Label Red is the 26th BMW M vehicle to be part of the MotoGP security motorcade, but existing ones have been more sought-after. In 2022, BMW was gracious enough to give out an exemplary M2 CS, which must have been a treat for the safety car riders. We can only imagine how they would be feeling when driving the XM.
