M2 vs Other Option – Which Is Better?
BMW may have experienced the worst PR disaster of 2023 following the disastrous crash of an XM Label Red in the most recent edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. In the video below, you can view the destruction at the 4:50 mark.
BMW North America delivered an X5 to overcome the production SUV benchmark set by the Bentley Bentayga in 2018. With Rhys Millen as the pilot, the bulky 5,529-pound W12 Bentayga did the 12.42-mile course in 10 minutes and 49.9 seconds. The Bentley was likely expected to be a simple contest since it only gave out 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.
The highly-anticipated XM Label Red is the most authoritative product ever of an M car, yielding 738 horsepower and a maximum torque of 738 pound-feet through a dual-boosted 4.4 liter V8 with a plug-in hybrid system transmitting energy to a single electric engine which was fused to an eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox. Alas, adversity occurred.
The dash began splendidly, the electric motor endowing its powerful force, propelling the XM forth with a speed comparable to that of a supercar.
From the get-go, one really gets the feeling that the XM might be a bit out of place. The back end nearly steps out, yet Matt Mullins succeeds in managing it perfectly. Mullins is in charge of the BMW Performance Driving School and an expert stunt driver – we have no doubts about his ability.
The vehicle selected possibly wasn’t optimal. We conjecture that an M2 may have been a preferable option, but the XM boasts of being the definitive incarnation of all that M represents today, which renders this movie all the more sorrowful. Sadly, we haven’t any idea about what happened as there was little reporting related to the actions on the track. Nevertheless, we know it wasn’t long before the XM reappeared hauled by a truck in a turbulent condition.
Examining the wreckage, it seems that the passenger side of the vehicle has sustained the greatest harm. We are wishing that some eye-witness video will come to light in the near future, so as to give us a more clear understanding of the events that transpired.
Commendations are due to BMW’s safety division because ultimately, Mullins exited unscathed with little harm.
Randy Pobst recorded the quickest time in the Exhibit Division driving a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, achieving a stunning 6 minutes and 57 seconds. As there were no other Sport Utility Vehicles ahead of him, Bentley’s record endures.
Definitely, BMW didn’t make the enumeration of the supreme Pikes Peak cars ever made; still, it wasn’t the sole producer to not obtain its objective. Ford crafted a SuperVan with 1,400 horsepower in an effort to seize the unchanging record yet sadly, it couldn’t succeed.
