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Rumours of a new large BMW SUV have been floating around the Internet since November 2017. However, it wasn’t until a few months ago that Oliver Zipse informally confirmed the news. In late August, he spoke briefly to CNBC about a high-end car that would be built in Spartanburg after a world premiere in 2021.
The “all-new, high-powered hybrid-electric vehicle”, as it is being described in a press release, will be displayed at a private event on Nov 17, and then go public on Nov 29 at 8 PM Eastern Time. BMW USA confirms rumors that the M flagship model will be the first to debut, which could mean it will be an M-only product.
There are conflicting reports on what it will be called. Some say it will bear the X8 moniker, while others believe it will be named XM by BMW. Although the latter would be interesting to see, the most intriguing aspect of the vehicle’s design is likely to be its name. Why? It’s the most likely product to get the controversial split headlight design.
Spies have shown us plenty of evidence that the fast luxobarge will feature a separate LED strip to power the daytime running lights. It is located just above the hood’s outline. To match the SUV’s size, the main clusters will be lower in the bumper. They will also flank a huge kidney grille.
The hybrid setup is said to include a twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor. This will give it a powertrain that can produce over 700 horsepower. A lesser-electrified inline six configuration is possible, but it will also be a full fat M model. The top-tier model will get the stacked quad exhausts that we have been seeing on prototypes recently.
Logic says the X8 / XM is strictly an xDrive affair. It will feature the biggest wheels BMW has ever made on a production car, possibly even a 23-inch set. It will be an M model, so it will make extensive use of carbon fiber, have large brakes, and have a hybrid setup that is sure to exceed two metric tons (4.409 lbs).
BMW has not yet indicated whether the concept or production vehicle it will reveal at the end this month. However, we are tempted to believe that it will be the former. It is likely that the road-going model will be unveiled later in the year. This would make it a 2023MY product for the United States.