X6 Official: BMW X6

[Human]

1. BMW AG in it's role as engine manufacturer in automotive applications of which 44% + are powered by diesel engines and the known fact/s that it builds the best award winning engines (petrol and diesel).

2. ///M or BMW M is the performance arm of BMW and economic, environmental and competitive changes has changed the simple way of business at BMW AG and BMW M. Thus the product portfolio has changed and so has the marketing. That is called survival, being sustainable and focus on future growth within the company. All brands and subsidiaries within the BMW Group has to participate in the strategies for future growth and sustainability.

3. The biggest contributor to growth is - product offensive - thus the Powered by ///M - Diesel is just that and IMO a f-ken brilliant idea. Diesel, the way BMW does Diesel can wear ANY badge, bring on a Diesel Rolls-Royce!

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Why don't you just forget about this marketing stuff and just recognise the new engine for what it is. It is made by BMW or M or both, but it's from BMW AG and BMW is the only brand in the world with this engine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not actually complaining about the M badge being used. I wasn't one of those talking down M's move to go turbo, I wasn't chanting 'M now stands for Marketing' or creating online petitions, nor would I care if there was an M5 Diesel or an AWD M5. I'm not complaining, I'm simply trying to understand the strategic thinking behind this new line of Mxxd models (as in, trying to understand the business case and marketing analysis behind it all, but more specifically the reasoning for 'M' in the name, and why they aren't also developing a range of Mxxi (eg: M550i) cars?).

Usually, SCOTT would chime in right about now with somewhat of an explanation.

I imagine this response from south may answer a few of my questions:

Beemer B773ER: How will this motor compare to the current x50i V8TT ?

south: I'd assume that straight line performance will be similar but the M50d will outperform it on handling. ​

Reading between the lines, it seems as though these Mxxd will have superior handling characteristics than comparative x50i models. That leads me to believe that M may have been involved in providing this improvement in handling dynamics...and maybe had little to no involvement in the actual engine.
So this may answer the first question of why the M name is used....but if indeed the key difference between the Mx50d and x50i is handling and not engine performance, then would not also apply this improvement to the x50i models and create an M550i/X5 M50i/X6 M50i ?

The answer to that may well be the reasoning provided by Betty:

Because all things being equal, a petrol engine is (in most cases) more desireable. Certainly to the people who can afford a 50i. As good as diesels engines are, their main benefit is better fuel economy. Certainly in Europe, the 50i in the X5/X6 is a VERY low seller. So BMW are trying to find a way to get people to part with as much money as it would take to buy a 50i. Enter the 50d. But for the same reason you don't get a diesel Rolls-Royce, the higher the premium the car, the less attractive a diesel power plant becomes. Hence the addition of M to make it seem more desireable.​

Nice and informative communal discussion this.

 

[Sunny]

BMW have enough good engineers and a lot of experience in building diesel engines, why do they even need to go to M?

Well, the same could be said about a lot of things at different points in time. BMW engineers after all had more experience with turbo engines while M engineers had none before they developed S63, so why go to M to develop S63/S63Tu? And yet they delivered something very special by all accounts compared to N63. So knowing next to nothing about this new diesel engine (or the car for that matter) why rush to judgement to write it off as cynical marketing ploy? It might very well be just that or maybe it will be special enough compared to N57. To me, it is too early to say.

 

[SCOTT27]

What you have to look at is that 10 years ago - We only had the M3 and M5 after the ZM twins were discontinued. So there has been expansion but all too often people fail to see that although the main core market for M was the US, that is what should be focused on.
But in the growing expansive markets you cannot ignore what other markets are demanding which led to cars such as the X5M and X6M which have been responsible for the M brands growth in developing markets and demand in these markets are still rolling in for X5M and X6M.

You cannot just put your eggs into one basket , or one market it is not sustainable for growth and many fail to understand this and fail to understand that BMW with every new product think globally instead of American or locally. A BMW must work in all markets , The M diesel is a challenge and one that the engineers at M were very excited to take.

It is very much moving the game on and taking the M brand to more customers that want fresh and exciting new directions to emulate high performance. The X6 M50d and M550d are very unique in terms of performance and you will be shocked in a kind of grab your throat kind of way because it is an exciting way to bring an efficient high performance car , especially to markets where the diesel runs supreme , And still maintain that driving formula , that precision you get with an M.

With the M50d you are about to enter a Brave New World for Performance diesels and because it is a diesel that should not deter anybody especially those who like BMW M's mix of dynamic handling , driving precision and range of performance. Although the M50d is for the mid and upper level segment they are thinking of a smaller performance diesel for the lower end of the range such as the 1er , 3er , X1,X3 and the X4.

BMW will not be the last to do so with their performance brand.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Well, the same could be said about a lot of things at different points in time. BMW engineers after all had more experience with turbo engines while M engineers had none before they developed S63, so why go to M to develop S63/S63Tu?

Because the future for M is turbocharged, so there was more reason for them to develop their OWN engine for their OWN model. They're going to have to do it a lot more in the future. The 50d is an engine for a standard BMW, not an M product, so why BMW couldn't just do it themselves I do not know.

So knowing next to nothing about this new diesel engine (or the car for that matter) why rush to judgement to write it off as cynical marketing ploy?

I guess I wouldn't put anything past BMW any more when it comes to milking the M brand. An X5/X6 has no business being associated with anything "M". A diesel M is an abomination. Mark my words. This will be the tip of the iceberg if it's successful, and I'm sure it will be.

But, BMW know full well there's money to be made, and the potential customers of the M550d or whatever else they produce, don't give a toss the damage it's doing to the M brand. Why these models just couldn't be known as 550d or xDrive50d, I will never know.

 

[Palbay]

Power dome?

Saw this car today. Can confirm power dome hood. Power dome seems toned down from X6 Hybrid......a little more subtle. Front end of this car seemed more sculpted and with sharper lines in the front fenders and hood. Could have been the angle that I viewed the car from. Hard to believe BMW would rework the front end skin for a relatively small production run car. Exhaust note is Outrageous!!!! The loud deep roar of the 5.0i TTV8 X6. But even louder and deeper!!!! That note could change with tweaks to the mapping and later refinement of the production model. I hope not.....hands down the best high performance diesel exhaust note I've ever heard. No clue it was an oil burner. Sorry no pic's.I was on an important phone call when the car appeared. Could not talk business,shoot pic's and drive all at the same time. Its out...I'll get some pic's. I'm going to try and shoot some vids. You gotta hear the exhaust note. Thanks. PalBay PS...BMW Blog is reporting 381Hp/545 lb ft of Torque Tri Turbo Six Cylinder Diesel. Rumor: BMW X6 M50d 0-62mph in 4.9 sec and 545 lb-ft of torque

 

[EMpower]

Rumor: BMW X6 M50d 0-62mph in 4.9 sec and 545 lb-ft of torque

 

[SKY]

Man, this engine is driving me crazy. It will be 0.2 secs slower than X6M and 0.3 than M5. Honestly, as much as I love petrol engines, this new M50d almost reach the M equivalent numbers with much less power. Not no mention it will be considerably cheaper.

 

[mini_cooper4]

If the X6MD can reach 100km/h in 4.9sec. then the 5er will reach in 4.7sec. and if they put this engine in the 3er - 4.4sec.
IMO

 

[Betty Swollocks]

It doesn't matter how fast it is. It's still a diesel engine.

 

[EMpower]

Man, this engine is driving me crazy. It will be 0.2 secs slower than X6M and 0.3 than M5. Honestly, as much as I love petrol engines, this new M50d almost reach the M equivalent numbers with much less power. Not no mention it will be considerably cheaper.

And you can further tune it to deliver more.....

 

[Zafiro]

Man, this engine is driving me crazy. It will be 0.2 secs slower than X6M and 0.3 than M5. Honestly, as much as I love petrol engines, this new M50d almost reach the M equivalent numbers with much less power. Not no mention it will be considerably cheaper.

A diesel will never be a petrol engine. Besides new M5 got 560hp/680nm, its going to destroy the diesel in straightline. Acceleration is more than just reaching 100km/h.

 

[klier]

^ 100 km/h to 200 km/h is where the big huge difference will be.

Just like how the new S8 is faster 0-100 km/h than the new M5 because of it's AWD. But after that? Heh...

 

[Zafiro]

Most impressive thing is this:

BMW expects a fuel consumption of 6.3 liter per 100 km, or nearly 38 MPG. CO2 levels are 165 g/km.

 

[mini_cooper4]

Most impressive thing is this:

BMW expects a fuel consumption of 6.3 liter per 100 km, or nearly 38 MPG. CO2 levels are 165 g/km.

That's where nobody is getting me

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Most impressive thing is this:

BMW expects a fuel consumption of 6.3 liter per 100 km, or nearly 38 MPG. CO2 levels are 165 g/km.

Impressive? Show me a situation in the real world where you can actually achieve anything close to that figure and I will be impressed. I had an X5 with the 286HP diesel engine two years ago. Over the course of three days I never saw a figure better than 30mpg (9.4 l/100km). Most of the time it was a lot worse than that. In fact, I was so appauled by the consumption figure that I decided to drive for an hour, on a motorway at a constant speed of 100km/h, just to see how low the consumption could get. The result was the figure of 30mpg (9.4 l/100km). And I am really anal about these things. Whenever I collect cars, the first thing I do is make sure the tyre pressures are correct.

So, God knows how you expect the more powerful 50d to get 38mpg.

 

[Zafiro]

That youtube clip. Its a big fat SUV, not a sportscar. LOL

 

[Beemer B773ER]

That youtube clip. Its a big fat SUV, not a sportscar. LOL

Put them together and you get... SportSUV.. Bingo

 

[LaArtist]

Diesel M?? im all for it..

Looks like the FL will get 5er ish head lights

 

[Betty Swollocks]

What a load of Betty Swollocks.