Photos by Joel Tam
Very fast, very grippy and very noisy is what I’d describe the X3 M40i in a sentence. This isn’t even the ‘actual’ X3 M yet! The M Performance series is like what the 'S' series is to Audi, a mid-level performance range that gives you more than the mild and quiet sibling, but not as scorching hot as the wild one.
But to me, this ‘middle-class’ fast SUV is already hot enough. For starters, it features a tuned B58 unit, a turbocharged 3.0 liter inline-six engine already found in the M240i. It’s an open rumour that the eventual king-of-the-hill X3 M (if it does go into production) will have an enhanced version of this power-plant.
It’s really one of BMW’s best engines (which is not saying much since almost all BMW engines are pretty good). Smooth and really punchy from the get go – it feels even stronger than its 360 bhp and 500 Nm of torque suggest. 0-100 km/h is done in a mere 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h can be reached on the NS highway. It’s really quick!
Despite not being a full-blown M-car, the sporty M bits are all there. M sports brakes, 21-inch M alloy sports wheels, M trimmings on the inside, an M aerodynamic exterior package, and a nice M steering wheel with paddle-shifters.
Oh did I forget to mention the orgasmic sounding dual M sports exhaust – with trapezoid-shaped tips finished in dark chrome? Leave it in Sport mode, and experience how loud and proud this SUV tears up the roads – from the second you start up the car till you’re blasting down the ECP, the X3 M40i is barking, popping and crackling all the way.
The 21-inch Bridgestone Alenzas were quite a surprise for me, I had expected a set of grippier UHP tyres, but they did the job well. Coupled with a variable four-wheel drive system and a BMW Performance Control rear differential that varies the torque, the SUV handled and gripped more like a hot hatch than a 4WD – despite actually growing in size over the previous X3.
I’m still not a fan of how the X3 looks, but the M aero kit does help a little bit. At least it now looks more complete at the front end, where it previously seemed to missing a lower section/lip. The huge 21-inch wheels definitely also lend a hand and making the whole package a bit more menacing and less ‘bubbly’ like the standard X3.
Inside it’s the usual bells and whistles. A 10.25-inch touch screen display with BMW ConnectedDrive Services and a full Harman Kardon sound system is standard. As are other comfort-based features like gesture control, roller blinds, easy access trunk and more. All very useful for the driver that needs it all – even in a performance car.
Like I started out saying, our time with the X3 M40i was really not enough. I crave more with it – I was even daydreaming of how I would take this car up a long mountain drive (e.g. Cameron Highlands). So yes, I’m a fan and I’m quite certain it will tick most, if not all, your boxes too.
