BMW XM in Milan – New ‘Il Mostro’
UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER AT VIA MONTENAPOLEONE
It was a warm spring evening in Milan when I was walking down what probably is one of the most luxurious shopping streets in the world. Of the most stylish, that’s for sure. But the very famous Via Montenapoleone was never the destination for me, it only formed the road to a the Larusmiani store to revisit one of my favourite Alfa Romeos ever – the Carabo. Irrespective of that, I was maniacally turning my head around, confused like a puppy and performing all the window shopping. Suddenly, a familiarly strange shape caught my attention…
Through a vintage gate, partially open, I noticed a silhouette of what could be the most controversial BMW ever – the XM. Quick rewind to May 2022 and I realised exactly a year ago I had the pre-premiere opportunity to experience it in a closed room at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. A gigantic SUV presented in a far too small room was as much impressive, as it was uninspiring. Now the circumstances were flipped upside down. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
FULL OF CONTROVERSIES – OR IS IT?
The second encounter with the XM is doubtlessly more pleasant than the first. The sheer size and mass of the biggest SUV with the famous M-Power badge simply needs sufficient space to breathe. After all, it is five-metres long, two-metres wide and nearly 1.8-metres tall. Weighing in at… an astonishing 2.7 tonnes, this car has “respect” written all over it. Knowing such a block is able to accelerate from a standstill to 100 kmph in just 4.3 seconds to me is beyond imagination. Realising it can go as fast as 270 kmph – simply scary.
XM’s arrival on the market stirred up the opinions, and for a variety of reasons. Firstly, purists were shocked with the electrification efforts coming also to the high-performance M-line. Here, the V8 twin-turbo is paired with the eDrive technology, integrated into the eight-speed gearbox. Secondly, to say that the design is controversial is a huge understatement. The “kidney grilles” grew similarly to other models from the marque and all its body lines come closer to the boxy G-Klasse from the competition’s catalogue rather than the first modern SUV in a coupe body – the X6.
But when one examines the lines long enough, BMW’s largest car to-date becomes more and more appealing. In my book some colours fit it more than others, and the Cape York Green metallic on display does the job just right. Golden accents contouring key elements contrast well with piano black plastics but… maybe the enormous golden wheels are just a bit too much. Whilst I had the chance to sit in the XM in the closed room, the recollections can be vaguely summarised with one word - comfortable. Hopefully I can re-visit it in the upcoming future.
GOODNIGHT, IL MOSTRO
Leaving the courtyard at Via Montenapoleone 14, I suddenly recalled an Italian legend which debut was so controversial, that the design itself was nicknamed “Il Mostro” – “a monster” in Italian. Whilst there is no discussion on the Alfa Romeo SZ penned by Zagato being much more of an icon when compared to the XM, after that night I truly believe these two have much more in common than their two-letter names.
Text & Photos: Adam Pekala ©
