M aficionados take note: The 2010 X6 M (and yet-to-be-tested X5 M) represents the most dramatic shift in BMW's Motorsport division since its inception – and it's not because they're the first crossovers branded with the tri-tone "M" badge. This high-riding duo are the first M machines ever to be equipped with all-wheel drive. The first fitted exclusively with an automatic transmission. And the first (and surely not the last) to pack a pair of turbochargers. M has evolved, but BMW hasn't lost the plot – it's completely rewritten the screenplay, added Michael Bay firepower and harnessed the electronic might of a supercomputer farm to tie it all together.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

Enthusiasts who had hoped for an M-worthy performance upgrade may be disappointed by the largely cosmetic M Sport Package recently announced for the flagship 7 Series. But while purists have balked at the idea of a full-on X6 M (pictured above), buyers looking for a little extra oomph from their sports-activity-whatsit were undoubtedly satisfied. So it may come as a little surprise that BMW is reportedly preparing to launch an M Sport package for the X6 that also includes some power upgrades.

According to reports, the oil-burning X6 xDrive35d with the M Sport package will get a boost of 20 horsepower to 306 courtesy of the recently launched 740d's powerplant, while the twin-turbo xDrive50i will increase output by 42 horsepower over stock. Of course, there will also be a special body kit and bigger 20-inch wheels along with the requisite badging of the X6 M Sport package, all of which gives those who want a little extra sport in their ute but aren't interested in the full-on X6 M a solid choice in between. Expect the package to hit the market later this year.

[Source: Motor Authority]

For the last eleven years, BMW has partnered with MotoGP to provide safety vehicles, although this year the car setting the pace is, well, not a car. Just days after BMW officially introduced the X6 M at the New York Auto Show, one had already hit the track at the MotoGP in Qatar.

Complete with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine producing 555 horsepower, the X6 M can perform its duties essentially in stock form. The only changes apparent include a light bar on top and BMW Motorsport livery. With the racing series coming to Monterey for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, we got our first look at the X6 M safety vehicle and made sure to snap some pics alongside its M6 counterpart. Check out our high-res gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

You know you've always wanted to drive a four-hundred-horsepower BMW through city streets like a bat out of hell, and now the Bavarian automaker has the legal remedy. All you'll need to do is get certified as an ambulance driver and convince your local emergency response unit to invest in this X6 ambulance, which BMW is showcasing at the upcoming RETTmobil rescue vehicle show in Fulda, Germany. The ultimate driving machine question is, which will be more difficult? Considering on one hand that the certification process is takes longer than the ending of a Peter Jackson film, and on the other that ambulances tend to require a lot of space and that the X6 is among the least utile crossover vehicles on the market, we'd say it's about a draw.

Following the X6 M safety car which BMW rolled out for MotoGP, in actuality this specially-equipped X6 xDrive50i, (complete with 407hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 and more lighting than Kevin Costner's corn field) is being presented as a first-responder vehicle, carrying a doctor or paramedic to the scene of an emergency before an ambulance can get there. Few details are available, but then again, there are few cities with the kind of budget to acquire one of these bad boys. Check it out in the gallery below.



[Source: BMW]

BMW X6 M MotoGP safety car - Click to view in high resolution

Coupes, sedans, convertibles, even sport-wagons... BMW's venerated Motorsport division – known to all the world by the letter M – has tuned all sorts of vehicles from the Bavarian automaker's lineup, but with the launch of the new X5 M and X6 M, this is the first time the tuning division has been tasked with tweaking a crossover or SUV... or anything with four-wheel-drive, for that matter. Purists might view it as a bridge too far for the garage that has turned out such precision driving tools as the original 3.0 CSL, the exotic M1 and the spectacular M3, but Munich's marketing department has evidently wasted no time in assuaging those doubts by putting the new X6 M on the track as quickly as possible, and in one of the most speed-crazed, testosterone-infused forms of motorsport on the planet: MotoGP.

Fresh off the floor of Manhattan's Javitz Center, where it debuted at the ongoing New York Auto Show, the X6 M debuts this weekend Qatar as the official safety car of the MotoGP race at Losail. The new M-tuned "sports activity coupe" joins a paddock full of vehicles provided by BMW to serve as safety cars and trackside VIP transports, including the M6, M5 Touring and M3. This marks the eleventh season in which BMW has partnered with MotoGP. Follow the jump to read more in the full press release, and check out the pair of images of the X6 M safety car by clicking the thumbnails below.




[Source: BMW via MotoGP]

Chris, Dan, and Sam got together for Episode #122 of the Autoblog Podcast, and no politics were harmed in the making of this installment. Of course, it was mostly a lead-up to the New York Auto show, so we discussed what's ready to debut in Manhattan. GMC's Terrain gets some attention, as do the M versions of BMW's X5 and X6. We also take the time to answer a few questions and address a concern or two before wrapping it up. See you next week after New York, where we're sure to pick up plenty of talking points. Thanks for listening, and as always, drop us a line at podcast at autoblog dot com, and hit our Twitter feed, too.

Follow the jump to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, add the show to your RSS aggregator or listen to it right now!

BMW has done the inexplicable inevitable, expanding its M treatment from cars to SUVs (or Sports Activity Vehicles in BMW parlance). The New York Auto Show marks the world debut of the X5 M and X6 M, and in typical M fashion, the high riders get substantially more power than their more pedestrian variants. Both vehicles get uprated versions of the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that debuted in the X6 last year. Power goes from a mere 400 hp up to 555 hp in M form with torque swelling from 450 to 500 lb-ft. While the increase in twist doesn't seem like all that much, BMW is claiming it's produced from 1,500 all the way to 5,650 rpm.

The 4.4-liter V8 is direct injected and like other such engines with turbos, torque aplenty is the result. Like the standard version of the V8, the M variant has the intakes on the outside of the cylinder heads with the exhaust and twin turbos planted in the valley between the banks. This new version sports a revised exhaust manifold that combines the flow from both banks into the duo of twin scroll turbochargers. Learn more about the new Ms after the jump.

After a series of spy shots and a handful of teasers, Acura has finally given a name to its BMW X6-fighting crossover: the ZDX. Due to arrive in concept form at next week's New York Auto Show, the all-new ZDX is described by Acura as a luxury four-door sports coupe "with the added benefit of a commanding presence and flexible utility." Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales, says the "ZDX prototype is unlike anything you have ever seen from Acura." From Acura, yes. From BMW...

The Acura ZDX evolve from a lightly-veiled "concept" into a production model slated to go on sale this fall. Powertrains haven't been revealed yet, but we'd suspect either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged V6 to be available at launch. Acura's press release is posted below the fold.

The crew at Acura have released a single teaser of a new concept due to arrive at next month's New York Auto Show. The darkened overhead image doesn't show much, but the angular front and rear fenders, single set of door handles and sloping roofline gives us a glimpse of the BMW X6-fighting crossover spied in the past. Acura has confirmed plans to add an all new niche model into its line-up for 2010 as it continues to strive for Tier 1 status. If it's a four-door coupe-like CUV, some might question the logic, but with two crossover architectures already available, it might be a low-cost way of matching BMW model-for-model.

UPDATE: Four more images added to the gallery thanks to AcuraZine.

The last time that we saw this vehicle, it was caught circulating the Nürburgring wearing a lot more camo than this example, and it's widely believed to be a new crossover from Acura. So far, Acura hasn't actually given any public indication that this machine even exists or is planned. Nonetheless, it's wearing all the contemporary Acura styling cues and the Nürburgring pics clearly showed the shield grille through the camo.

This particular example was snapped by an alert AB reader while it was evidently conducting cold weather testing in Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada. Judging by the reduced amount of camouflage on this unit, it's probably getting close to a public launch, and we're guessing that with its pronounced slope-back, it will have BMW's controversial X6 and Infiniti's FX softroader squarely in its sights. Thanks to Jeff for the awesome tip!