Maybe an M2 would have been a better choice.
BMW may have suffered the biggest publicity stunt flop of 2023 after an XM Label Red crashed at the recent Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. You can skip to the 4 hours and 50 minutes mark in the video below to see the damage.
BMW North America sent an XM to beat the production SUV record set by the Bentley Bentayga in 2018. Piloted by Rhys Millen, the 5,529-pound W12 Bentayga completed the 12.42-mile course in 10 minutes and 49.9 seconds. The Bentley likely looked like an easy target, only producing 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.
The XM Label Red is the most powerful production M car ever, producing 738 hp and 738 lb-ft from a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 and a plug-in hybrid system sending power to a single electric motor incorporated into the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission. But things did not go according to plan.
The run started pretty nicely, with the electric motor doing its torque-filling job, slinging the XM forward at supercar-like speed.
At the first turn, you get the idea that the XM might be out of its element. The rear end nearly kicks out, but Matt Mullins saves it beautifully. Mullins is the Chief Driving Instructor at the BMW Performance Driving School and a stunt driver, and we don't doubt his skills at all.
The choice of car was perhaps not ideal. We're guessing an M2 would have been better, but then again, the XM claims to be the ultimate M car and a representation of everything M stands for these days, which makes this particular video even sadder. Unfortunately, we have no idea what happened, as coverage of the on-track antics was highly limited. But we know that a few minutes after the XM left, it returned on the back of a truck looking like a mangled mess.
Looking at the damage, the front right took the most damage. We hope some spectator footage might emerge soon so we have a better idea of what happened.
The most important thing is that Mullins made it out in one piece without serious damage. Kudos to BMW's safety department.
The fastest time in the Exhibition Division went to Randy Pobst in a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid with a time of six minutes and 57 seconds. With no other SUVs on the grid, Bentley's record stands.
So, BMW is definitely not making the list of the best Pikes Peak cars of all time, but it wasn't the only manufacturer to fail its mission. Ford built a 1,400 hp SuperVan to claim the all-time record but could not.
Keyword: 738-HP BMW XM Label Red Bites The Dust At Pikes Peak