The X6 xDrive 50i 'sports activity coupe’ arrives at $145,000. Photo Gallery
I'm feeling sick.
Not because the BMW twin turbo V8 X6 costs $145,000 and few _ most definitely not including me _ can afford it in these tough economic times.
No, it's because it goes around corners so fast it sucks the fluid in my eyeballs sideways until they feel like they will explode; it unblocks the wax in my ear canals with a `pop'; and it violently churns the contents of my stomach.
Just as well I didn't have the apple pie and cream for lunch before the twisting rollercoaster roads of the Reefton and Black spurs in Victoria during the national launch this week.
The X6 xDrive50i comes with the same Dynamic Performance Control as the six-cylinder petrol and diesel X6 models which makes cornering the 2.2-tonne beast a remarkable feat of technology.
It shifts the drive around the four wheels as needed, virtually obliterating under- and oversteer and making a mockery of reducing-radius corners.
A digital diagram of how much power is distributed to each wheel shows on the instrument display in front of the driver, but only they can see it (unless a rear passenger unbuckles and leans over the driver's shoulder) and even they can't see it when it is working as the steering wheel supports are in the way during cornering.
Nevertheless, it works; the technology as bamboozling as a Nintendo Wii and just as much fun.
However, it is the extra urge of the twin-turbo V8 with 300kW of power and 600Nm of torque that has me reaching for the barf bag and my passenger reaching for the non-existent panic handles.
Together with self-levelling suspension which guarantees flat cornering under all sorts of G forces the feeling is unnatural.
Driving
It corners more like a hard-sprung sub-one-tonne sports car than a massive SUV, albeit a "coupe-roofed" one.
The new 4.4-litre V8 engine, which will also features in the upcoming 750i and 750Li, includes direct injection technology so there is instant spurt just above idle and before the low-inertia turbos _ one per four-cylinder bank _ begin spooling up to their 175,000rpm peak.
The turbo boost is set at 1.8bar, the same as the Twin Turbo 6 cylinder engine in the X6 xDrive35i and 335i Coupe.
The result is it goes from standstill to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds.
Product communications manager Tim James says its standing-start performance matches that of the 335i Coupe, Cayman S and the previous model M3. Not bad for a 2.2 tonne SUV.
BMW also claims that at 12.5 litres per 100km on combined cycle, it is more economical than its rivals (Cayenne GTS and Range Rover Supercharged V8).
On a vigorous stage of the launch program the on-board computer recorded fuel consumption at 25.5L/100km, while on a sedate highway section it was 12.3L/100km.
BMW also claims it has lower emissions than its main rivals. However, at 299 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre it is still almost double that of a Toyota Corolla.
James said the V8 and Dynamic Performance Control could be featured in the next-generation X5 due in the next couple of years.
To match the V8's go, the brakes have been beefed up with barbecue-plate-sized 385mm ventilated discs and floating calipers.
The beefiest X6 arrives with a host of standard features such as 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive drive, self-levelling suspension, head-up display, four-zone climate control and a 16-speaker sound system.
It also features Bluetooth capability with the new iPhone 3G mobile although to fully integrate music from the iPhone you need the USB connector cable costing about $135.
The V8 model is distinguishable from the six-cylinder petrol and diesel models by its 20-inch alloy wheels, titanium-coloured kidney grilles, chrome side strip and twin rectangular chrome tailpipes.
James says the typical X6 buyer is male, and half already own a BMW or have owned a coupe.
Since the X6 was launched last July, BMW has sold 288, which is just short of the projected 300 target.
Snapshot
BMW X6 xDrive50i
PRICE: $145,000
ENGINE: direct-injection 4395cc twin-turbo V8
COMPRESSION: 10:1
BORE X STROKE: 89x88.3mm
BOOST: 1.8bar
POWER: 300kw (407kw boost) from 5500-6400rpm
TORQUE: 600Nm from 1750-4500rpm
ECONOMY (claimed): 17.6L/100km (urban), 9.5 (highway), 12.5 (combined)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 299g/km, EU4
