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  The newest members of BMW's M-car family are not cars at all. Photo Gallery

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the BMW X6 M at its international launch in the USA.

THE newest members of BMW's M-car family are not cars at all.

The super-sized X5 and X6 M are SUVs, but that doesn't stop them making a sub-six second sprint to 100km/h, hitting a top speed held back to 250km/h, and flaunting the sort of macho body bits that always move an M machine away from the BMW mainstream.

Cranking up to 240km/h down the back straight at Road Atlanta raceway, in a racer red X6 M, was the cement-solid proof that the oddly-styled SUV works better with an M makeover. We'll have to wait for the X5 with M, but it promises similar stuff.

The X6 is still quirky, and compromised in the cabin, but the selfishness of a driver-focussed update reflects the original thinking behind what BMW calls its sports activity vehicle. And you don't notice that there are only four seats, or that the rear window view is like peeking out of a letterbox, or that the body could have come from Korea.

Like every M machine, once you floor the throttle in the X6 M — and unleash a twin-turbo V8 that makes a romping 408 kiloWatts — the rest of the deal goes out the door.

The Xers have been given the M treatment because so many potential owners want to go all the way. Particularly in America, where the X5 and X6 are built.

But in Australia the demand for M cars has always been high and only one, the M5 wagon, is not sold Down Under.

The sporty SUVs will be priced north of $180,000 and supplies will be very limited, with around 150 in 2010 spread between the X5 and X6.

The big change for the M conversion is a tweaked 4.4-litre twin-turbo engine that tucks the fans inside the bank of the vee, together with the catalytic convertors. It's an incredibly complicated and compact conversion which almost eliminates lag and delivers instant access to 680 Newton-metes of torque from 1500 revs.

The Xers are the only fully-auto M cars but the six-speed self-shifter has been tweaked for sports performance, complete with launch control, and they also have intelligent all-wheel drive, servotronic steering, active dampers, bigger brakes and 20-inch alloys that are up two inches from a regular X6.

The body bits include a giant front spoiler with huge cooling holes, side skirts and a rear diffuser that leaves the four-pipe exhaust exposed in M style.

Inside, there is a head-up display, M leather seats and wheel and the M-specific instruments.

DRIVING

There was only one X5 M at the global press preview in Atlanta, Georgia and it was not for driving. It looks nice in bold blue, but that is all I can say.

But I can tell you all about the X6 M after two hours of city and country driving, and a half-dozen fast laps at Road Atlanta. It's one of the best tracks in the USA and Marcos Ambrose will be there next week, testing his Nascar.

The 6M looks tough and slightly more hunkered, thanks to the bigger wheels and suspension set 10 millimetres lower, and the cabin is just as classy as you expect from an M machine.

But turn the key and there is . . . disappointment. The X6 M is very quiet and you can barely hear the V8. There is no throb.

As we dribble out of town and I feel as if I'm driving a regular X6 5-litre, which is nice but not a favourite.

But then we roll down the freeway on ramp, I finger the M button in the centre of the steering wheel, and the beast is unleashed. The X6 leaps forward, there is a satisfying growl from the tail, and I have to lift sharply to merge with the legal-speed traffic.

I switch back to regular for the rest of the country run and find the ride and handling is terrific — although I hate the artificial heaviness in the steering — the front seats are great, and there is plenty of cosseting luxury. I can almost ignore the looks and cramped back seat . . .

The X6 M is real fun at Road Atlanta and, despite hauling two tonnes, it feels more like a sports car than an SUV. I still have to be careful to brake early-ish and ease into turns, not just jerk on the wheel, but it is composed and swift and feels better than any four-wheel drive wagon including a Porsche Cayenne.

But the X6 is not an M-style machine in the mold of the race-bred M3.

It's more like an AMG-modified Benz, with a go-fast upgrade that is brutal but not particularly sharp.

Will that matter? Definitely not in the USA and probably not in Australia, because there are always people who are dazzled by an M badge but have never had the chance for something as look-at-me as the X6.