The bruisers of the BMW line-up today are, without a doubt, the BMW X5 M and X6 M brothers. They are fitted with the some of the most powerful production V8 engines the Germans ever made and they’re so big in size, they demand respect. That being said, things can get even bigger and better once tuners like Shiftech get involved.
In standard guise, the BMW X5 M relies on a 4.4-liter revamped twin-turbo V8 making 575 HP and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque. The 2.3-ton SUV is also fitted with all-wheel drive and a new 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox for a sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) of just 4.2 seconds. That’s just 0.1 seconds slower than the 7-speed DCT version of the M4 but we have a gut feeling it will be a lot easier to hit the claimed numbers inside the AWD X5 M than in the RWD coupe.
The guys from Shiftech, however, claim that they can further upgrade your car to outrageous numbers at a more than decent price. According to them, their chip tuning solution can be applied in a matter of minutes and will raise those figures to 691 HP and 852 Nm (628 lb-ft) of torque. With a price tag of just €1,290 including VAT this is an enticing proposition.
Furthermore, the Swiss tuner also offers a 5-year warranty period and will downgrade the car if you so desire, in case you want to sell if, for example. Of course, this warranty will only be upheld if the owner services his car accordingly. In case a trip down to your local dealer will result in an upgraded engine management system that may cause malfunctions, the tuner also claims that it will have your back and install the tune once again, free of charge.
