The G05-generation X5 M50d lived a short life as BMW only sold it for a couple of years before pulling the plug with the Final Edition. One of the diesel monsters made between 2018 and 2020 stopped by Darkside Developments to have its exhaust changed to improve the soundtrack. If the company’s name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s a British shop specializing in modifying vehicles powered by diesel engines. They primarily tune Volkswagen Group products but also work on the occasional BMW, MINI, and Porsche.
Because the X5 M50d is a highly complex vehicle, the tuner didn’t have a readily available exhaust system for the performance diesel SUV. Darkside Developments had to build a completely new downpipe and make additional modifications to unlock more decibels from the inline-six engine. The B57 has no fewer than four turbochargers, enabling the 3.0-liter mill to push out 394 hp and a colossal 760 Nm (561 lb-ft) of torque.
To the untrained eye, it looks like a real X5 M when viewed from the back after fitting four exhaust tips with carbon fiber finishers from Akrapovic. The sound delivered is positively glorious, not just for a diesel, but for a six-cylinder engine in general. A closer look reveals the owner fitted the anniversary emblems introduced last year to mark 50 years of M. Needless to say, the X5 M50d had already been discontinued in 2022.
The X5 M50d sadly didn’t live to see the fourth-generation model’s Life Cycle Impulse introduced earlier this year. As to why BMW abandoned this model along with the X7 M50d, increasingly stringent emissions regulations are making it harder for automakers to sell large diesel engines. We are frankly a bit surprised the Munich-based luxury brand is still selling the X3 M40d and X4 M40d but who knows for how long. We could say the same thing about the M340d Sedan and M340d Touring.
Source: Darkside Developments / YouTube
