BMW has resisted the temptation of jumping on the downsizing bandwagon. You can still get a six-cylinder engine in cars as small as the M240i and the M2 while a V8 remains widely available among the company’s biggest vehicles. The M Performance X5 and X6 models are even rocking an M engine nowadays, a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with a mild-hybrid setup. A new video of the X6 M60i shows the “S68” at full tilt on the Autobahn.
The not-quite X6 M was pushed hard on an unrestricted section of the German highway where it reached speeds of up to 158 mph (255 km/h). That’s slightly higher than the 155 mph (250 km/h) quoted by BMW, but modern speedometers tend to show a higher velocity than the real one. Mind you, the X6 M60i would probably be even faster if not for the electronic top-speed limiter.
The luxury brand may claim that the M Performance X6 takes 4.3 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h), but we can see the M60i doing the job in 4.15 seconds. BMW is known to deliberately understate the performance and power figures of its cars, so it’s not really a surprise the SUV is quicker than claimed.
We’ll admit it doesn’t sound as good as the old “N63” engine that powered the X6 M50i. However, don’t blame it all on BMW because increasingly stricter emissions and noise regulations are making more and more performance cars deliver dull engine soundtracks. In the age of gasoline particulate filters, the days of a roaring V8 in Europe (the European Union to be more specific) are coming to an end.
Seeing the glass half full, we should be happy the V8 is still around in Europe. We’re hearing BMW intends to keep eight-cylinder power in the next-generation X6 as well. However, the model internally codenamed “G66” is likely to retain the V8 only in the United States and maybe other markets outside the EU.
This third-generation X6 “G06” is expected to remain in production until early 2028, so you still have about four years left to get an M60i or the full-fat M on the Old Continent with a brawny V8.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
