The 2020 BMW X6M Competition is exactly what it feels like when automakers might have just gone a little too far. I drove the X6M competition back in July, but due to some personal issues (i.e. buying a new house, figuring my new pandemic life out, etc) I finally got around to writing the review eight months later. I don’t like putting out articles long after I drive a car, but in this case I think it worked. It gave the C6M Comp time to marinate. Time for me to really understand what I had driven, and what it means for cars today.
Styling wise, I’ll be the first to admit the styling of the X6 leaves a bit to be desired. While the mouth is properly angry, the “coupe crossover” is both one of my least favorite terms and least favorite vehicle styles. There is no such thing as a four door coupe, let alone a crossover four-door coupe. It’s not even being pedantic, it’s just being honest. And that coupe styling also means you get less headroom in the rear, less cargo space behind the rear seats and visibility so bad you could honestly tell the cops you didn’t see them behind you (and they would believe you).
On the other hand…the interior treatment is nothing less than spectacular. Carbon fiber bits everywhere exemplify the sporting intentions of the big “coupe” and the dramatic BMW design that permeates their lineup is definitely present. No surprise, the word “Competition” is ever present and really, ever confusing. As my brother-in-law said “what exactly is this thing competing against? Is there a racing series with giant, poorly named crossovers?”. So I did some digging, and to no one’s surprise, there is not. But after driving it, maybe there should be.
As a car guy, there should never be something that you consider to be too fast. There is a Bugatti that hit 300mph, a new Porsche GT3 that is faster around the Nürburgring than the hypercar 918, and the newest Tesla Model S can reach 60 in less than 2 seconds. Too fast is just another thing. What I didn’t realize is there is a too fast. That too fast is now a metric of speed multiplied by the size. The BMW X6M Competition 6000 lbs and easily where that benchmark starts. 6000 lbs propelled by the 617 horsepower 4.4L Twin-Turbo V8 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds is as scary as it sounds.
And it doesn’t stop there. I took the X6M Competition around corners, roundabouts and cloverleaf off ramps at speeds a normal sports car would be scared by. The X6M grabs physics by the shoulder, turns it around, and slaps it across the face. Oh yeah. It then laughs maniacally. I would say it understeers, or oversteers, or feels like the turn is sharp, or whatever, but to be honest, I have no clue. I drove it in a state of confusion, only knowing I could point it in a direction and it would go that direction. If something went wrong, the traction control would say nope, grab it and bring it back together for me to continue my hoonery.
My wife put it this way. After a *very* quick lap around town, she looked at me and said “People should have to have a special license to own this thing”. It is the closest thing to a deadly weapon I’ve ever driven. Something this big should not be able to do the things it does. And I agree. Knowing there are suburban housewives and ticked off lawyers driving these things on the same public roads that me and my family drive is not exactly comforting. And that’s because going this fast *only* requires money (or not terrible credit).
The BMW X6M Competition is absolutely unnecessary in every single way. It’s nearly unusable, it’s dangerously fast, and it’s really not that pretty. But, this is a trend we see growing in the market today. With working from home becoming more and more of a thing, people just don’t need something that makes sense for commuting or comfort. They need a vehicle for errands, and a vehicle for fun and somehow this checks both boxes. If I had the money, I’d probably own one and much like everyone that is buying these, I have no idea why.