BMW XM Super SUV Patent Drawings Likely to be Published

BMW M is developing its first stand-alone model since the iconic M1 supercar launched 40 years ago. This time it will be an SUV, called the XM, which BMW teased last year with the impressive Concept XM.

We have seen a camouflaged prototype being test driven. The now leaked images will likely provide the first clear look at the design of the production XM, which will be unveiled later this year, possibly as a 2023 model.

The image posted by a member of the iX Forums is believed to be a patent drawing of the XM that BMW submitted to the Japanese Intellectual Property Office in August. The image, purportedly a patent drawing of the XM that BMW submitted to the Japanese Intellectual Property Office in August, clearly shows a design influenced by the concept XM, but more importantly, it matches a photo of the production XM that was leaked in May.

Fans of the concept car's styling will be pleased that most of the details of the Concept XM are present, but critics will be disappointed. The huge kidney grille, split headlights, and stacked tailpipes are all there, as are the charging doors on the driver's side front fenders.

The XM's powertrain will be a plug-in hybrid system using a newly developed twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 as the internal combustion engine. With a total output of 750 hp and maximum torque of 737 lb-ft, the XM will be BMW's most powerful road car to date. If engineers adopt BMW's existing plug-in hybrid design, a single electric motor would be sandwiched between the V8 engine and transmission.

Although not yet confirmed, it is possible that a modest version of the plug-in hybrid setup will be offered in the base XM, with a 750 hp version reserved for something like the XM Competition model.

The XM is closely related to BMW's X7 SUV, but will stick to the two-row seating, perhaps with the option of two bucket seats in the second row.

Production of the XM will take place at BMW Group's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the starting price is expected to exceed $100,000.