The new production car, dubbed the BMW XM, will be available exclusively as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle under the company's M performance division, according to the automaker. The concept vehicle unveiled Monday includes a V-8 engine paired with electric motors to deliver 750 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque.
A BMW spokesperson declined to confirm whether the production car would match those performance figures, but in a press release, he called the future car "the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into series production."
BMW said the US will be the most important market for the new performance vehicle.
In addition to previewing the new car, the German automaker said the Concept XM is showing a new front end design direction for future BMW models. The front of the car includes two large illuminated nostril grilles, sleek headlights and a more aggressive front fascia than the traditionally sleeker lines found on BMW models.
“The BMW Concept XM represents a complete reimagining of the performance vehicle segment,” BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel said in a press release. “This highlights the ability of BMW M GmbH to break conventions and push boundaries to offer its fans the ultimate driving experience.”
The car being a plug-in hybrid model may come as a surprise to some, given the auto industry's current focus on all-electric vehicles that don't include a traditional engine. BMW also said it plans to have at least 50% of its global deliveries by 2030 be all-electric vehicles.
Plug-in hybrid models are seen by many as a stepping stone to all-electric vehicles. On Monday, the automaker revealed that the BMW Concept XM can go up to 30 miles on electricity.
The unveiling of the concept car comes three months after BMW CEO Oliver Zipse told CNBC that the company will unveil a new car this year that will be built at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The Spartanburg plant currently produces the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7, as well as performance models of most vehicles.
Source: CNBC
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