M's most powerful yet! The hybrid V8 2023 BMW XM is the first dedicated M car since the M1

For the 50th birthday of BMW’s go-fast M division, the brand has given itself a new toy: the first new dedicated M car since the BMW M1 of 1978, more than 40 years ago.

That new toy, the 2023 BMW XM, takes on a very different role to the M1. Already confirmed for an Australian launch in 2023, the XM is a twin-turbo V8-powered hybrid large SUV with outputs that leave everything else in the BMW stable in the dust.

That’s right, hybrid, and it comes in the form of a single electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. 

It’s the first time BMW M has used electrification in one of its models, laying down the path for future cars like the M3 and M4.

The motor draws power from a 25.7kWh battery in the XM’s underbody, delivering drive to all four wheels alongside the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, which has been heavily updated to work in a hybrid setting.

The electric motor alone can deliver up to 145kW and 280Nm, while the petrol engine puts out 360kW and 650Nm. 

Working together, the pair gives the BMW XM a total output of 480kW and 800Nm, enough to take the likely 2.5-or-more-tonne XM to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. The Aston Martin DBX isn’t that quick, taking 4.5 seconds.

Aside from DBX, perceived rivals could include the classics from its traditional German foes, the Mercedes-AMG GLS or Audi's RSQ8. Even the Lamborghini Urus is in XM's sights.

To really take the fight to the aforementioned, BMW says an even more powerful version of the XM will be fully revealed for 2023, XM Label Red. The car with a name like a fairly ordinary bottle of scotch will in fact be the most powerful road-legal series car in BMW’s history, with 550kW and 1000Nm under its belt based on current development figures.

As well as intense, the XM is also capable of subtle, with a claimed electric-only range of up to 88km, as long as you don’t want to drive any faster than 140km/h. 

Inside, the XM is a duality of driver focus and passenger comfort, with the front seats “designed entirely around an active driving experience” and the rear as “an exclusive M Lounge”.

That means where elements like shift lights, knee rests for bracing, an M steering wheel, and a curved driver display make the front feel like a cockpit, rear passengers are treated to heated seats, extra cushioning, separate climate control, and ambient lighting.

When the XM lobs in Australia in the first half of 2023, it’ll wear a starting price of $297,900 before on-road costs, while the Label Red will get a launch date later in 2023.