The BMW X3 is at its best in M Competition spec,
meaning that its 3.0-liter twin turbocharged six-cylinder engine makes 503 HP instead of the regular X3 M’s 473 HP. This particular one, on display
at the automaker’s Abu Dhabi dealership, is wearing a Donington Grey suit that
works well alongside those massive 21-inch wheels, not to mention the
high-gloss black accents.
While this isn’t a very flamboyant configuration,
you can still easily tell that this X3 isn’t your usual compact family
crossover, if only by the aggressive-looking bumpers, large wheels and
quad-exhaust setup. The M badge on the tailgate speaks volumes too, obviously.
Both the X3 M and the M Competition feature
high-performance brakes with drilled and ventilated discs measuring 15.6 inches
(395 mm) at the front and 14.6 inches (370 mm) at the rear.
Then there’s the Tartufo leather interior with its
aluminum carbon trim and various M-specific touches (gauge cluster, shifter
etc). As for standard features, there are the adaptive LED headlights, sat-nav,
a Harman Kardon audio system, plus plenty of safety tech such as Active Guard,
Active Protection, Active Driving Assistant and Frontal Collision Warning with
City Collision Mitigation.
Interestingly enough, the X3 M Competition might
actually be more potent than advertised. Its previously-mentioned 503 HP allow
it to rocket to 96 km/h in about 4 seconds flat, however, a dyno test
last month revealed that the fast crossover produced 491 HP at the wheels,
meaning at least 524 HP at the crank.
