Australia’s famous Mount Panorama Circuit hosted the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race over the weekend and while most eyes were fixed on the racing action, the safety car used also turned plenty of heads. The organizers of the event recently inked a multi-year deal with BMW M, which entails using the sub-brand’s vehicles as on-track cars. While BMW had the option to deploy one of its smaller and more agile models as the safety car, it chose to provide the new XM instead. This crazy SUV marks the first vehicle developed exclusively by the BMW M division since the famed M1 supercar. While it may not be tailored specifically for the track, it still boasts ample performance capabilities.
Most would agree the XM is one of the most
outlandish-looking SUVs on the market and the safety car version stands out
even further thanks to a two-tone wrap that starts out matte black at the front
and fades into a shade of gold at the rear. It also has the obligatory decals
denoting it as the safety car while also sporting a large light bar on the
roof.
This version of the XM features a
4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood that is supplemented by an
electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four
wheels. Total output is 644 hp and 799 Nm of torque. However, given
that it weighs over 2,721 kg, driving it around some of Bathurst’s
most famous corners must have been quite an eye-opening experience.
