You can tell we re living in an SUV-obsessed world when a Safety Car is not really an actual sports car. It’s more along the lines of a living room on wheels. Such is the case with the XM, BMW s first dedicated M since the mid-engine M1 supercar was discontinued in 1981. Seen here in the range-topping Label specification, the colorful luxobarge has touched down in Texas for this weekend s race.
The XM Label will perform Safety Car duties on The Circuit of The Americas near Austin for the third round of the 2024 MotoGP season. A new video posted on social media shows American riders Garrett Gerloff and Joe Roberts exploring the streets of Austin while driving around in the splashy SUV nicknamed Rockstar.
BMW s most powerful production vehicle follows a long line of MotoGP Safety Cars, starting with the Z3 M Coupe in 1999. Aside from the special livery, this XM Label is slightly different than the one you ll find at a dealership. It has a custom front splitter, extra flashing lights, and body-hugging Recaro front seats with a six-point harness. Oh, there s also a fire extinguisher if need be.
This XM Label is BMW s first electrified MotoGP Safety Car, and with 738 hp, it s also the most potent. We can already imagine the M division using something different for the 2025 season, potentially the new M5 Sedan/Touring. The hottest M coming this year will use the same plug-in hybrid V8 as the XM. However, it ll be dialed down compared to the XM Label since we re hearing it ll pack around 718 hp.
This electrified mastodont wasn t really built for the track, what with the XM Label weighing a colossal 6,094 pounds. Nevertheless, the supersized SUV hits the famous circuit with its 20 corners and 133-foot elevation change ahead of this weekend’s big race.
Source: BMW M / Instagram
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
