2008 BMW 535xi Pictures

2008 BMW 535xi

2008 BMW 535xi

2008 BMW 535xi Pictures

No surprise that the coupe was quicker: 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds, the quarter-mile in 13.6 at 105 mph. The 535xi got to 60 in 5.4 and did the quarter in 14.0 seconds at 102. But consider how the 535xi stacks up against the 550i with its 360-hp, 4.8-liter V-8, as tested last year ["Faster Horses," November 2006]. The 535xi is only 0.2 second slower to 60 mph and actually 0.2 quicker in 50-to-70-mph blasts. The 535xi is helped by a shorter final drive, but the real key is torque that ramps up early and stays ramped up for a long time. If you're not in a big hurry, it's fast enough and saves some seven grand (nine for the rear-drive 535i) versus the 550i.

2010 BMW X6 M Pictures

2010 BMW X6 M

2010 BMW X6 M

2010 BMW X6 M

There are plenty of people, including us, who wonder why BMW is building an M version of the X6. The answer seems to parallel the punch line of the joke about a canine licking himself: because he can. Also, everybody else is making a high-performance SUV. The Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, the Porsche Cayenne, the Infiniti FX50, and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport are all evidence that more than a few people want an SUV with a sporty on-road demeanor. This being BMW, the X6 M and its mechanically identical sibling, the X5 M, aim straight for the top of the muscle-SUV mountain. And it’s no coincidence that the two Bimmers’ 555-hp output bests that of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S by five ponies. And just to throw more mud in Porsche’s eye, the X6 M base price of $89,725 undercuts the top Cayenne’s by $34,690.