The new M2 coupe and M3 Touring might be the headline acts at this year’s 50th anniversary party for BMW’s M division, but the X5 and X6 M SUVs have also got themselves some new threads for the shindig.
We featured spy shots of the 2023 X5 M last month, and now we’ve bagged its sexier X6 M sister, which runs the same basic mechanical package and appears to benefit from the same visual upgrades.
The most obvious of those upgrades is a new set of slimmer headlights, which should give the front end a noticeably different, more modern look without BMW having to retool up for expensive bodywork changes. There’s a new front bumper to accommodate those narrower light clusters and it looks like there’s a small round fog light hidden in the disguise above the mesh covering the prototype’s air intake.
The same kind of mesh covers the fairly modestly sized kidney grilles, so we can’t be sure how those grille bars might look. But it’s a fair bet that BMW might switch from vertical to horizontal vanes to bring the X6 M into line with recent M cars like the M3 and M4.
Related: 2023 BMW M3 Touring Fully Revealed In Patent Photos
It seems like BMW’s designers used all their creative ideas on the front end of the 2023 X6 M because the rears of the two prototypes our spy photographer captured don’t look any different from the fat bottom seen on the outgoing model. Or it could be that these prototypes haven’t been outfitted with the upgraded lights and bumpers that will make their way to the final production cars later this year.
Although we have heard rumors about hybrid drivetrains, we’re not expecting any big changes to the underhood hardware. The current X6 M runs a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that sends 591 hp (600 PS) in standard guise, or 617 hp (625 PS) when ordered with the Competition Package seen here on the silver/gray car with the star-spoke wheels, to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
But one area where the X6 M should offer improved performance is the infotainment system. Based on what we’ve seen in previous spy photos, BMW is upgrading the entire X6 and X6 M range to its latest iDrive technology and large touchscreen display fitted to the iX electric SUV.
