New BMW X3 M40, INSANE power delivery (2024)

[alarmguy]

Ok, Thanksgiving Day, went to my son's house. He was dying for me to drive his new BMW X3 M40.
So we took it for a spin. WOW *LOL*
I grew up in the super car days of the late 60's and early 70's. This BMW blows all that away, at a hefty price though.
It does prove technology can rule.
Let's forget about the incredible build quality and comfort. His is midrange priced @ $66,000.
The power of this vehicle is insane.
SO we go for a ride, first he drives and teaches me about the car. The acceleration is insane *LOL* 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. 1/4 mile 13 seconds and it does this with mind boggling torque. There is ZERO screeching of the tires.

It literally takes off like a rocket. Im blown away thinking only EVs have this power. No way man! *LOL*
SO I drove for a while, he kept encouraging me to slam on the gas, rural roads as I am doing 40 MPH speed limit, I hit the gas and I am doing 85 before I can blink my eyes *LOL* Effortlessly.

Ok, so we switch places and he gets behind the wheel again. He was going to give me the "Launch Control" demo. YES, BMW Launch Control.
Stops the car, the car allows you to power brake it and hold the gas petal down. Release the brake, not a tire spin or screech from the tires. We took off so fast (I AM NOT KIDDING) I was pressed into the seat and literally felt the pressure in my head of like blood rushing to the back of it. Actually felt a short headache lasting a second or two.
From dead stopped, in seconds we were doing 97 MPH before he let off on the accelerator. It was literally seconds. 1/4 mile for this car is in the 13 second range.

Anyway, I read the stuff in the media about the high HP of EVs Im sure this is in the same class. One must keep in mind, many EVs need higher HP just to move their heavy weight. The BMW weighs in at 800Lbs less than a Tesla Model X. Im not comparing the two, just a comment.
The interior of the BMW is a sight to behold and feel.

https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/x-models/x3/sports-activity-vehicle/bmw-m.html#features-and-specifications

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

The B58 is a good engine. S58 in the X3M is a crazy engine.

 

[proveitwithdata]

The B58 is a good engine. S58 in the X3M is a crazy engine.

BMW has honed in that design well. In the ICE world, its the standard bearer.

 

[alarmguy]

The B58 is a good engine. S58 in the X3M is a crazy engine.

I dont know anything about them. I woke up this morning thinking about all this. Ok, true I do not have high performance cars and I haven't in decades. I have driven his various BMWs over the last decade. But this one just knocked my socks off. I swear the pressure in my head was intense. Im no wimp either. Its addicting!
Not even broken in yet at 5,000 miles.

 

[fantastic]

Acceleration can be a lot of fun & the auto makers know that they'd better keep up with Electric if they want the sales in the performance/sport category. Fun story.

 

[alarmguy]

Acceleration can be a lot of fun & the auto makers know that they'd better keep up with Electric if they want the sales in the performance/sport category. Fun story.

When he did a second run, I actually recorded my face with my iPhone as the car took off *LOL*
Agree on the EV thing and part of it is the whole experience. The interior of this car to me, is amazing. Both comfort and sporty. The seats have you locked in, your head is nicely cushioned in the headrests as it's plastered into them on acceleration.
It's out of my budget but was a fun experience.

Oh, that is why I looked up the weight of the BMW and an EV like the Tesla X. Something to be said for that.
Tesla X - 5,185
BMW X3 M40 -4,392

That is a huge disparity and keep in mind the high end materials of the BMW are superior in every way to the Tesla X
The Tesla X price makes the BMW look like a bargain.

 

[alarmguy]

The B58 is a good engine. S58 in the X3M is a crazy engine.

Yes, I just found this, I assume unchanged for 2024. Though MPG in the x3 is 21/26 but who cares *LOL*

BMW 382 hp B58 TwinPower Turbo 3.0-Liter Inline Six-Cylinder Engine Named 2020 Wards 10 Best Engine and Powertrain Award Winner.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – Jan. 17, 2020…Today, BMW is proud to be named one of WardsAuto’s 2020 10 Best Engines and Powertrains Award winners for the 382 hp B58 TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter Inline six-cylinder tuned by BMW M powering the 2020 BMW M340i Sedan, Z4 M40i Roadster and the X3 M40i and X4 M40i...

www.press.bmwgroup.com

 

[JeffKeryk]

Today's cars are flat out amazing. There were very few 60's cars that could do a true 0-60 run in 6 seconds flat. Tech for the win!

 

[4WD]

Today's cars are flat out amazing. There were very few 60's cars that could do a true 0-60 run in 6 seconds flat. Tech for the win!

We seem to reach the max on certain tech - and then can barely move the bar upwards …
Much as I was amazed to see a Funny Car do 330mph in 1000 yards - they have been at that mark for years now - Seems mostly he/she who controls the launch of that much power is the winner …

 

[RhondaHonda]

I think you’d be disappointed in the supercar era of the 60s and 70s compared to most any modern car that isn’t an econobox. Nostalgia makes for fond memories but those cars were not very fast.

Cool X3. A coworker just got an X7 M60, it’s sweet and pretty darn quick itself for its size.

 

[wings&wheels]

I think you’d be disappointed in the supercar era of the 60s and 70s compared to most any modern car that isn’t an econobox. Nostalgia makes for fond memories but those cars were not very fast.

Cool X3. A coworker just got an X7 M60, it’s sweet and pretty darn quick itself for its size.

This. Today's automotive technology is truly amazing. Most if Detroit's muscle or Europe's maintenance needy best is near equaled if not humbled by today's family haulers acceleration wise, never mind braking.

In fact, today's tech is so good, that I'm going to go and enjoy one of the last not freezing days of the year in one of my '74s!

 

[Dave Hess]

Very nice. BMW has the nicest styling that’s both sporty and luxury at the same time.

 

[alarmguy]

We seem to reach the max on certain tech - and then can barely move the bar upwards …
Much as I was amazed to see a Funny Car do 330mph in 1000 yards - they have been at that mark for years now - Seems mostly he/she who controls the launch of that much power is the winner …

You know, I liken this to airplane travel too.
Every time I or a family member is on a plane, travel time (once in the air) hasn't changed in 60 years! Same old jet aircraft speeds.
What is worse is actual travel time when including getting to and once inside the airport is vastly worse.

Traveling by plane was much more pleasurable decades ago and its no faster in today's world.
With cars, cant really move the bar up any higher, as we are speed limited but the experience is far advanced today.
Aircraft, same old stuff.

 

[alarmguy]

Very nice. BMW has the nicest styling that’s both sporty and luxury at the same time.

Yeah, I got to tell you. Being older now, I look at vehicles as utility with comfort, perfectly happy with my Traverse. But I can see, even myself being spoiled by a vehicle like this. I mean, it impressed me so much I woke up thinking about it. I think it says a lot because I have driven all his BMWs over the years which are quite a few (so many I gave up keeping track of them all, I didnt even know he had this new one until I got to his house*LOL*) but this M40 took it up another level.

 

[02SE]

BMW has some fun to drive vehicles. We went out before dawn to hit a Black Friday sale. Took the wifes overpowered mall crawler, to beat the crowds.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Tires have come a long way over the years.

 

[edyvw]

The B generation modular engines (3, 4 and 6 cyl) are arguably best ICE today. But there is more to it. BMW was never benchmark in acceleration. Yes, that is fast, but I bet you there are other SUV’s in that class that can deliver close 0-60. What sets them apart is balance of the vehicle. The weight distribution. The brakes and handling. And mpg for hp.
It is the whole package, including built quality.

 

[MCompact]

Today's cars are flat out amazing. There were very few 60's cars that could do a true 0-60 run in 6 seconds flat. Tech for the win!

As I've mentioned before, I have a 1991 magazine that is a compilation of road tests from the old Hi-Performance Cars magazine. The fastest 1/4 mile time was a 12.5 posted by Joe Oldham's 1969 Motion Performance big block Camaro- with 4.10 gears, uncapped headers and slicks. Aside from that car most of the others put up 1/4 mile ETs in the 13.5-14.5 second range. Those times are definitely on the slow side of average for performance cars these days. Even my wife's X1 can run the quarter in 14.6 sec @ 95 mph(a bit faster than my 1988 M6 when it was stock). My 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 could run the quarter in the low 14 second range and trap 100 mph all day long- and that's with a 2.3 liter turbo that averaged 26+ mpg over the 8 years and 158,000 miles I had it. My M235i returned similar fuel economy but ran the 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds @ 109 mph. The C43 does it in 12.6 seconds @ 111 mph. A new X3 M40i runs the 1/4-Mile in 12.8 seconds @ 107 mph (all times taken from Car and Driver).

A few years ago I took my friend's Mercedes-AMG E63 to Ohio Valley Raceway's 1/8 mile strip. My fastest run was an 8.12 at 89 mph. I easily beat a built 1970 Buick GS Stage I running slicks. A few years later I took my M235i to Ohio Valley and it ran an 8.59; with no limited slip I had a major problem with wheelspin. In the late '70s -when I hit the strip on a regular basis- there were very few cars that would run in the low eights, and those that did were usually seriously modified.

 

[Ws6]

Mid 4's to 60 and 13 second quarter mile? Oh, man. This is kindof "normal", now.

EV's are running low 3's to 60 and mid to low 11's in the quarter for X3 M40i money.

 

[Ws6]

The B58 is a good engine. S58 in the X3M is a crazy engine.

I ran one of those and it had all the advantages that day. Negative DA, my state of charge was around 50%, and my car was cold-soaked at about 35*f. It BARELY was able to crawl away from me at a highway punch. Like, if I could have reached out and grabbed it I might could have muscled it to pull me faster/it slower and made it a tie, that's how slow it was crawling. T he engine didn't impress me near as much as the ZF8 in it, though! Sitting next to that thing as it cracked off shifts that literally didn't cause any fore/aft movement of the SUV was insanely impressive to hear and watch!