This 750-HP BMW X5 M Wants To Battle The Lamborghini Urus

German tuner G-Power will upgrade your BMW X5 M into a Lamborghini Urus fighter.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the Lamborghini Urus becoming the world’s first Super SUV. Thanks to its Audi-sourced 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 producing 650 hp, the Urus is officially the fastest production SUV ever made with a 0-62 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. There are other alternatives in the aftermarket tuning world, however. If you’re looking to modify the already potent BMW X5 M, there are plenty of options available.

Since it first launched in 2014, the high-performance SUV is starting to get outclassed by the competition, so German tuner G-Power has updated it with new tuning packages offering a range of power enhancements. Powered by a 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8, a stock BMW X5 M delivers an impressive 575 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque allowing it to do 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph. Opting for G-Power’s Stage 1 kit raises the X5 M’s output to 650 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque to match the Lamborghini Urus by using either the tuner’s Bi-Tronik 2 V1 engine software optimization or an external Bi-Tronik 5 V1 power module.

The stage two upgrade boosts the twin-turbo V8’s power to 700 hp and 667 lb-ft of torque. To achieve this, G-Power installs a new set of downpipes next to one of the two electronic power enhancements to reduce the back pressure in the exhaust system. If you want the best possible performance, the highest configuration stage transforms the BMW X5 M into a mighty 750-hp monster with 722 lb-ft of torque. This configuration adds a new G-Power titanium exhaust system with four 100-mm carbon tailpipes, delivering a 23-kg weight advantage over the SUV’s standard exhaust system. The turbocharger has also been tweaked to round off the hardware modifications.

In addition, G-Power offers a widebody kit that gives the X5 M a more muscular look thanks to new fenders, front and rear spoilers, and a carbon Venturi hood for extroverted drivers. G-Power hasn't detailed how these modifications affect the performance, so we’d love to see this modified BMW X5 M battle it out with the Lamborghini Urus.

Cadillac Planning Small Sedan To Battle The Audi A3 And BMW 2 Series

Because performance sedans still matter.

Well over a year ago, we learned that Cadillac was developing a small, rear-wheel drive sedan that would compete head-on with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 2 Series, and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Obviously we were all for it, especially since Cadillac previously hinted the BMW 3 Series fighting ATS may not live to see a redesign. And then the new sedan news stopped. Instead, we kept hearing about the upcoming XT4 crossover, slated to debut next week at the New York Auto Show.

Fortunately, Jalopnik recently spoke with Cadillac CEO Johan De Nysschen who provided an update on the sedan’s progress. "It will certainly lap the Nurburgring faster than anyone of our competitors in that category," De Nysschen said. Rear-wheel drive will be standard, unlike the CLA and A3, both with all-wheel drive. In fact, the CLA rides on a front-wheel drive platform, so it’s cool Cadillac is going all-out here. Quite frankly, we are both thrilled and surprised Cadillac is proceeding with this sedan at all. How come? Because sedan sales haven’t exactly been a bright spot lately. We already know the next generation CTS and XTS will likely merge into a single vehicle, expected to be called the CT5.

Combined with sluggish ATS sales, Cadillac is becoming more reliant upon crossovers to bring home the big bucks. De Nysschen also reiterated to Jalopnik sales of the XT5 crossover are doing well. Combined with the XT4, Cadillac will hopefully find itself in better financial shape. “The XT5 is doing very nicely thank you, it’s the third-best selling luxury nameplate in the U.S. after the Lexus RX, and the Mercedes C-Class,” de Nysschen said. “But the irony is not lost on me that the C-Class is a sedan.” Fortunately, de Nysschen clearly gets the whole performance thing, but as a business, Cadillac has no choice but to offer crossovers.

“But product is at the core, and therefore, some models are conceived specifically to generate broad volume, and others have a far more specific duty,” de Nysschen added. “We’re absolutely not abandoning those performance cars.”

Cadillac Planning Small Sedan To Battle The Audi A3 And BMW 2 Series

Because performance sedans still matter.

Well over a year ago, we learned that Cadillac was developing a small, rear-wheel drive sedan that would compete head-on with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 2 Series, and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Obviously we were all for it, especially since Cadillac previously hinted the BMW 3 Series fighting ATS may not live to see a redesign. And then the new sedan news stopped. Instead, we kept hearing about the upcoming XT4 crossover, slated to debut next week at the New York Auto Show.

Fortunately, Jalopnik recently spoke with Cadillac CEO Johan De Nysschen who provided an update on the sedan’s progress. "It will certainly lap the Nurburgring faster than anyone of our competitors in that category," De Nysschen said. Rear-wheel drive will be standard, unlike the CLA and A3, both with all-wheel drive. In fact, the CLA rides on a front-wheel drive platform, so it’s cool Cadillac is going all-out here. Quite frankly, we are both thrilled and surprised Cadillac is proceeding with this sedan at all. How come? Because sedan sales haven’t exactly been a bright spot lately. We already know the next generation CTS and XTS will likely merge into a single vehicle, expected to be called the CT5.

Combined with sluggish ATS sales, Cadillac is becoming more reliant upon crossovers to bring home the big bucks. De Nysschen also reiterated to Jalopnik sales of the XT5 crossover are doing well. Combined with the XT4, Cadillac will hopefully find itself in better financial shape. “The XT5 is doing very nicely thank you, it’s the third-best selling luxury nameplate in the U.S. after the Lexus RX, and the Mercedes C-Class,” de Nysschen said. “But the irony is not lost on me that the C-Class is a sedan.” Fortunately, de Nysschen clearly gets the whole performance thing, but as a business, Cadillac has no choice but to offer crossovers.

“But product is at the core, and therefore, some models are conceived specifically to generate broad volume, and others have a far more specific duty,” de Nysschen added. “We’re absolutely not abandoning those performance cars.”

BMW Concept iX3 Arrives With 249-Mile Range To Battle Jaguar I-Pace

A production version will arrive in 2020.

Between 2019 and 2025, BMW is planning to launch as many as 12 new electric vehicles, including electric versions of existing models outside of the i range. To preview its upcoming expansion, the automaker has presented the Concept iX3, an all-electric version of the X3 compact crossover. The concept previews a future production model that will be unleashed in 2020 to take on the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes EQC and serve as the automaker’s third pure EV after the facelifted i3 and the upcoming production version of the Mini E.

Styling-wise, the Concept iX3 is clearly inspired by the standard X3, but features a modified kidney grille with blue accents, restyled bumpers, a new rear diffuser element, and aerodynamically-optimized alloy wheels to distinguish it. The redesigned grille will surely divide opinion among BMW fans: in contrast to the twin kidney grilles that have defined BMW cars over the years, the iX3’s grille is blanked out since electric cars obviously don’t need air cooling. The frame around the grille still remains, resulting in a similar shape to Kia’s tiger nose grille. At the heart of the iX3 is a newly developed electric powertrain that develops 270 horsepower.

That makes it more powerful than the standard gasoline-powered X3, but less powerful than the M40i. Combined with a 70kWh battery, BMW claims the Concept iX3 has an electric range of 249 miles under the new Worldwide Harmonised Light-Vehicle Test Procedure. When hooked up to a 150 kW fast-charging station, the electric SUV can be charged up in just 30 minutes. The iX3’s electric powertrain is also more compact than the unit used in the existing i3, with the electric motor, transmission and power electronics grouped into a single component. Its innovative design should significantly reduce production costs.

It can also be produced without any rare earth metals, meaning that BMW won’t be restricted by the material’s limited availability. The production version of the Concept iX3 will be produced in Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang, China, and will be the first of many new upcoming BMW EVs based on its main lineup.

BMW iX3 Looks Ready To Battle The Mercedes EQC

BMW's first fully electric crossover is expected to have a range of 249 miles.

Next month, the highly anticipated Mercedes EQC and Audi e-Tron will finally break cover. These aren’t the only German electric SUVs currently in development, however, as BMW is also preparing to unleash a fully electric version of the X3, expected to be called the iX3.

First previewed by a concept at Auto China, the iX3 is slated to launch in 2020 as BMW’s first all-electric crossover to rival the Mercedes EQC, Audi e-Tron and Jaguar I-Pace and the first of many EVs based on existing BMW models. It will also be the automaker’s third pure EV to launch after the facelifted i3 and the upcoming Mini E.

While the last prototype we saw looked practically identical to its combustion engine counterpart, this new one spotted by our spy photographers has been updated with production bodywork. Of course, you can still tell it’s based on the X3, but the electric crossover features a new front fascia with a restyled bumper and grille hiding under the camouflage to help distinguish it. The lower front intake also closely resembles the concept, but it isn’t clear if the production model will adopt the concept’s polarizing rat-toothed grille. At the back, the rear bumper has also been modified since there’s obviously no need for an exhaust system.

Like the concept, the production BMW iX3 is expected to have a 70+ kWh lithium-ion battery pack that takes just 30 minutes to charge using a 150 kW fast-charging station and an electric motor producing around 270 horsepower. This enabled the concept to deliver a range of 249 miles on a single charge. Production will take place at BMW’s China factory in Shenyang.

BMW X8 Could Arrive By 2020 To Battle Upcoming Audi Q8

Should anyone be surprised? No.

Although the project has yet to be given the official greenlight, BMW is reportedly studying the possibility of a new luxury SUV slotted above the upcoming X7. According to BMW Blog, the German automaker is evaluating whether or not to produce an X8, which would likely target the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and the upcoming Audi Q8, which was revealed in concept form at Detroit. The confirmed X7, which we’ve already seen in spy shots, will be a three-row SUV but BMW believes there’s a market for something even more luxurious and sporty-looking.

Think of the X8 as a sexier, more coupe-like styling alternative to the X7, as is the case with the X5 and X6. However, the X8 could become the only X model not to be built on BMW’s CLAR modular platform. Instead it could share a few CLAR components and underpinnings with the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s lightweight aluminum structure. In order to make the X8 relevant in its segment, BMW would also need to ensure its rear seat passengers have the same feeling of space they’d experience in the X7, meaning sufficient headroom with a roofline that dips more aggressively towards the rear end.

Expect to see a 2+2 seating arrangement only; a third-row rear bench, which is optional in the X6, won’t be offered. As far as powertrains go, the X8 will likely offer two gasoline engine options, the xDrive40i and xDrive50i, and two plug-in hybrids, the xDrive50e iPerformance and xDrive60e iPerformance. If BMW decides to go ahead with the X8, don’t expect to see it arrive until 2020 at the very earliest.