Although most people default to thinking about carbon-fiber aero pieces and exhaust systems for M cars and other road-hugging BMWs when it comes M Performance Parts, the catalog has long supported the X-car lineup as well, with a host of strong offerings to bolster performance of the X5 making up a good portion of the parts for a few previous generations. Now, with the fourth-generation X5 scheduled for its market debut in March of 2019, a host of new accessories, parts, and other offerings have just been announced.
Naturally, upcoming X5 buyers will have a choice between a decently wide array of carbon-fiber trim pieces for the exterior, which take the form of air-intake surrounds, front and rear winglets, and a sharp-looking diffusor between the exhaust pipes. There will also be a set of carbon-fiber mirror caps, which typically end up being one of the most popular parts within the catalog, while side films can also be applied, starting just behind the front fender vent and continuing to the rear doors. Although it’s quite common for many to pick and choose their own selection of M Performance parts among other modifications, throwing the entire lineup at an Alpine White X5 with the M Sport package like this one makes for good contrast and an imposing presence.
Among the most interesting and perhaps important offerings is a set of off-road-oriented wheels and tires, a first for the M Performance brand. The set is made up of twenty-inch M light-alloy Style 748M star-spoke wheels, which are pictured in the press images wrapped in aggressive General Grabber A/T tires which measure 245/45-20 on the front. There will also be a set aimed at those who want to increase on-road performance, and it will be made up of 22-inch M Performance light-alloy Style 749M wheels, which are manufactured using the much-discussed flow-forming process. Although quite large, this set will save approximately nine pounds of unsprung weight compared to other designs of comparable sizes.
There will be a set of brakes as well. In front, the M Performance sport brake system uses fixed four-piston calipers finished in an eye-catching shade of red with the M logo shown prominently on the side. These binders clamp down on massive nineteen-inch vented and perforated rotors, which offer improved thermal resilience over their production counterparts, and even the off-road star-spoke wheels do a nice job of showing off the upsized components. Other accessories, like the M Performance decal on the right and winglets on the left, also help frame things.
The interior benefits as well, with items like the attractive Alcantara-wrapped M Performance steering wheel, which is pictured below with the optional carbon-fiber and Alcantara insert that surrounds the buttons and controls on the spokes. The look is further enhanced by way of M Performance shifter paddles, which are wrapped in carbon fabric instead of the factory chrome-appearance finish. M Performance floor mats round things out, along with a handful of peripheral items like a key wallet which is held in place by a contrasting screw, M Performance lenses for entry-light projectors, and of course tire bags to carry your extra set.
We’ve also discussed the M Performance Drive Analyzer before; it’s an accessory that’s been around for several years now with wide-ranging applications. The OBD-II port apparatus will work with the G05 X5, and interface with the existing smartphone app for capturing and subsequent reviewing of performance data. The system is directly derived from BMW Motorsport efforts; it can interface with a smartphone video camera, and also boasts full data logging capability enhanced with GPS position information.
There are no exhaust systems yet, but an excellent sounding set of pipes was offered for the previous two generations, so there is speculation that a new system is in the pipeline.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]