Tri-Diesel Power: Driving the BMW X5 M50d

It's not hard to imagine why diesel cars have not really caught on locally, just years ago, these oil burners were the reserve of commercial vehicles and taxis, and with a rather "image conscious" pool of buyers, such an association is proving somewhat hard to shake off. Couple that with a heavier (and rather confusing) set of taxes, you can't really fault our local motoring community for passing on these diesel alternatives. Yet, on countless articles and tv shows, we are shown that diesel is one of the ways forward if range and fuel saving is a priority. The thing is though, fuel savings and range is not very sexy. And in our local motoring context at least, sex sells. In a battle of badge snobbery, a "D" stuck onto your boot is about as exciting as the last Transformers movie. But what if we moved the game up a little, what if, we sprinkle that "D" with a touch of "M"? We might have ended up with one of the longest model designations known to mankind but at the same time, it does change your perception a little doesn't it? No longer is it a hum-drum oil burner built to pound it's life away thinking it's latest achievement was gaining an extra kilometer. No, it's become something more purposeful, it's now an M(lite) and it's got gained proper street cred. Will this be enough to sway potential buyers though? Here are the numbers. The 3 liter (Euro V compliant) diesel straight six unit in the, X5 M50d (yes i know, 3 liters, not 5), is by far BMW's most powerful diesel engine ever produced. Force fed with not one, not two, but three turbochargers, this equates to an impressive output of 381 horses at 4400rpm and an even more impressive tire squishing 740Nm of torque which come on full song between 2000-3000rpm. If that doesn't pique your interest, i don't know what will. Putting those specs into perspective and at risk of cannibalizing sales from "normal" BMW X5s, the X5 M50d doesn't just outgun the similarly priced xDrive35i variant but comes within striking distance of it's more vocal big brother, the xDrive50i. That big twin-charged V8 might have a power advantage with 444 horses, but with 90Nm less torque, there is just 0.3 seconds separating these two cars to the century sprint (5.3seconds vs 5 seconds). And, according to BMW, the M50d will give you 14.9km's per liter if you are ginger with the throttle. (We got about 11, which is still pretty good for something that tips the scales at just over 2.2 tons)

Both cars are limited to 250km/h so top speed comparisons are rather moot but one thing is for certain, the xDrive50i cost almost another 90 grand more. Food for thought. Aesthetically, the "M Performance" bits on our test car makes it a far better and sportier looking SUV (or SAV in BMW speak) than it's brethren. Although the basic shape remains, it's enhancements have nipped and tucked it into a more toned body shod with massive 20-inch shoes and equally generous tail pipes. As expected, space inside is vast and with the massive sunroof, gives a very generous feeling of space. Swathes of dark leather wrapping around the very comfortable and supportive seats and door trims give the interior a rather muted and understated atmosphere broken up with strips of aluminum highlights. Seating for 5 remains comfortable and although the rear packs 2 extra seats that can be raised from the boot floor, space way out back is best reserved for either short journeys, children, or friends who are into yoga. There are some details which set this interior apart from "normal" X5s though, the lovely to hold M steering wheel, the gearknob, those door sills, and the digital speedometer readouts all trumpet the most powerful alphabet in the World. Stomp on the loud pedal and if by any chance you're not overcome by all 740Nm of torque, you will be treated to a rather interesting soundtrack. Yes everyone, like most modern BMWs, the M50d comes with a digital soundtrack. Though in this instance, i'm not going to fault BMW. Diesels as we all know, suffer from a rather, how shall we say, a set of rather uninspiring vocal chords. Those pipes exiting the rear bumpers might be big enough to stuff melons in but most of the car's sound comes from the engine up front. It might churn out enough power to dig roads up, but aurally, remains rather agricultural. Which is why, it's best to keep the windows up and indulge in some "Active Sound Design". Or you can sink the track and pump the track with it's stonking sound system.

There are again, multiple driving modes to choose from and depending on your mood, can go from comfortable, to slightly less comfortable. Some might have pointed out that Sport mode stiffens up the steering too much but personally i found it to provide the best level of resistance and feel with the sharpened throttle response that's befitting of the car's badge. Although the M50d stays planted through most road conditions, when it encounters a series of switchbacks, no amount of computers can hide how much it weighs. You don't quite flow through the bends but rather, pulverize them into submission. The trick is to go hard on the brakes going into turns and use the X50d's juicy torque and traction for the exits. It might sound strange but i honestly mean it as a compliment when i say, it drives like a petrol. Such is the engine's willingness to move up the rev range even though it redlines just below 5500rpm. Over-steer antics on this car are still probably best left to professionals. So how does the M50d stack up next to it's brethren in the X5 stable? Rather well i reckon. With enough firepower to claw at the heels of it's V8 brother and priced similarly to the xDrive35i (but better looking), the M50d now not only has the specs to prove why it's a viable alternative to it's petrol drinking brothers, but the figures as well. Next to the xDrive35i and xDrive50i, the M50d actually looks like pretty good value. Blows your mind drastically, fantastically. It has to be, automatically. Pity it's a little disappointing phonetically.

Return of the Boss: Driving the BMW X5 xDrive50i

When a manufacturer makes a car that's so well received, there comes a problem eventually when they have to think up of a new one to replace it with. BMW's no stranger to this dilemma, having to update their much loved 3-Series. Still the benchmark of it's class. With BMW's X5, they had the same problem. Previous iterations of the X5 sold very well and had garnered much praise indeed. BMW's choice to put much emphasis on the "Sport" part of the Sport-Utility-Vehicle (or in BMW-speak, Sport-Activity-Vehicle) world has worked out very well in their favor, almost creating a niche for themselves until other manufacturers took notice. Almost 14 years on, it's time for the 3rd-generation X5 and BMW has kept most of the good bits from the previous car and unlike their sport sedans, have broken the revolution-evolution-revolution design cycle. The latest X5 is definitely more of an evolution than a revolution in BMW's world of Sports Activity Vehicles, which helps then that the previous gen still looks rather stylish and while it isn't lacking in the road presence factor, the new X5's face has turned up the imposing factor by at least a few notches. In-line with BMW's current design language, those massive kidney grilles now take center-stage, ready to eat up everything in front, flanked by a set of big angry Adaptive LED headlamps. Throw in a liberal use of intakes below the front bumper and you have one mean game face indeed. The rest of the redesigned SAV looks the part too, though the shape remains familiar, the X5 is now much chunkier and more beefy than before and looks particularly marvelous in our test car's Individual-spec Pyrite Brown Metallic paint. Overall dimensions come in at 4,886mm in height x 1,938mm in width x 1,762mm in height. Though it might look the part, the new X5 has only grown 29mm longer and 5mm wider but comes in at lower than its predecessor by 14mm. The most noticeable addition in bodywork appears in the enlarged D-pillar which wisely trades a sleeker roof-line for improved interior space. Finishing off are big black 20"s to pummel the asphalt beneath.

The biggest change comes inside, with a much more modern design and feel over the outgoing model. In BMW speak, our car has been specified with a "Design Pure Excellence" package which means you can expect a great amount of space for everyone inside with plush nappa leather wrapping the seats paired with leather on the dash and door trims, along with American Oak fine wood trim. One bugbear on the leather would be if possible, opt for a darker shade as the light cream leather on our car while beautiful to look at, meant stains, marks and scuffs were easily seen. The seats themselves are very comfortable and coupled with excellent visibility all round gives those up front a commanding view all around. If the big windows are not enough, for sun-lovers, there is the panoramic sun-roof which opens up to give you an almost Targa-like experience. An interesting option fitted to our car is a customizable "mood lighting" setup which allows you the pick and match from a selection of preset variables. It's somewhat bling, but an interesting add-on interesting nonetheless. Rear seat space is again, generous with the seats adjustable for rake and reach. The almost flat floor allowing for the third middle seating passenger a more comfortable journey as well. In some regions the X5 is seen as an alternative to the 7-Series and with an interior as inviting as this we have no problem seeing why. Fold the rear seats down however and you'll find another set of chairs ready to be raised into position. These seats are best kept for short journeys, children or maybe people you don't really like as even though they might look inviting with their leather cushions, space is somewhat lacking for this third row. Though some consolation can be had with the addition of another set of air-con vents. The use of these seats also severely limits boot space, which means if you were to pack 8 people inside, they'll probably have to pack really really light. At least the journey won't be too boring with the booming B&O sound system. With the last row folded flat into their recesses, boot space comes back to a very respectable 575 liters. Fold the middle row down and it jumps up to a massive 1,870 liters. With it's split rear tailgate (electrically operated top half and a manual lower) allowing for easy loading and unloading after a day (or two) at Ikea. It might look like a truck but it sure doesn't drive like one. Even when running on big 20s with run-flats, on-road manners are fantastic and with so much suspension travel under the wheel arches, all manner of road imperfections are quickly ironed out before they could even reach the fabric of your jeans. Though it's size and heft might prove slightly unwieldy on smaller tighter roads, the X5 remains very very composed (even on power) into medium or long bends, with Torque-vectoring coming into play, distributing power to whichever wheel that can help rotate the car better. The way this car hustles through meandering roads regardless of whichever driving mode you choose is mighty impressive. I find it best to keep it in normal though as the ride quality is just so good and putting it into Sport or Sport+ just trades that ride for an unnecessary bit of harshness with not a huge jump in cornering ability. And hustle indeed, our xDrive50i, the current range-topper before the might M's arrive, pack in a mighty growlly 4.4litre V8 boosted with a pair of snails (or turbos if you prefer). This means 450 mighty horses and a meaty, juicy, 650Nm of torques. 43 more horses and 50Nm more twisting force than the previous outgoing model. Which incidentally also means it's just 30Nm shy of what the M5 Competition puts out. That's quite a nice bit of power, and coupled with the brilliant ZF 8-speed shifter, propels this 2.2 tonne machine up to 100km/h in 5 seconds flat. There is a slight delay between the time you put your foot down and when all manner of madness breaks loose as the gearbox seems to take a split second to contemplate the best cog for 650Nm's to be in, this might prove slightly bothersome at first but you will easily get used to it and adjust your driving style accordingly. The 4.4 V8 is vocal when going about it's business too, at cruising speeds, the engine settles into a nice baritone warble which hints of all the muscle waiting in reserve which, when called upon, erupts into a snarly beast ready to devour all that dares to wander ahead. This noise is so very addictive but if you drive like a loon, be prepared to pay for it in petrol duties as driving the xDrive50i in exuberance will take a heavy toll on economy. An average of 4.5-5km/liter if you choose to open the taps often. Good if you like making friends at the nearest petrol kiosk, not so good if you are the shy type. Though I'm pretty sure over 90% of X5 buyers will probably not venture into anything remotely devoid of tarmac, BMW has built in some goodies and toys for those 10% that occasionally want to get their boots, or rather, their tires dirty. Hill descent control and the ability to transfer up to 100 percent of available torque to an individual wheel means you'll have less chances of getting stuck and when approaching obstacles or uneven terrain, the various sensors, cameras and gizmos comes into play guiding you along your trek. You can also view your car's orientation, pitch and roll via the iDrive. Overall while it doesn't look the revolution you imagined, BMW has done much work where it matters, evolving the X5 into a very accomplished premium SUV, sorry, SAV, ready to take the fight to the next generation of competition.

Random shots: X1 M-teched

Spotted this X1 running full M-Tech apparel and slightly lowered. I'm liking it alot.

X-scaping The City - Part 2: Driving the X3 xDrive35i

First impressions as it comes, is probably one of the aspects of your life where you pay quite a bit of attention to, when it comes to meeting new people, nailing a job interview or making a sales pitch. Imagine that, in just the first few minutes of meeting someone new, we would have already forged in our minds, either a positive or a negative reaction towards them. Such is the way we are wired.

Studies show that initial encounters are emotionally concentrated events which can overwhelm us. We walk away from such experiences with a first impression that is like a Polaroid picture, a head-to-toe image that develops instantly and never entirely fades.

How this happens is our brains create a composite of all the signals given off by new experiences, voices, appearances, postures and even handshakes, all form up into either a positive or a negative impression. Over time, of course, this impression could change, but if you are just meeting someone for a couple of minutes, that impression could last for quite a while. To make a good impression, you need to be particular over a number of things, you need to dress well and look presentable, you need to be clear when you communicate, you need to be a good listener, and you need to pay attention to your host or new friend. It seems like a lot of work, but get it right the first time and it'll all be worth it. A positive impression can lead to doors being opened for you, a negative one will lead you to the door.

All this leads up to the general impression (hehe), of cars being sold locally. If we, as everchanging human beings have it hard making a good first impression, imagine how hard those test cars have it. For most buyers, the longest time they'd have to spend with a brand new car is sitting in the car, inside the showroom floor. Would you like a test-drive sir? Here's a tried and tested route with no bearing on your daily routine. So for new car buyers, to truly gauge a car, it can be tough. A positive first impression counts. It counts for a lot.

My first car was an SUV, it was a big lumbering chunk of metal, with a ladder chassis, green paint and an extra gearknob behind the normal gearknob. Flop it around and it engages full time 4WD, flop it back again, it locks the differentials and puts the gears into an “off road ratio” setting. It all sounds very macho and off-roady, but on the blacktop, it rolled like a lorry, had tyres that almost slid the car off Benjamin Sheares Bridge and it broke down so many times, i had the tow truck driver on speed dial. I didn't like it very much. From that day on, i've never really liked SUVs, i never really got the point of them, i've always thought Station Wagons were just as good or even better in real life situations. As you can see, my very first SUV left a pretty bad mark on me till this day.


Which brings me to the new BMW X3 xDrive35i. On paper, it all looks pretty tempting, a twin scroll turbo-ed 3 litre straight 6. One of the best engines out there now, pulling out 300 horses when on song and for the main event, at just over tickover it punches out 400Nm's of torque. It sounds very sporty, it sounds really good, but it also is an SUV (or SAV as BMW likes to call it). Oh dear.

The previous X3 had a somewhat difficult beginning, it was loathed by reviewers, looked a bit strange on the front end and it somehow felt like it was trying hard to be an X5 but not quite there yet. So for this new one, BMW had a bit of work to do.

Now i've sampled a couple of the X-cars from BMW before, the X6 and the X5, so i do know that BMW can build some pretty formidable SAVs. I liked the X5, less so the X6. Even though the X6 drives like the clappers, and slingshots you through corners, i've always felt it abit of a handful in this space constraint country of ours, the X5 being slightly smaller, had better all round visibility, could fit more people and could carry dogs in the back. Perfect.

How does the new X3 fare? Well, for starters, it looks alot better. That fussy front end has been replaced with much bigger and broader set of kidneys. The sides have swoopy lines cutting into the bodywork tapering towards the back. The car sits almost angled to the front, even the window baseline sits leaning forwards. Imagine yourself lifting and hunching your sholders forward, something like that.

The new X3 is an all round bigger car then before, half an inch taller, over 3 inches longer, an extra inch wider and a little more ground clearance. Doesn't sound like much, but the overall effect is of a much more muscular vehicle. It's not that big a car though, moving through traffic, that commanding ride and seat height allows you to putter into little gaps where the X3's bigger brothers would have only got a wheel in. When traffic slows down and stops eventually, so does the X3's engine. With the first local introduction of BMW's Start-Stop function, the X3 cuts off the engine when the car is stopped and restarts it when you take your foot off the brake, all in the name of saving fuel and improving efficiency. It takes a while to get used to but isn't as intrusive as it might sound.

At this point now i should be going on about how i feel about the car, but to be honest, i couldn't put my finger on it. Yes there is that point and squirt engine, yes there are 3 modes to the suspension varying how stiff you want your ride to be and how fast you like your gearchanges, and yes it should all be pretty good. But i haven't really bonded with it yet, maybe that old ghost of my first SUV is still lingering inside me. It's good, but maybe just not to my taste. Yet...

With over 1000 kilometers of road to transverse ahead of me. There is no better way to do a road test, highways and by-ways combined, i expected the X3 to be a good car for the long journey, what i got instead, was an exceptional car.

We've gone through the appearances, so now we are after some substance, and substance doesn't come any better then that turbo-ed straight 6, first seen in the 335, there-after on almost every other BMW in the range. It is a gem of an engine, so flexible and versatile, oodles of torque when moving off it jackrabbits every other car at the stoplights. On the highway, the X3 pulls to unmentionable speeds with such uncanny ease you really do have to pay attention if you value your license. Right next to her bigger brothers, the X5 and X6, the little X3 with less weight to pull around easily takes the lead whenever the road clears up and goes through long sweepers without their inherent mass. All this in the default comfort setting too. I did try out the other, more “sporty” setups, but to be honest, there really is no need to. It does everything so well in “comfort” mode that you don't really need the suspension to be any stiffer, even the gearchanges, when you get used to the throttle modulation, doesn't really need a change of mapping. Maybe unless you are on a track, but otherwise, leave it in comfort and just enjoy the ride.


Off the highways, the X3 pounds the uneven pavement and pitted roads into submission. The X3 laughs at all road imperfections and only on the worst road conditions do you really feel anything. (Unless you are in “Sport” mode, where yes, you can feel little pebbles on the road.) Sitting inside, the X3 gives a commanding view of the road ahead and it is quite a nice place to be when stuck in traffic. Generous lashings of leather, lots of buttons to fiddle with, and a pretty good sound system.

With over 600 kilometers each way, as i approached the finishing leg of my return, i realised that the cars we get attached to, are probably the cars we share the most time with, the cars we share the most experiences in. As over time, you get to discover that little bit more about a car, almost like getting to know someone better over the course of time. And as my short, long drive drew to a close, i've grown really fond of the X3. The ghost of my first SUV? I left it at the door over 600 kilometers away.

X-scaping The City - Part 1: Pangkor Laut, Malaysia

What an adrenaline fueled weekend it has been, with full-on smokey sideways action over at Formula Drift, the Canadian GP and of course, the legendary 24hrs or LeMans over in France. With non-stop racing action happening back to back, i instead, chose to go on a different route, heading up north into Malaysia with almost 600km's of road awaiting in front of me, on a warm and rather early Friday morning. Destination, Pangkor Laut, with Performance Motors as we “Escape The City”.An event where BMW owners take a different approach to holidaying, taking their cars up for extended driving and bonding sessions.

My car for the trip? The new X3 with a stomping turbocharged 3litre in-line 6.

The route up to Pangkor would take us up and over Kuala Lumpur towards Lumut with various rest stops scheduled in between and with over 50 cars signed up, it was going to be one interesting sight. With all the X-series (and one 5-GT) being grouped together, you sort of got the feeling that blitzing the highways wasn't part of the agenda.




With safety and getting there in one piece being top priority, those lead-footed males in our group were probably not too pleased when we were the last to set off. Usually i am quite skeptical of these “driving” holidays, I've always thought there were made up of people who were not too comfortable with the idea of venturing up into a foreign land and were all too light-footed for my taste. I was quickly (pun-intended) proven wrong though. The drivers in my team, we made pretty good time and the X-cars ate up whatever asphalt thrown at them, smooth paved highways, broken, pitted, and pot-holed B-roads and the occasional gravel path, with some cheeky overtaking along the way.

When all other cars were slowing down for the uneven surfaces, the X-cars pounded the bumps into submission and rode on unruffled. When the roads opened up, our bigger engines sucked in more air and pumped out more power. When we needed to overtake, a commanding view of the road ahead gave us an unfair advantage over normal cars, and when the tight B-road corners came, a blockade of slow-moving traffic in front held us up. Pretty much making no difference to be in a sports sedan. Such is the reality of driving in real-life. One point I'd like to note is how well the drive leaders and sweepers kept everyone together and keeping the convoy tight. I've driven in numerous convoys and this is by far, the most synchronized of all. No doubt about it. No one was lost, no one was left behind, and gaps were few and far in-between. We all switched over to the left to give way and we were treated in kind by the locals when we were hauling up the highway.





With rest stops and meals scheduled into our drives, we were all very much well fed. Yong Peng gave us fish-balls and Kuala Selangor provided us seafood. The SUV contingent soon set-off again towards the Ferry Terminal at Lumut, passing some lovely roads we would probably never venture into if not for this trip.





A cliched phrase to use now would be “Getting there is only half the fun”, but to be honest, when i got there, (after a slow ferry ride over), i think the resort impressed me quite a bit more then our drive up. It is just lovely. Really really lovely. Privately-owned island lovely. (Unless your idea of the perfect holiday is a shopping trip in HongKong).







With emerald seas surrounding the beach, hornbills and peacocks greeting you when you wake up, it's just pristine. I can go on and on raving about how beautiful the resort is but you'll just have to experience it for yourself.



The sun was shining and we were all blessed with great weather throughout our stay. If there is one complaint, i have, it would probably be the length of the stay, how i wish we could have lingered on just another day. The beaches were lovely and the water was warm, what's there not to like? It was on the second night over dinner where you actually discover just how well friendships can form over long drives together. Swapping driving stories over food and or just some jolly good banter.




I would not have experienced this camaraderie myself had i not joined in the fun. There is just such a sense of kinship and togetherness amongst the participants and organizers, it can almost put a tear into your eye. As the night came to a close, some of us stayed on partying into the night, whilst others retreated into the comfort of our beautiful villas.






The last day would bring us up towards Ipoh for lunch before a long drive back to Singapore. Some made the decision to drive straight back, missing out on some really awesome Ipoh Hor-Fun. That stuff is simply delish. We also found our way to the famous "Tau Fu Fah" stall and packed away our desserts, well worth the queue. Stomachs and cars tanked up soon after, everyone back home.

Given another chance, would i do it again in the future? I will seriously consider it, if you are thinking of going for their future event, do give it a go. Slots get taken fast. My initial thoughts of the drive being a clinical and laid-back journey was proven wrong and the event itself wasn't as fuddy duddy as I'd thought, in fact, quite the opposite. It was a truly memorable experience. I made new friends, had a great (rather rapid) drive, ate alot of delicious food and stayed in one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever been to.

I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend, even with all the Fast & Furious races happening around the World. In MY world, there really is nothing better then lying down on a hammock by the beach or getting a relaxing massage next to the sea, just not having to think or worry about anything. With everything else sorted out by the wonderful people from Performance Motors and Wheels for Fun, i really didn't need to. In short, i had a great time.


Big thanks to everyone at Performance Motors, Wheels For Fun, all the convoy leaders/sweepers, the death-defying photographer (in the death-defyingly driven 650i), our 3 BMW Motorrad chaperones and everyone involved.