The roar of the engine and its barking with each subsequent shift. Tracking the track, choosing the ideal track and pushing the limits. This is followed by an excessively high approach speed, merciless understeer and an attempt to tame an almost three-ton super-powerful SUV heading tangentially off the asphalt. A dull blow, shock, pounding heart and disappointment, which is replaced by relief that only metal sheets took it away. However, the true nature of the BMW XM accident at Pikes Peak will probably forever remain a mystery.
The bug is that BMW didn’t provide a record of the car trying to set a new record among production SUVs. Although the race was broadcast live via livestream, none of the cameras captured the car at the time of the accident. The good news, however, is that it was really only the sheets that took it away and that the rider escaped unhurt.
“Unfortunately, our hopes for a new record were dashed, as the BMW XM car that we entered the race for this purpose crashed. Driver Matt Mullins is disappointed but is fine,” BMW said in a brief statement. “At the moment we are concentrating on getting the car up and running and we will attempt the record again at the end of this summer.”
Photo: BMW
Let’s see if the BMW XM manages to break the record. After all, it only weighs 2.7 tons…
Dozens of accidents in which riders narrowly escaped death prove that in this case “only metal sheets” had to carry it away, as the saying goes, but some were not so lucky. The Pikes Peak mountain race, or the race to the clouds, is attractive because of the extremely difficult profile of the course – it starts at an altitude of 1,440 meters and the finish line is located at a height of 4,302 meters. On a twenty-kilometer track, the conditions can change very quickly and unpleasantly, the oxygen concentration decreasing with every kilometer driven is also a problem for drivers and engines.
Today, the track is completely asphalted, but it is faster and more dangerous because the surface is sometimes wavy and dusty. Additionally, not all curves are flanked by escape zones or barriers. A single driving error can thus end up “falling into the void”, which is one of the reasons why all cars (even serial ones such as the BMW XM) are required to start with a roll cage. In the case of Matt Mullins, however, the off-track trip likely occurred in a location that is more forgiving of riding mistakes. At the very least, it proves that wrecking is part of motorsport and that risk lurks everywhere.
The 2022 record thus remains valid and the Lamborghini Urus Performante, an extreme 666-horsepower version of the Italian superSUV from Sant’Agata Bolognese, continues to be the king of superfast SUVs (the absolute record is held by the electric VW ID.R). The car was in stock condition and ran on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, only fitted with the mandatory roll cage, the weight of which was offset by the carbon driver’s seat. Lamborghini made history with a time of 10 minutes and 32 seconds.
Does BMW have a chance to break the record? Write it down! The Urus relies exclusively on the power of the internal combustion engine, which loses some of its power with increasing altitude. However, the BMW XM uses a hybrid drivetrain, which could work in the Munich car’s favor in the future.
Foto: Invelt
In addition to the 4.4l V8 twin-turbo, an electric motor with a capacity of 197 hp (145 kW) participates in the total output of 748 hp (550 kW) of the top Red Label version, which means that the altitude does not have such an effect on the loss of power. However, its weight of 2.7 tons plays against the BMW, the Lamborghini weighs “only” 2.2 tons.
The winner of this year’s 101st Pikes Peak race was British driver Robin Shute with the Wolf TSC-FS, which is very much a cross between a Formula 1 and an endurance prototype. However, it’s fair to say that BMW didn’t leave with their heads down – seasoned driver Rhys Millen clocked a superb time of 10mins 12secs in the stock BMW M8, a personal best for the New Zealand veteran with a production car.
2023-07-01 03:02:21
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