Xtreme sports: a vehicle that glues a smile to your face

As wheels is the first mag in the region to get a drive in the X5 M, and we want to bring this report to you as soon as possible, I won't faff around with the usual arty motoring metaphors, flamboyant descriptions or Clarkson-esque irreverence. But having pushed the X5 M, I cannot promise that I won't be using a few superlatives.

You see, the BMW X5 M is quite astounding. A couple of minutes behind the wheel and, apart from the fact that you are looking over the roofs of other cars and that there is the merest suggestion of body roll, you really don't feel like you're in an SUV. The standard X5 can give many sports cars a run for their money, but the M will wipe the floor with most of them.

Packed with the same 4.4-litre twin turbocharged V8 as the X6 M, this BMW Motorsport division version of the X5 can outrun its sister M3. It's also the same basic configuration as the 750i but that M badge means it harnesses around 148 more horses to give it a rip-roaring 555bhp total.

This is thanks, partly, to the innovative positioning of the two twin scroll turbos and catalytic converter in the V of the two cylinder banks which improves the engine's balance and gives more immediate response to the throttle. With 680Nm of torque from 1,500rpm right through to 5,650rpm, the surge of power is truly amazing. Equally amazing is how the drivetrain delivers that gut-wrenching power to the tarmac with such efficient grip. Propelling 2,380kg from 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds is no mean feat but the Bimmer's electronic all-wheel drive, controlled through the xDrive system, delivers traction where you need it instantly. It also competently rushes you towards an electronically limited 250kph top speed — which can be upped to 275kph with the addition of the M Driver's Package (that's just 3kph shy of the Cayenne Turbo S).

The standard X5 xDrive has also been tweaked for greater performance and to help it deal better with that extra torque. Running a six-speed auto box with paddle shifters, the X5 M lacks the double clutch system in the M3, as well as a seventh gear. However, apart from the decisive but ratchety paddle shift movement, gear changes come quickly and are relatively smooth — although it is a pleasure to feel that lurch forward as you kick it up a notch, which you need to do pretty sharply from standstill to 120kph to prevent the rev needle from redlining. There is also a very pleasing ‘burbling' from the exhaust when you kick down and lift off in manual mode (which you don't really enjoy when you're in auto).

Depending on how energetically you want to drive and how tossed about you want your passengers to be, you can adjust the air suspension, stability control and even engine power settings through the iDrive. Once set up, you simply press the M button on the steering wheel to switch from roomy if slightly raucous family SUV, to a thunderous performing bull.

And can it perform! As you get more of a feel for how agile the X5 M is in standard settings, you can then start to play with the M Dynamic Mode (MDM) for greater control over when and how the stability control intervenes. It even allows you to push most of the drive to the rear wheels to let you swing the tail loose in a controlled drift, while Dynamic Performance Control measures power delivery to the back wheels to give you traction and stability out of high speed bends. Even in normal driving mode, speed and steering angles are constantly monitored and the electromagnetic dampers and electronic anti-roll bars are continually adjusted to keep the cabin as upright as possible. It's an incredibly composed box of fun to throw around.

With all this technology at your fingertips and under your backside, the X5M is still a vehicle that you feel a part of. Feedback through the steering is sufficient if occasionally a little light to the touch in normal traffic conditions, but it weights up nicely at speed to impart driving confidence.

As ever, all controls and switchgear are ergonomically located and oriented to suit the driver. You even have an adjustable head up display showing revs, gear and speed. While some report that the iDrive information, entertainment, navigation and car set-up system is still too convoluted, I found it to be perfectly intuitive and it will only take you about half an hour before you know it inside out, especially if you've used previous versions.

Fuel economy is really the only drawback to owning the X5 M, although that isn't an issue out here. At 13.9 litres per 100km, in terms of cubic capacity it is comparable to the 4.8-litre Cayenne GTS, which is probably its closest competitor. The X5 M is also roomier than the more dynamic looking X6 M and is far more practical for everyday family use, while losing virtually nothing to its sibling in terms of performance.

Having always preferred the X5 to the X6, driving the M version only confirms to me exactly how great it is.

If the definition of ‘sports car' is a vehicle that glues a smile to your face with the sheer exhilaration of driving it, then the X5 M — regardless of the fact it's an SUV — defines the category perfectly.

• Model: BMW X5M
• Engine: 4.4-litre V8 twin turbo
• Transmission: Six-speed automatic steptronic
• Max power: 555bhp @ 6,000rpm
• Max torque: 680Nm @ 1,500-5,650rpm
• Top speed: 250kph (limited)
• 0-100kph: 4.7secs
• Price Dh485,000