The 738bhp BMW XM Label Red really does put lipstick on a pig

BMW has officially unveiled the XM Label Red, and to be honest we’re a little bit lost for words. And not in a good way. 

So, while we struggle to regain our grasp of the English language thanks to those giant red kidneys and the sheer in-yer-face-ness of the XM, let’s run through some numbers. The Label Red is essentially a more powerful version of the XM, so where the standard car makes do with 644bhp and 590lb ft of torque, this gets a frankly barmy 738bhp and 738lb ft. Good grief. 

The plug-in hybrid system and electric gubbins have largely been left alone, so that extra chunk of power comes from tweaks to the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8. As a result, the 0-62mph time drops to 3.8 seconds and the top speed rises to 180mph. Oh, and the 25.7kWh battery should still get you around 50 miles of all-electric range if you’re interested.

You’re not interested in that at all though, are you? You want to know more about the looks, don’t you? Well, we can tell you that the wheels are special 22-inch items and the accents are all ‘Toronto Red’ metallic paint. 

BMW says that the Label Red is “designed for customers who crave bold, standout design” and apparently the lipsticked version you see above is a special ‘Label Red Edition’ of which just 500 will be built. They’ll each get those striking red kidneys, a numbered plaque inside and special ‘Frozen Carbon Black’ exterior paint. All the Label Reds get special red badging and a black/red interior colour scheme.

BMW doesn’t mention any suspension or brake upgrades to deal with the 2.7-tonne SUV’s extra power, but we’ll get a good example of the Label Red’s dynamic ability in June when it takes on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with Matt Mullins at the wheel.

So come on then folks, help us out with the words and stick your thoughts in the comments below…