Surprise us. Shock us. Do something unexpected. Those were the words from the BMW Board to the BMW Design team and specifically head of M Design Marcus Syring. And to our eyes, as the covers were pulled off the XM, we were shocked. The BMW XM design breaks new ground while referencing the past. But more importantly, once you get past the shock, it starts to slowly impress.

BMW XM Design Marcus Syring

This is a world exclusive first look at the all new (and bespoke) BMW XM Concept with the man who designed it – Marcus Syring. Syring comes to this roll with an incredible pedigree. As the designer of such cult-classics like the Z3 M Coupe and MINI Coupe along with the E46 M3 and modern Rolls Royces, his portfolio of products is broad and often daring. So it’s no surprise that the XM takes some risks. But hearing Syring’s remit from the BMW Board to “shock us” means this was an even more blue-sky moment for him and his team.

That’s not what we expected. On paper this is the antithesis of what we love about BMW. Yet over the years we’ve fallen in love with a few (not all) of BMW’s recent crossovers. And what Marcus Syring and his team have done here is re-write some of the design language while referencing the past in smart ways.

BMW XM design

It’s also (and perhaps this is the most important) completely modern and at times even futuristic in a space that doesn’t often see real innovation. In short if BMW M was going to create a large crossovers product, it would need to feel different form anything on the market. In our eyes that’s exactly what the XM is. And in person, it’s nothing short of breath-taking.

But don’t take our word for it. Watch our interview with head of M Design Marcus Syring and decide for yourself.

Note – due to the confidential nature of this pre-reveal we were not able to take photos or video. We also didn’t have our professional audio recording gear present so the sound quality isn’t ideal. But we’re hoping the content makes up for that.