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BMW X6 M said to lap the 'Ring in 8:20

Bimmer Today reports that the German rag Auto Zeitung ran an Audi RS3 and a BMW X6 M around the Nurburgring together, and the hotted-up sports activity vehicle came in just five seconds behind the white-hot hatch. Driven by 'Ring regular Horst von Saurma, the RS3 ran its lap in 8 minutes, 15 seconds, and the X6 M ran an 8:20. If those times are accurate, that makes the X6 M the second fastest production SUV on the lap-time list according to Wikipedia: ahead of it is the 550-hp Range Rover Sport SVR, which ran a time of 8:14. That time puts BMW's 575-horsepower, 5,200-pound SUV four seconds ahead of the time registered by the last-gen, 555-hp X6 M, and well ahead of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S that Sport Auto clocked an 8:34 with. It would not, however, match the predictions that X6 M project manager Herbert Bayerl made for it in an interview with Sport Auto earlier this year. Bayerl said "The new BMW X6 M moves at the level of M3," speaking of the E92 BMW M3 that Sport Auto ran around the 'Ring in 8:05. It is, though, two seconds faster than the E46 M3, which lapped in 8:22. Bayerl called out the Range Rover Sport SVR directly, saying, "We have been traveling much faster in testing and have undercut the time of Range Rover several times," and "We don't need any special attachments to go faster." Auto Zeitung's report on the lap is only for subscribers so we'll have to wait for more official news. For the apples-to-apples comparison we'll be looking forward to Sport Auto's hot lap, then we'll know if the Range Rover has anything to fear. Related Video:

Daily Driver: 2015 BMW X6 M

Daily Driver videos are micro-reviews of vehicles in the Autoblog press fleet, featuring impressions from the staffers that drive them every day. Today's Daily Driver features the 2015 BMW X6 M, reviewed by Greg Migliore. You can watch the video above or read a transcript below. Watch more Autoblog videos at /videos. VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: [00:00:00] Hey, everybody. It's Greg Migliore, and today I am driving the 2015 BMW X6 M. This is the crossover coupe that is sort of a halo SUV for BMW. It's got its naysayers but I like it. I think it's a number of things enthusiasts like. It's fast, it's curvy, it looks good, it's fun to drive, and this one that I'm [00:00:30] testing out is absolutely loaded. It comes in at more than $115,000. Now that might seem like a lot for an X6, even in M trim, but you're getting a lot of stuff here. This has got a twin-turbo V8, pumps out 567 horsepower. It's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which I think is a good one, and it runs with all-wheel drive. There's a number of M treatments like the wheels, some of the aerodynamic treatments up front. [00:01:00] It looks sporty and it also has a good tough crossover feel, but it still has almost a car feel as well because the X6 was designed to have a bit of a coupe dynamic. Now inside, is really a beautiful surroundings. We've got lots of trim. It looks like carbon fiber. We've got different color stitching. There's black trim, there's orange trim, there is some of the M colors of light blue and red trim on the steering wheel. It definitely looks like a [00:01:30] loaded BMW, but also an M BMW series. You lay on the throttle you can get away from stoplights quickly, no trouble. Sounds good. There's a nice exhaust note. It got moving. It's a quick car. It can get to 60 miles an hour in about four seconds, which when you consider this SUV is above 5,200 pounds, that's pretty quick. Some people question the point of an X6 in general, [00:02:00] and especially an X6 M. You're taking an SUV with less capability than an X5 and some other SUVs in this segment and then cutting it down and making a design statement. I say exactly. That's exactly what you're doing. I like a vehicle that looks like this that has those coupe-like stylings in the back. It's a little more of a cutting edge, curvy design. I think all of that's great. Then, if you're going to do different M versions of cars, why not do an X6 M?

BMW considering building 3 Series in North America

There might be even more BMWs coming from North America soon. The company recently announced plans to build a flagship crossover called the X7 at its Spartanburg, SC, factory. Now, rumors are emerging that the Bavarians might be thinking about building a second North American factory that could build its quick-selling 3 Series.
According to Bloomberg, the German luxury giant is considering several possible locations for a North American factory, including two in Mexico, that may build the 3. "We will decide this in the next months. On the North American continent, there's still potential," said BMW production boss, Harald Krueger, in an interview meant for company staff obtained by Bloomberg.
If BMW decides to open a plant in Mexico, it would be following its rival Audi, which already announced construction of a factory there. Mercedes-Benz has been rumored to be working on a deal with Nissan to build its cars South of the Border as well. Rumors of Bimmer considering Mexican production have also cropped up in the past, so it wouldn't come as a total surprise to hear it made official.