There is a lot of activity going on at the Ring these days, with BMW playing around with its brand-new models, some of them being unveiled next January or in March, at the most expected auto show of the year, taking place in Geneva.

One particular test mule caught our attention the other day, and that was the long-rumored BMW X3M, which was long-debated and previewed in recent reports. The model will be launched next year as a 2018 MY.

The spy video below was provided by autoevolution and is offering us a closer look on the SUV`s new styling approach. And even if it comes with full camouflage around the body, we still get to guess the new design lines and approach.

The M version is already standing out from the crowd with the quad outlet exhausts, which give away the car`s aggressive engine under the hood, also definitely a clear indication that we are dealing here with a potent M model.

The BMW X3M will stand as expected on the company`s fresh CLAR platform, the same one underpinning the 2016 BMW 7-Series or newly unveiled 2017 5-Series Sedan. This indicates the presence of more lightweight materials and the use of a rear-wheel-drive. The model will also shed off some significant weight and will make room for more space inside the cabin and a wide range of engines under the hood.

Speaking about performance, the all-new 2018 BMW X3M is set to come with a more potent 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder engine, the same one found on the M3 and M4. We might be looking here at more than 317 kW injected on the new BMW M3, somewhere that will bring it closer to around 350 kW. The carmaker might also offer the new X3M with an all-electric powertrain variant.

Once arriving on the market in around 18 months, the new 2018 BMW X3M will take on the likes from the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 V8, also in the works, as well as the all-new Jaguar F-Pace V8.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

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