This Is Our Best Look Yet At The BMW XM

The BMW XM is arguably the most hated car on the internet right now, but while the Concept model that previews the final production version is certainly designed to go viral, it appears that BMW is showing a little bit of restraint with the final design. Numerous spy shots have already suggested that the jaggedness and extremism of its design will be pared back somewhat, and now we have our first clear look at the final styling and it confirms that, while this will still be a very controversial machine, it will be slightly more conventional than originally anticipated. Not much, but a little.

The new spy shots reveal that the hood will not feature vents and the mirrors will be shaped like those on BMW M's existing SUVs. The rocker panels will also be bulky door bumpers that jut out from the body at an angle and the roof-mounted LED running lights will be deleted. The front fascia will feature an actual bumper where the license plate will reside while the wheel arches will be far less pronounced and feature a rounder design than those on the concept. A two-tone color scheme isn't visible here, but since it's available on the recently launched 7 Series, we wouldn't be surprised if this remains an option. In addition, the green paint here appears to be based on the matte Frozen Deep Green metallic of the M5 CS, while gold accents appear to give that super sedan a nod too.

At the rear, those BMW logos in the corners of the windshield continue to stick a big middle finger to the original standalone BMW M car, the M1. The diffuser has been pared back a little, and the recessed roof won't make production, but very long taillights appear to carry over. Inside, the changes are even more obvious. The ridiculously over-the-top look seen on the Concept XM has naturally been deemed too expensive to bring to production, but we do still see plenty of two-tone leather in blue and brown.

To sum it up, the production version of the BMW XM will be very much like the Concept, just toned down slightly. It's still going to be polarizing, it's still going to draw attention, and it's still going to be loved and hated in equal measure. This is the future of BMW design. Deal with it.