425bhp BMW X3 M: upcoming Macan Turbo rival due this year

Following the launch of the all-new X3, a pumped-up version has been spotted testing at the Nürburgring with almost no camouflage

BMW will launch a hot X3 M later this year as the range-topping variant of the latest X3 SUV to rival the Porsche Macan Turbo.

The new X3 flagship model has been photograped testing at the Nürburgring with next to no camouflage, revealing the M division enhancements its body will recieve over the regular car.

Bolder bumpers and more prominent exhausts are clear signals to the car's performance. It'll also get larger diameter wheels, although this test car' features mismatched alloys. Like the regular car, the X3 M will feature LED lighting as standard.

The biggest changes for the M model are under its bonnet, where the X3 M uses a 425bhp turbocharged straight six engine, which is related to the one used in the M3 and M4.

The new X3 M, also due to face the Mercedes-AMG GLC63, will be built around the same revised high-strength steel platform with a modified double-wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension as the new X3 - a set-up that is predicted to be used for an X4 M model next year.

It will sit above the current hottest model, the X3 M40i M Performance. That car is also powered by BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six but in less hardcore form, so it generates 355bhp - still good enough to get the M40i to 62mph in 4.8sec. This suggests the X3 M could cover 0-62mph in around 4.5sec.

The X3 M40i costs from £51,280, so the X3 M is likely to be available from just over £60,000 - aligning it closely with the Macan Turbo, which starts at £62,540