- The BMW XM Label Red set a class record for hybrid-electric SUVs at the Pikes Peak hill climb course in Colorado Springs.
- After crashing during the June hill climb event, Matt Mullins returned in September to make the run in an officially certified time of 10:48:60.
- The new time set by Mullins beats the 2018 Bentley Bentayga’s race-day record by nearly 1.5 seconds.
On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Matt Mullins lined up for the 101st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb competition. His chariot? The first-ever BMW XM Label Red. The new SUV is BMW’s most powerful production vehicle ever, producing 738 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That’s more than enough to conquer the 156 turns on the hill climb course.
Unfortunately for BMW—and for Matt Mullins—his first attempt ended with him going off the track and hitting a tree. That put an end to BMW’s hopes of setting a new official race-day record with the Label Red.
Second Chances
In September, BMW and Mullins returned to the course to set a new official record for hybrid-electric SUVs. Mullins raced the Label Red up the nearly 5000 feet of elevation gain in a new best time of 10:48:60.
Reminiscent of the camouflaged Lamborghini Urus Performante that posted a time of 10:32.064 in August 2022, Mullins’ second run was made after the official hill climb. Therefore it won’t count towards the race-day records, but it still counts as an officially certified course run.
The new time means the Label Red is nearly 1.5 seconds quicker than the 2018 Bentley Bentayga that currently holds the race-day, production-SUV record with a time of 10:49.902.
To see behind the scenes of a competition like Pikes Peak, BMW sent a camera crew to document Mullins and the team throughout the attempts. The result is a two-part documentary that follows the initial heartbreak of Mullins’ crash in June, followed by the ecstasy of achieving their shared goal in September. The first and second parts can be found on the BMW USA YouTube channel.
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Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
