BMW X6 M50d

When i first heard of a Diesel X6, I was expecting it to be the answer to Audi's Q7 Diesel. This one however made the Q7 look like a paper origami. Make no mistake - The Q7 is a wonderful car - being the first mammoth i fell in love with when an overly rich young man decided on it for its high seating position for his daughter to feel like a princess when driven to kindergarten.

The M50d however took over my heart like a symbiote - and the M showed me what to really do with a huge SUV. Pedal to the metal, I expected to feel like being in a truck. Instead, after momentarily losing my double chin into my throat, I felt that its raw power alone could spear through a flooded Bukit Timah Road like a Great White on a feeding frenzy.

No wait, cancel my last. That's the G55's job. This one would split floods with such a refined stature that you might think M stands for Moses.

Then comes the sound of the engine note. In a word, its "the Nurburgring". It excites, it challenges and it is downright legendary. When was the last time a diesel caused this much excitement? - That's right, it's not supposed to.

Just when you thought that's good enough - the M50d dishes out a first of its kind - tri turbo setup. Frankly speaking, i never managed to go fast enough to hear the 3rd one spooling. While that was a bit of a letdown, knowing the bugger is there is perhaps comforting in the event of a car chase up North (a million ringgit on wheels is sure to grab some attention).

Overall this is one of the 2 BMWs i would ever consider buying, as a not-too-fond-of-BMW buyer. It's powerful, it's intimidating and it's mesmerizing.