Enlarge / There’s certainly no ignoring the BMW XM’s styling. But don’t let it distract you from a competent chassis and powertrain. (credit: BMW)

There was a time when “M” cars were lauded not only for the dynamic capability bestowed upon them by BMW’s motorsport division but also for their measured aesthetic. Models like the E39-generation M5 epitomized the “if you know, you know” design philosophy, a balanced approach that won the hearts of enthusiasts and mostly flew under the radar for everyone else. But as the new XM plug-in hybrid clearly illustrates, the M Division is undergoing a sea change.

It has been more than four decades since BMW produced the last M1, the only other road-going machine developed exclusively by the company’s storied performance arm. And much like the M1, the XM serves as a statement of purpose.

But this is not a limited-production, mid-engine supercar, nor is it a stripped-down homologation specially built to satisfy the stipulations of a racing series, as the first M3 was. Instead, the XM was designed to represent the pinnacle. Not the pinnacle of performance, but the pinnacle of the modern BMW experience. And it resoundingly succeeds in that mission.