Businessuite Magazine Auto Feature

2010 BMW X6 M Road Test

When folks first happen upon BMW’s peculiarly proportioned X6, they can’t get over its skyscraper butt.

Many can’t get around it, either. Were you to walk into the X6’s liftgate at midnight outside the Sidetrack Tap, the thing would nail you not in the gut but in the Adam’s apple. But we’re not here to dissect styling.

The proposition before us is power. One would have thought that the 400 horses under the hood of the X6 xDrive50i might have been sufficient. BMW’s M division didn’t think so. And thus we have the X6 M depicted here, which is to the evolution of SUVs sort of what the appendix is to the evolution of Homo sapiens.

ifold, a crossover exhaust manifold that connects both cylinder banks, a finned aluminum oil pan, altered cam timing, and two new twin-scroll turbos that provide max boost of 17.4 psi, which ought to Chernobyl just about anything made of aluminum. And there are even larger intercoolers in the grille, which look like the air inlets for the Pentagon’s backup generator.

This particular recipe yields 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque rolling out as early as 1500 rpm.

Which should be fun. On the other hand, Frisbee golf is fun. But does anyone take it seriously?

What, exactly, do you do with a vaguely nonsensical To the 4.4-liter V-8, the ever-tinkering Bavarians have 555-horse SUV? Our answer: Subject it to a nonsensiadded new pistons, cylinder heads formed of the same cal vehicular triathlon. material used in their diesel engine, a new intake man-

2009‑Mitsubishi ‑Endeavor 4 The Mitsubishi Endeavor is a mid-size crossover SUV built by Mitsubishi Motors at their manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. Based on the PS platform, it was the first vehicle built under Mitsubishi’s “Project America”, a program aimed at introducing vehicles for North America without having to compromise to accommodate other export markets.[2] Its design origins can be traced back to the Mitsubishi SSU which debuted at the 1999 North American International Auto Show, although the Endeavor does not share the concept’s mechanical underpinnings.

[3] The prototype was powered by a 305 hp (227 kW) version of the 6A13TT 2.5 liter twin-turbo V6, which directed the power to a full-time all wheel drive system through its INVECS-II five-speed semi-automatic transmission and AYC.[4] When the Endeavor debuted, it used the 6G75 3.8 liter V6 offering 215 hp (160 kW) (improved to 225 hp (168 kW) in 2004) and 250 lb·ft (339 N·m), mated to a four-speed semiautomatic transmission with an optional all wheel drive system that splits the torque 50/50 by default. It

received a mild restyle for the 2006 model year.

Despite some reasonably favorable reviews on its release,[5] the Endeavor’s performance in the marketplace failed to meet Mitsubishi’s expectations. On its release in March 2003 the company aimed for 80,000 annual sales but achieved only 32,054 by the end of its debut year,[6] and sales have fallen every year since.

Mitsubishi did not produce any 2009 Endeavor models for the retail market. They did produce a 2009 model for fleet customers that are turning up as used, off lease vehicles. They share the exterior appearance with the 2010 model, however are equipped with cloth interior, and add bluetooth. For the 2010 model year, the Endeavor gets another facelift, with newer front and rear fascias. The 2010 Endeavor went on sale in June 2009. It only comes one way for 2010, lacking the navigation package of the 2008 Limited trim, and only coming equipped with leather seating.

Also adds hands free bluetooth calling.

On April 25, 2011, it was announced that Endeavor production will end in August of 2011.[7