BMW M Town Facility Touches Down In Australian Outback

For the Australian launch of the BMW X3 M and X4 M Competition models, the Bavarian carmaker built a local iteration of its M Town facility in the Outback.

The so-called ‘Outback M Town’ is one of many such sites around the world and was unveiled two days after a new permanent M Town exhibition space was opened at BMW Welt in Munich. The down under location resides on a private property north-east of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.

The clay-based circuit, reminiscent of a rally stage, is comprised of 23 corners and one long straight, which should be perfect for testing something like a performance crossover – which the previously-mentioned models certainly are.

“Outback M Town unites BMW M and X in arguably the most rugged and challenging terrain in Australia,” said BMW Group Australia CEO, Vikram Pawah. “It is the perfect playground to test the capabilities of the newest additions to the BMW M range – the X3 M and X4 M Competition.”

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The Outback M Town’s first “citizens” were members of Australian and New Zealand media, who got the chance to meet the two models, which are powered by a new twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine. It produces 503 HP (510 PS) and 442 lb-ft (598 Nm) of torque.

In a straight line, they can hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in four seconds flat, before maxing out at 177 mph (284 km/h) with the optional M Driver’s Package.

Visually, Competition variants feature high-gloss black accents, 21-inch wheels and an M Sport exhaust system, to go with special badging and standard M Sport seats in extended Merino leather inside.