There might be no replacement for displacement, but turbochargers do a great job of taking the place of cubic inches when it comes to power generation. Just watch how well the BMW X5 M does in the following Autocar head-to-head quarter-mile drag race against the naturally aspirated Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.
Although the American entry has a massive 6.4-liter HEMI V8 that generates an impressive 475 lag-less horsepower, the Bimmer’s two turbos help its significantly smaller 4.4-liter eight-banger crank out a pavement-scorching 567 horsepower. The BMW’s power plant is only edged out by the Porsche’s twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8, which develops only three more hp.
One area where the BMW tops the P-car…err…P-SUV is in terms of curb weight – and that’s not a good thing. The X5 M’s curb weight of 5,260 pounds is more than 300 pounds north of the Cayenne’s figure of 4,927.
Despite that (and a do-over required by its overly eager launch control system), the X5 M blazes its way to victory.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
