BMW F85 X5M Edition Black Fire

We love tuning and modified cars, so we turned to our own SUV. This BMW F85 X5M Edition Black Fire has been completely transformed into something you will not find anywhere else.

Ninety per cent of a car's look is its stance and wheels, so that is where we started. We fitted KW V3 Inox adjustable coilovers, which lower the car and its centre of gravity, sharpen the handling when driven hard and, not least, give it a completely different look. Separate stiffness and rebound adjustment allows very precise set-up to suit each customer's preferences.

Wheels have always been something special for us, so we chose a very exclusive US brand: ADV.1, with the two-piece 5.0 M V2 CS in 10.5x22 front and 12x22 rear with custom offsets, in the classic BLK II BLK finish of gloss black barrels and satin black faces with red accents. They wear Continental SportContact 7 tyres, 285/30 R22 front and 335/25 R22 rear, and they do not go unnoticed. The standard wheel bolts were replaced with ProTrack motorsport studs, paired with Mishimoto aluminium nuts for a more striking look.

For the exterior we chose a full carbon package from another American company we work with, RW Carbon: front splitter, side skirt extensions, rear diffuser, carbon mirror caps and carbon kidney grilles, which set the car apart and give it an individual look and a style of its own.

Next came one of the most important parts of transforming any performance car, even an SUV, as long as it belongs to the ///M family: the exhaust. We fitted a complete Frequency Intelligent Exhaust (Fi Exhaust) system with Valvetronic valves, combined with catless downpipes. Valve control lets the car be quiet and comfortable on a long trip, or very LOUD if you want it to be. For us this is the best exhaust for the F85 X5M in sound and feel.

After the exhaust came the intake, so the car could breathe better. We love American products, so once again we went with a great manufacturer: RK Autowerks and their carbon intake. Together with a Stage 2 engine tune from our friends at MHD Tuning and their Super License, the X5M became remarkably agile and a pleasure to drive.

With that much more power, the brakes had to be looked at too. The stock system is excellent, but there is always room for more, so we fitted an all-new, purpose-built rear axle brake kit that replaces the OEM calipers with 4-piston Brembo units. Add Goodridge braided steel brake lines on all four corners, in our favourite red of course, and racing brake fluid, and everything fell into place. The calipers were refreshed in our favourite red as well.

With the car 90% done, and this being the limited Edition Black Fire, we added a few black details: the fender gills, black emblems and badges from our friends at IND Distribution, who also supplied the red M1/M2 and Start/Stop buttons to complete the picture. All of it had to be protected, so the car was partially wrapped in high-grade PPF.

In short, Race Pilot’s F85 X5M Edition Black Fire is black, red and carbon 😊 Every part fitted is from our wide portfolio of high-end performance parts, and for some of these brands we are the official and exclusive representatives for Bulgaria.

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