Purchased in 2025. Platinum Grey Metallic, Black Nevada leather, brushed aluminum trim. A 2012 xDrive35d that arrived having already been transformed — KW V3 coilovers, big brake kit, hybrid turbo, full delete tune, fender flares, and 139,000 miles of meticulous ownership documented in a 21-page build thread. A happy replacement for the 4.8is.
The M57 is wildly underappreciated in the United States. BMW stopped selling diesel X5s after the 2018 model year, and the xDrive35d never got the attention it deserved — a 3.0-litre inline-six with torque characteristics that make a V8 feel impatient, and fuel economy numbers that make a petrol X5 feel embarrassing. It's the kind of engine that rewards patience at low rpm and then delivers everything at once.
This particular car arrived with a history that reads like a love letter to the platform. The previous owner — Evan, from San Diego — documented everything in a build thread that ran to 21 pages and 201 posts over several years. He started with a clean 78K-mile Southern California car in April 2019 and ended with something considerably more capable. KW V3 coilovers. A hybrid turbo upgrade. A big brake kit. JR 2.8 tune with supporting modifications. XHP transmission tune and X-delete. Fender flares. Style 612M wheels. The full maintenance record to match. The for-sale listing was comprehensive, honest, and written by someone who clearly didn't want the car to go to the wrong hands.
It replaced the LeMans Blue 4.8is — a car that was found at the Zentrum in 2006 and owned for over a decade. The 4.8is was a V8 statement car. The M57 X5 is something different: a daily driver with the suspension, brakes, and tune to back it up, and the diesel torque to make every trip feel effortless.
This is the current car. More to follow.
The following modifications were completed by the previous owner and documented in detail across a 21-page build thread. The car arrived with all of this work already done and the receipts to prove it. Full thread at Bimmerfest.
The M57 diesel is wildly underappreciated in the US. Torque, reliability, efficiency — and with the tune, suspension, and brakes this car arrived with, it's something considerably more than the sum of its factory parts. Happy to have it. More to follow.