When it comes to M cars, tuners tend to prefer sedans and coupes, with the occasional wagon for extra variety. It makes sense, considering owners of M2s, M3s, and whatnot are more likely to modify their cars than those who drive SUVs. However, every now and then, aftermarket specialists work on one of BMW's many high-performance, high-riding models. Enter dAHLer.

The Swiss tuner got its hands on the X5 M Competition (F95) and X6 Competition (F96) in the Life Cycle Impulse flavor. With the stage 1 kit, the twin-turbo 4.4-liter engine already outpunches the standard XM. dAHLer upgraded the brawny V8 to 720 horsepower, just 17 hp shy of the XM Label, BMW's most potent production car ever. An even stronger stage 2 kit is currently in the works.

At 900 Nm (664 lb-ft), the maximum torque available is still considerably less than the plug-in hybrid XM, but it's all coming from the combustion engine. There's no electric motor helping the X5/X6 M Competition deliver that mountain-moving torque. You get the whole shebang in the old-fashioned way. To extract so much oomph from the eight-cylinder engine, dAHLer applied both hardware and software changes.

Notable upgrades include a carbon fiber air intake and a quad-pipe stainless steel exhaust system. The X5 M and X6 M can be fitted with sportier springs or a coilover suspension, both developed in-house. If you opt for the more sophisticated setup, you can adjust the stiffness of the compression and rebound damping. You can also change the ride height.

The forged wheels, which have a two-tone finish and measure 23 inches, are wrapped in meaty 315/30 R23 tires. A front spoiler lip rounds off the visual mods for the two beefy SUVs. Oh, and there's a carbon fiber engine cover, too. Inside, custom floor mats complete the look.