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Life Cycle Impulse
It's the acronym BMW uses to refer to a mid-cycle refresh of a model, as opposed to a new model (or generation of model) altogether. Generally, if a model lifespan is 7 years, the LCI with updated tech, minor cosmetic updates, etc., will be released around the 4th year. Helps rekindle the sales, and depending on how things went, they may offer more upgrades or changes in a mid-cycle refresh. The X6 was relatively minor changes.
The X6 was released in 2008 as a 2009 model in the US, and the LCI X6, which received full LED headlights (optional), LED taillights, some new colors, and possibly some minor interior changes (not sure), and different trim and placement of fog lights (except X6M, which has none) was released April 2012 as a 2013 model, again talking in the US - I am not sure of the dates in other countries.
Since most of the time LCI releases are minor, using same body panels, owners of pre-LCI vehicles may opt to retrofit their pre-LCI cars with the newly available, upgraded parts, to keep up with the look.
In this instance, the LED headlights look freaking awesome, although $6.5k for lights is a tough pill to swallow for any car as a relatively minor upgrade. They do look killer though. I wouldn't exactly call it a retrofit, since these are optional to begin with.
The other thing I can think of, for the X6M only, is the LCI X6M in 2013 received the "PowerDome" hood with the bulge in it, which was originally standard on the now-discontinued X6 ActiveHybrid.
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