Mr. Avarvarii emails: "From the spy photos I've seen, it seems like BMW are cooking a spicier version of the X5 (hotter than the 4.8 iS). I don't know if it is going to be an actual 'M' model; after all the naming is just marketing. But I'm pretty sure they won't be calling it MX5 ;) As I haven't seen any rendering of the thing around the web yet (nobody was brave– or dumb– enough), I felt obliged to give it a try. You can find the result attached as TTAC's first 'exclusive image.'" To which I can only add a simple question. While I understand (if not approve of) Bimmer's perceived need to carve-off a bit of the Porsche Cayenne's extreme SUV market, why would The Boys from Bavaria M-up a truck before breathing their performance-related magic on their already sublime handling 7-Series? With Mercedes S63, Audi's S8 and Porsche's forthcoming Panamera, you'd think an M7 would be the safer– and better– bet.
[For more Avarvarii photochopistry, click here.]
Aren’t photoshops usually the realm of Motor Trend?
As for the MX5, X5M, or whatever they’re gonna call it… An M sport SUV doesn’t strike me as particularly good move. Anyone wanting true performance will simply get an M5, while adding the “M” to an SUV will only serve to sully the badge.
I have owned and loved BMWs for a very long time, but I’ve decided never to own anything newer than an E46 – it seems that after this point BMW took leave of its senses.
I wish BMW would move away from the X series, but they probably still make too much money from it in North America.
(Now if BMW wanted to get me back into the new car fold, they would bring a M3 Sportwagon here, and all would be forgiven.)
Well, till now BMW has always kept from making an M7 because it wouldn’t do the M badge justice. Unlike Mercedes where AMG is most if not all about just the enigine (same goes for Audi, maybe RS4 excepted), a true BMW M is designed from the chassis up as a sports car.
Therefore it also usually shares significantly less parts with its more common siblings than an AMG or S/RS usually does.
Till now BMW has most of the time kept true to this concept, and I hope it will keep that way. But it seems the new management is all about creating as much models as possible (V1, X6 etc) so an X5M or M7 seems more likely now.
Personally I think the S63 and ML63 AMG are rediculous automobiles that are rarely bought by real car guys. S8 more or less the same. I would consider an RS6 though…
We have an X3, and we like it. So I have to say we don’t think BMW should drop the X series. My wife had thought she would get a sports car when we moved back to Houston, but the flooding and bad roads convinced her to keep the X3.
OTOH, I can’t understand the “performance SUV” thing at all. If you are going to have a performance SUV, it should be made for increased soft road, or off road performance. An SUV tuned for road racing is an oxymoron. I believe that building vehicles that don’t make sense is good for a brand in the long run. I guess people buy them though, so what the heck.
That photochop looks good.
I guess they figured a world that hasn’t shunned the Cayenne would welcome their bold-faced money grab as well.
I’ve seen a few X5’s that have been tickled by Dinan so I guess the market is there.
This image is probably spot on