5Series.net - Forums - BMW Concept X6 and Concept X6 Active Hybrid "Sport Activity Coupe

A little info to go with the pics

:thumbsup:

BMW X6 Concept Unveiled in Frankfurt

World's first "Sports Activity Coupe"

Sep 11, 2007

Bryan Joslin/BMW North America

It wasn't enough that BMW tried to convince the world its SUVs were actually "Sports Activity Vehicles;" now the company best known for creating the sport sedan category is also breaking new ground with the world's first "Sports Activity Coupe." The vehicle is teh BMW X6, shown as a thinly veiled concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show today. Think of it as BMW X5 meets Mercedes CLS- essentially the chassis of an all-conditions road-going SUV married to the silhouette of a four-door coupe.

We anticipate the production X6 will use the popular 300-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo six, a la 335i, as its base engine and that a range-topping twin-turbo V-8 may also be in the works, taking on the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne directly. Production is expected to start in the first weeks of 2008, presumably alongside the X5 in Spartanburg, SC, with a market introduction in the spring. Prices should start in the mid-$50k range and will likely approach the $80,000 mark.

The following is the official press release from BMW:

Inventing the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), BMW has established a highly innovative and, indeed, trendsetting segment in the automobile market. And now the time is ripe for another brand-new concept: The Sports Activity Coupe, combining an elegant, dynamically flowing roofline with the typical features of a BMW X model ? a truly fascinating combination now borne out for the first time in the guise of BMW Concept X6.

Presenting this concept car, BMW is proudly demonstrating the vision of a unique vehicle developing the striking design language of BMW X cars with a clear and consistent focus on sportiness and elegant presence. BMW Concept X6 captures the eyes of the beholder through its highly innovative combination of design and concept features. The car combines four doors and a dynamically flowing coupe roofline with a high sill-line, muscular wheel arches, and a strong center of gravity positioned right in the middle and making a clear reference to four-wheel-drive technology.

The result is a unique vehicle clearly presenting the DNA of a BMW X model but interpreting the character of such a vehicle in a unique and truly sporting manner. The design of BMW Concept X6 is the authentic visualization of outstanding driving qualities borne out by the car mainly through BMW?s intelligent xDrive technology as well as Dynamic Performance Control.

The front end of BMW Concept X6 is dominated by highlights in design clearly symbolizing the car?s dynamic orientation to the road. From the side, in turn, the proportions are definitely elegant, the short front body overhang emphasizing the dynamism of the car, the long overhang at the rear, its stretched and sleek look. The long line of the engine compartment lid merges smoothly and gently into the elegantly rising A-pillars, the greenhouse moved far to the back and the roofline tapering out clearly and consistently from the B-pillars interacting with the high window line to provide low and, indeed, almost flat window graphics.
The roofline, in turn, flows down gently to the rear spoiler, finally moving up again slightly in a small upward swing perfecting the overall line of a coup? and at the same time optimising the car?s aerodynamic qualities.

The dynamically stretched side lines highlight the aesthetic effect of this concept car, with BMW Concept X6 obtaining its impressive presence clearly through the unique combination of these lines and the design elements of a BMW X car. Apart from the high window line, the large wheel arches and the center of gravity visibly in the middle of the car, particularly this distinctive and powerful interaction of convex and concave surfaces, of the muscular side-sills with running boards made of drilled aluminum beneath the doors and the strong underfloor protection elements front and rear also made of aluminum express all the genuine DNA of BMW X.

BMW Concept X6 combines the design features so typical of a BMW X model with a truly individual, aesthetic look. In its character and design, this concept car stands out clearly from BMW?s highly successful SAV models, although the core features of those models provide a strong and sound foundation for the development of a unique personality in the guise of BMW Concept X6
as the Sports Activity Coupe.

With its impressively dynamic driving characteristics, the BMW X5 already excels as a true exception in its segment, and was indeed the forerunner creating the entire segment in the first place. Now BMW Concept X6 provides a clear impression of how an even more consistent focus on sporting performance in this class is able to set standards once again. Through its design alone, this new concept car arouses the greatest expectations of the driving experience in a Sports Activity Coupe, bearing out the robustness and superior traction of a BMW X model in combination with dynamic driving qualities never seen before in this segment of the market.

Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) making its world debut in BMW Concept X6 provides ideal qualities for experiencing new dimensions in driving dynamics. This drivetrain and chassis control system, combined with BMW?s intelligent xDrive all-wheel drive technology, offers a truly unique standard of driving stability in every situation, benefiting both driving dynamics and safety at the same time. DPC, a truly innovative system, spreads out drive forces as required in all situations, feeding a varying degree of power whenever required to the two wheels at the rear.

Dynamic Performance Control is the only system of its kind in the world able to provide its stabilizing effect both under power and with the engine in overrun.As soon as the system detects possible over- or understeer of the vehicle, for example in a bend, it will vary the distribution of drive forces between the wheels for perfect stability, dynamic traction, and forward motion. And in the process Dynamic Performance Control improves driving stability at all speeds, this unique chassis and suspension innovation ensuring not only safe traction when setting off and precise control when entering a bend, but also higher lateral acceleration and optimum directional stability when accelerating out of the bend.

Launching the Concept X6, BMW is once again proving the company's outstanding competence in the development of new car concepts. First, this fascinating study shows how the range of BMW X models highly successful the world over might be extended by yet another exclusive version; second, BMW Concept X6 presents the possibility to experience the sporting performance so typical of the brand in entirely new style and with brand-new features. The highly innovative Sports Activity Coupe created in this way is therefore once again paving the way into a dynamically growing market segment.

BMW Concept X6 is beyond comparison with any existing series production vehicle the world over. But at the same time it creates clear references and associations through its unique, sophisticated design, the world?s first Sports Activity Coupe guiding the fantasy of the particularly demanding motorist in a clearly defined direction- this car promises driving dynamics in a dimension never seen before.

Yet a further point is that BMW Concept X6, through its extravagant look and appearance, opens up very tempting perspectives for the future, this Sports Activity Coupe boasting design ideally suited to prove individual style and character.

BMW Concept X6 is unique and brand-new in the world of the automobile. But it nevertheless stands out as a genuine BMW at first sight, all design features of this concept study clearly reflecting the particular language of BMW design. Indeed, through its design language alone BMW Concept X6 makes a number of clear and highly recognisable statements simply because they are quite unique in this constellation. The car expresses sporting elegance, superior presence and stylish extravagance as well as the symbiosis of superior power and outstanding robustness so characteristic of a BMW X car and now enhanced to a significantly higher standard in BMW Concept X6.

Clear orientation towards the product features characterizing the concept of a Sports Activity Coupe gives BMW Concept X6 a fascinating look right from the start. Through its design alone, this car expresses the features essential to such an innovative vision of a completely new car. Conversely, this design principle now arouses the expectation that a BMW Sports Activity Coupe may well develop precisely the outstanding sportiness and superior power both on the road and offroad clearly borne out by this concept study.

So it is precisely the unique features of the vehicle that lead to its unmistakable design. And it is this authentic design so typical of a BMW which gives the BMW Concept X6 its individual style and character and also reflects the image of the brand. In other words ? only BMW is able to create a Sports Activity Coupe, and BMW Concept X6 shows what such a car must look like.

BMW Concept X6 stands out clearly as a genuine BMW from every angle. This is ensured primarily by the sculptural shape and design of the car characteristic of all BMW X models, the front, side and rear areas merging smoothly into one another, the car?s shapes and surfaces forming one common unit. Individual details also bear out the design so typical of the BMW brand, ranging from the BMW kidney grille with its dual round headlights cut away at the side and the powerful contour line along the flanks of the vehicle all the way to the horizontal lines accentuating the sheer width of the car.

Like on the BMW X5, the fundamental look and impression of the front area of this concept car symbolizes powerful presence right from the start. But given the large share of surfaces finished in body color, the front end nevertheless creates an impression of lower height, emphasising the dynamic, road-going orientation of this Sports Activity Coupe.The DNA of BMW X is also to be admired on the engine compartment lid and the structure of the almost vertical BMW kidney grille, with its slats finished in high-quality titanium color. In addition, clear signs of distinction to be admired in many details serve to accentuate the sporting potential of this high performer.

Large air intake scoops positioned far to the outside not only bear testimony to the cooling requirements of an engine one can rightly expect to be particularly powerful, but also show a clear orientation, together with the side panels extending far to the inside beyond the headlights, to the wheels, emphasizing how stable the car is on the road.The air intakes are split horizontally by chrome-colored bars also supporting the surrounds on the round foglamps. The contour of the central air intake, finally, is characterized by lines oriented to the outside, again providing a clear optical orientation to the road as such.

Through their design sharply cut across at the top, the dual round headlights typical of BMW express a particularly intense and focused look. Hence, the entire vehicle will appear to be concentrating even more on the road ahead. The outer contours of the headlight units, in turn, extend far into the side panels, making the front overhang look shorter than it really is and giving the vehicle an even more sporting and dynamic appearance from the side.

The unique proportions of BMW Concept X6 are particularly clear from the side, the gently tapering roofline and the long body overhang at the rear giving the car its stretched and sleek coupe silhouette.The roofline itself reaches its highest point directly behind the steering wheel, highlighting the driver' position and creating an effect most appropriate for the extravagant design of BMW Concept X6. The chrome surrounds on the side windows, in turn, made of one piece, accentuate the sheer elegance
of the vehicle, while the absence of pillars dividing the side area gives the window graphics a completely homogeneous look making the entire vehicle appear lighter and almost transparent.

The counter-flowing line at the bottom of the D-pillar so characteristic of BMW and well-known to the connoisseur as the ?Hofmeister kick? stands out clearly towards the rear of the window frame, while slender plastic protection panels at the bottom edge of the bumpers, the side-sills and wheel arches discreetly allude to the robust character of BMW Concept X6.
The side-walls are split by two intuitively contoured lines merging slightly towards one another at the front of the car and thus creating a wedge shape signaling the forward-pushing motion of BMW X6.

The contour line extending to the rear at the level of the door openers comes out particularly clearly, emphasising the dynamic wedge shape of the car further accentuated by the growing distance between the shoulder line and the sill-line towards the rear end extending all the way to the rear lights to give the entire vehicle an even sleeker and more stretched-out look.

The second character line runs parallel to the side-sills, half-way between the contour and the sill-line. Both front and rear, this second character line ends where the large and muscular wheel arches bulge strongly out of the side panels.Reflecting the usual style and character of a BMW X model, the wheel arches are almost square in their contours, offering sufficient space for light-alloy rims measuring no less than 21 inches, with Y-spoke design created specifically for BMW Concept X6.

The exterior mirrors on BMW Concept X6 likewise come in brand-new, innovative design. They are made up of two units with a white-glistening strip of lights between the lower unit finished in body color and the upper section of the mirror cap made of aluminum. This row of lights supplements the corona rings in the headlights so typical of BMW and serving as daytime driving lights.

BMW Concept X6 provides particularly powerful interaction of concave and convex surfaces between the characteristic lines of the side panels. The play of light and shade created in this way gives the entire vehicle an unusually muscular look, visualizing the agility so typical of a Sports Activity Coupe in a particularly fascinating manner. And the generous surfaces also emphasize the powerful presence of the vehicle, while the elegant lines structuring these surfaces are a clear expression of its elegance.

The rear end of BMW Concept X6 offers a fascinating combination of elegance, sportiness and robustness in one smooth and harmonious symbiosis. The muscular bumper and the protective underfloor panel are classic design elements of a BMW X car. In addition, the proportions typical also of a coupe are borne out here in design language again characteristic of BMW X, with the greenhouse featuring an unusually angled rear window tapering out to the rear. The stable grip on the road emphasixed by the powerful rear section is expressed above all by the equally powerful and elegant shoulder sections, another feature typical of a coupe being the rear lid integrating a striking air flow contour lip.

The entire rear end is split and characterized by horizontal lines making the rear end look even wider and emphasizing the powerful stance of the car on the road, in the process creating attractive interplay of convex and concave surfaces.The rear end reaches its full width in the area of the wheel arches, the two exhaust tailpipes positioned far to the outside and featuring high-quality surrounds together with a trapezoidal contour guiding the eyes of the beholder to the wheels.

The distinctive light edge along the lower section of the bumper provides yet a further highlight referring in particular to the ground clearance of BMW Concept X6 so typical of a BMW X car. Again, it is details of this kind that characterize the exclusivity and refined nature of the world?s first Sports Activity Coupe.

The rear lights, in their design, likewise reflect the unique character of BMW Concept X6, re-interpreting the L-shape so typical of BMW?s X models and adding a dynamic, sweeping line. Extending far into the side walls, the rear lights again express the full width of the car also through its night design.

In its design and looks, BMW Concept X6 sets new standards and leaves a lasting impression, the concept study presenting brand-new options in expressing sportiness and modern elegance. Creating a car which combines the dynamic lines of a coupe with the superior power and refined robustness of a BMW X car, BMW is once again entering new terrain in the market segment of all-wheel-drive luxury cars, where the BMW X5 has already shown how dynamic driving qualities may well become a decisive criterion in a new segment. The BMW X3 then added outstanding agility as a further factor for success, and now BMW Concept X6 stands for the ongoing continuation of these priorities.

Despite its consistently sporting orientation, BMW Concept X6 retains the full character of a BMW X model, which indeed makes this concept study particularly appealing. Hence, BMW Concept X6 features not only the dynamic flair of a coupe, but also four doors, a large rear lid and a wide range of attributes, that is all the fortes of a BMW X model. And it is precisely
this combination that expresses the extravagance and thrill of a brand-new car concept as well as the innovative power of the BMW brand.