Confirmed: Crossover Sport Vehicle to be built in USA

[Kirby]

BMW has announced that it will be the new Crossover vehicle will be built at the South Carolina factory. Reports a few weeks ago indicated that it could be either the Crossover or the "minivan".

" BMW plans to build a crossover-type vehicle at the Greer assembly plant, according to a company official. Burkhard Goeschel, a BMW board member, told Automotive News that the vehicle would have sporty handling and a coupe-like exterior. He said it would seat five but wouldn't be as tall as the X5 SUV."

 

[foomonkey525i]

Dang... That sucks.

 

[Militant-Grunt]

hmmmmmm where have I seen this before? oh wait

mercedes kinda beat them to the punch..

 

[Tom]

I don't see anything wrong with it...they've done it before with the Z3.

 

[aNoodle]

Woo-hooo....can't wait to see the M version at the Nurburing.

 

[tool fan]

I am with Tom.....it is called survival guys, got to keep up with the market. I am sure alot of you that are young right now with no family, ei:... kids and wife, will still want to drive a Bimmer when that day comes.....here is the answer to that problem. Besides having MAD issues, I wanted to sell my 530i because, I could not load my dog in it with my kids, aside from issues with my 140lb Lab messing up the leather, hence the reason I really went with the X3. Not a bad call on the part of the BMW design team. JMO

 

[///M SPEED]

I have no problems with BMW or any other car manufacture wanting to "diversify" their product. I too have kids and this will give other options when I am ready to get a newer vehicle. The more options one has the better as long as BMW maintains the quality we/I am accustom too.....

 

[Kirby]

I think this is the vehicle that they are talking about:

 

[Kirby]

Rear View:

 

[///M SPEED]

Kirby, that doesn't look like a 5-passenger car to me. It looks like a two-seat coupe. I serious doubt that is it, but I could be wrong. All I know is my M3 looks bigger than that and fitting 5 people in my M is doable, but not really uncomfortable unless you are little.....

 

[Tom]

Ah ok, that looks like the X-Coupe concept.

 

[Kirby]

I agree that this concept does look like a two seater. However, the quote from the BMW board guy does say it will be a coupe, not a van ype of thingie. I'm thinking it's going to be a bigger version of the X Coupe concept, similar to these pictures, but the size of the Infiniti FX45???

 

[theBMWenthusiast]

so, just to make sure the plant in Spartanburg is the Greer Assembly Plant...interesting...what plants where under renovation in 2003 as stated in the article?

 

[///M SPEED]

I agree that this concept does look like a two seater. However, the quote from the BMW board guy does say it will be a coupe, not a van ype of thingie. I'm thinking it's going to be a bigger version of the X Coupe concept, similar to these pictures, but the size of the Infiniti FX45???

Ah, that makes more sense.

 

[foomonkey525i]

I don't mind them diversifying, so much, but I've always liked to think of BMW as performance driven. With these sorts of vehicles coming out, it looks like performance is becoming a lower and lower priority.

 

[bmw046series]

The X Concept had three key features used in production for "other" cars, one the Z4 design is based off it, second the X drive system, and finally the I-6 engine inside.

The X Coupe has nothing to do with an MPV the purpose of concepts are to gain knowledge off technology and design but most are designed way to drasticlly to make production, I posted spy shots of the MPV quite a while ago.

Keep in mind the reason for this MPV is because BMW is the fastest growing automobile company in the world now (and the most profitable at the moment, owe that to Bangle), with more new cars slated for production than any other brand and a fast growing product line, stick that in your hat Toyota!

 

[Kirby]

Here's the latest on the X5 Coupe:

 

[theBMWenthusiast]

Here's the latest on the X5 Coupe:

the X5 Coupe...i think its awesome

 

[Average Jae]

X5 coupe.. it looks like the M6 with the new 7 lights, and photoshopped 2 additional doors. i always thought coupes had only 2 doors? eitherway, it looks nice.

 

[Kirby]

I as far I know, coupes by definition should have two doors. That is, until Chrysler decided to redefine the market. I think they were the first ones to create a "4 door coupe".