A two-door “real coupe” BMW X6? According to Worldcarfans, a company called ArmoTech is taking this nearly impossible task. By dropping the rear-doors, ArmoTech plans to build a fairly impractical vehicle.
The conversion done by the Russian tuner, involves pushing the B-pillar backwards, adding 250mm (9.8 inch) longer front doors, and moving the rear window forward 200mm (7.9 inches). Since the exterior conversion demands interior changes as well, the X6 “coupe” comes with modified front seats similar as in coupe model that tilt and slide forward allowing access to the rear seat.
Since performance is sometimes associated with a coupe-like design, the X6 by ArmoTech can be ordered with upgraded engine, sportier suspensions, a modified exhaust and of course, performance brakes.
Other available options included an aggressive body kit, custom wheels, alcantara upholstery and a sport steering wheel.
No pricing at the moment, and even though ArmoTech announces an availability worldwide, the discussion around passing the safety tests remain.
After the Japanese-exclusively MINI Savile Row unveiled yesterday, BMW announces the introduction of a new model for the “Land of the Rising Sun”. The BMW X6 Performance Unlimited is based off the xDrive35i variant and will be offered in a 20 units limited edition.
The limited X6 is coated in a silver-pearl body color from BMW’s Individual program and comes standard equipped with a BMW Performance aero-kit that includes an aggressive front bumper, side skirts, rear diffuser and blacked-out kidney grilles. The X6 sits on uniquely-designed 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped around some wide tires. The tinted windows add an extra “special feel” to this X6.
Inside, the X6 Performance Unlimited features more items from the BMW Performance program: aluminum pedals and brushed aluminum trim. The X6 is identified by a limited edition badge placed inside.
The BMW X6 Performance Limited went only through cosmetic changes and the powerplant is identical to the one in the “regular” xDrive35i, 3.0 liter turbocharged with 306 horsepower.
The BMW X6 Performance Unlimited is available for order in Japan with pricing set at 9,450,000 Yen ($108,400).
We’ve heard it all these days, in regards to the X6. It’s the answer to a question no one was asking… What’s the point…? Bangle ruined BMW…. But if you look closely, not too many out there have actually tried to review the X6. At least not in a thorough fashion.
That’s why we are bringing you an article based review, with a video based review. We want to cover all angles for you. There’s no need to hide it, and this I shall get out from the beginning: the BMW X6 is expensive. Too expensive, I believe. But that doesn’t tell you anything about it.
So here’s the rest of the story…
To tell it the proper way, I must add that pretty much every fellow writer that I spoke with before getting the X6 from BMW, and each one I talked to while having it, told me that I was going to hate it, or strongly dislike it. I feel neither of those emotions is at all true from this writer. I came out enjoying the X6 as if it were a vehicle I would go and buy myself. I drove the X6 xDrive35i from Newark, NJ, stopping off in Columbia, MD to visit some family, and then down to my home in Raleigh, NC. In total, I covered roughly 1,500 miles between driving it down and then back up.
In the amount of time I had the BMW X6, I realized, it packs a lot of punch for something that’s only meant to carry four people and a little bit of cargo. The 2010 X6 xDrive35i has the N54 twin-turbo inline-6, making 300hp and 300lb-ft of torque (the 2011 will have the N55 single turbo).
However, we know from past experiences that the N54 can actually make closer to 360hp and 350lb-ft of torque at the crank. That’s roughly what the 4.8-liter V8 from the E60 550i and E65/E66 750i/Li had. All-in-all, the twin-turbo six will haul the X6 to 60 in about 6-seconds with the Sport Package. Impressive for a car that weighs just shy of 4800lbs.
I was able to haul people 6-feet tall and under in the back seat with room to spare for their legs and heads. However, any taller than 6-feet, and you’re pushing your luck. With that said, I was able to fit three medium to large roller suitcases in the back, and also allowed space for three full backpacks underneath the cargo area (the floor opens up to reveal this) in the back of the Sports Activity Coupe.
It was certainly impressive amounts of space for something that everyone told me before hand to be cautious of.
In the front, well, that’s where the fun is. The BMW X6 has many different things to play with. Whether it’s the iPod adapter, the revised iDrive control system, or just sitting back and relaxing in the comfortable sport seats. This X6 unfortunately didn’t come with iDrive navigation…
Overall Driving 4.5 out of 5:
The overall driving impressions of the X6, at first, were rather good. It took me a second to get used to where everything was and what it did. When you do learn it -rather quickly with the revised iDrive- you enjoy the driving experience a lot more.
When I started my journey, I was in traffic on the NJ Turnpike. Not the most ideal place to be on a Friday at 5 o’ clock. But I learned a lot about the X6 driving it in traffic. For one, the xDrive35i may very well be the better of the two X6s offered (xDrive35i and xDrive50i).
I know that may sound crazy, but here’s why.
Driving along on the highway, I was returning, according to the trip computer on my way back from Maryland, about 23.5 mpg with an average speed of 54.3 mph. That was just 191 miles into the trip. Once it started with some hurricane style downpours continuing until I got home, I was going slower and returning about 21-22 mpg. Not bad at all for a utility vehicle doing 60-75 mph on I-95 and other various highways with similar traffic and speed limits.
Getting back into North Carolina, I filled up the following day and realized that I had gone a total of 431 miles on one tank of gas, with 33 miles left, from Westchester, MD to Raleigh, NC. I had been driving in traffic on the highway, at various highway speeds, then into extreme rain and finally, city driving. According to BMW’s trip computer, I had successfully done 21.5 mpg on the dot, and kept an average speed of 49.9 mph. Maybe I should have slowed down a little more in the rain… but the BMW X6 gave me so much confidence in everything I drove in, that I never felt, at any time, I was in any sort of danger. The typical highway stuff of people cutting you off, dodging interesting things in the roads, and people even swerving to avoid something right next to you, not one time did I feel as if the X6 would do me any harm, or allow me to get hurt. It may sound hokey, but I mean it when I say, I’ve never felt so safe in any automobile.
I have heard some people who calculate their miles per gallon manually say that BMW’s trip computer can be up to 1.5 mpg better than in actuality. So with that, the X6 still did 20 mpg in all types of driving habits and styles.
Technology wise, BMW has been considered a pioneer and many times they have changed the way we drive each day. Some people hail it them as the killers of the turn signals, navigation and user controls, as well as the joystick drive system. All of these I disagree with, but there’s been one thing that I was pretty afraid of, and that was the push button parking brake. I was afraid that the e-brake was now no longer for emergency use, but just a push button for when you’re on a hill.
So if you actually do need it while driving, you can’t use it because the computer won’t let you… This isn’t the case.
At about 60 mph on a long stretch of back road, with no one around, I pulled the parking brake button towards me, and low and behold, it stopped the car in an emergency panic. Bless you BMW for not taking that one last thing away from us.
Comfort 4 out of 5:
Driving the X6 all that I did was fantastic. While continuing to feel safe and secure, I have also felt extremely comfortable. One wish that remained unfilled was sport seats offering a manual bolster setting, because I found myself wanting them to be a little tighter on my sides.
Also, even though the knee bolsters are fantastic, the X6 that I had seemed to have touchy ones. If you went to sit up, or reach over into the passenger or rear seats, the backs of your legs hit against the bolster and push them in to the point where it sounds like you have broken them. Maybe it was just the vehicle I had.
The back seat riders said they had good comfort, but wouldn’t have been comfortable for anyone too tall or big.
One more surprising thing about the X6 is the actual ride comfort. With the 20″ sport wheels, one would have expected something much more harsh and choppy, but that’s not the case. The X6 xDrive35i with the Sport Package and big sport wheels rides like the proverbial Cadillac…
Sport Package 5 out of 5:
The BMW Sport Package is renowned for being the best blend of sport, luxury, safety and efficiency in all the world. Here is why: when driving any BMW, you feel alive. There is hardly ever a feeling that a computer can and will do it for you, or better than you for that matter. It is the same in the X6 xDrive35i.
Except for one thing… you can turn it off.
Right behind the gear shifter sits a black button that has a green light when turned on. It says “Sport”. Turning this off, you can feel the steering loosen up around town, the brakes a little less touchy, and the accelerator pedal a little more relaxed. Gear changes also seem a little more at ease. So this is good news for anyone who wants a Sport Package without all of the stiff steering and other various inputs that used to come along with it. The guy can have his sports car, but the wife can have her comfy ride if needed.
The best of both worlds is what I call it.
Sound System: 5 out of 5:
Plain and simple, one of the best stereo systems out there. The Harmon/Kardon Premium Sound system is quite impressive and will satisfy any audiophile out there. You could literally sit an X6 on the stage at Madison Square Garden and power the sound of any rock concert you’d want to hear.
As I said earlier, there were some seriously heavy rains driving down from MD to NC, and the problem with rain is that you can always hear it from inside the car. You can hear it whooshing around the car, under the wheel wells, hitting the car as other cars drive by, etc…. But with my iPod hooked up to the X6 and the stereo turned up rather loud, you hear nothing. And I really do mean nothing. It’s quite amazing. I have yet to drive or ride in a car where the noise of the outside world didn’t at least interfere a tiny bit.
Pet Friendliness 3 out of 5:
Okay, so the title is weird, but here is what I mean: with the hatchback style rear on the X6, you are looking at a weird angle when larger dogs try to stand up. There is plenty of room back there for most dogs and any cat, but it is not going to be the most comfortable on long drives. In this case, you may want to look at the X5.
My 70-lb German Shepherd was able to get into the back just fine, and had good comfort while laying down. But while shutting the door, I started to feel bad. When she stood up, her body was at a weird angle just so she could look out the back window. There is one thing that makes the X6 pet friendly, the tall rear bumper.
The rear bumper on the X6 is so tall, that animals have to jump a little higher to get in. But if you look closely, say someone rear-ends you… the impact would not drive into the cargo area. It would go underneath of the cargo area. So the rear hatch should remain unharmed, along with most things in the back.
Again, safety.
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 5
The X6 xDrive35i is more sports car than SUV, but it is much more utility than anyone could expect. You can still tow 6,000lbs, for all you boat, Jet Ski or racing guys. It only seats four people, but you know what? A Chevy Tahoe, an Escalade, GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition, and the Lincoln Navigator all only hold four people when equipped with captain’s chairs.
Yes, they do have a third row seat that seats two, but try putting anything behind those rear seats when going on a trip. This means that you have to put the rear seats down (in the Fords), or in the GM vehicles, unload the 80 lb third row (80 pounds for each seat! I know this all too well… I still have nightmares) and then put all of your luggage in. That’s only four-five seats. And those trucks don’t have much more room in the back than the X6.
So, the X6 isn’t an SUV, but it sure does all the same stuff people use them for these days.
But this brings us to a conundrum. As beautiful and great as this vehicle is, it is quite expensive. This xDrive35i came out to be $67,275 on its sticker, and that’s $10,000 too much. It’s an amazing vehicle, but I’d buy it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) and let someone else taking the hit to their wallet. This X6 also didn’t include navigation in that price, and that’s a lot of money for a car these days that doesn’t have it.
With that said, we still recommend buying it, just maybe not brand new.
According to the German magazine Auto Zeitung, Stuttgart-based automaker, Mercedes-Benz is working on a new model aimed at the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe.
The coupe-crossover dubbed GLC is due to launch sometimes in 2014.
The GLC won’t be a high-end model but rather a stylish and relatively affordable coupe-crossover based on the same compact car platform that will underpin the next-generation B-Class. While not confirmed, the assumptions are that the GLC will likely employ a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels in standard form. An all-wheel drive system will most likely be offered as well.
Details are scarce at the moment, but a possible engine could include the 1.8 liter four-cylinder outputting 204 horsepower, as well as the more powerful turbodiesel, 2.2 liter with 250 ponnies.
The idea behind the Mercedes-Benz GLC is to offer a smaller car than its competitors, avoiding the competition in the crossover segment with a smaller niche product. In the past, there have also been rumors around BMW’s plans to build a smaller Sports Activity Coupe, X4 that will be positioned below the X6.
Range Rover will also launch a similar product next year when the LRX is due to be unveiled.
Press Release: Tuning company “STATUS DESIGN” would like to present own-developed car body SD F16 for BMW X6.
Original car body SD F 16 from STATUS DESIGN Studio for BMW X 6 developed and implemented by our own specialists starting from design stage and modeling to realization of the project. The Car body Named by the legend fighter plane Falcon, which is highly qualified, has a bright appearance and light construction – all of that characterize new Status Design product.
SD F16 from Status Design Studio for BMW X6 – is a light Body Kit, which is easy to set, do not need a wheel arch extensions, mounting kit and could be set with original BMW wheels. Kit installation does not decrease the clearance of the car. The price of the package is pleasantly surprising.
SD F16 for BMW X6:
* Front bumper
* Diode modules Hella
* 4 fog lamps, light on when turning steering wheel
* Carbon pad on the front bumper
* “Angels eyes” white color LED lights
* Back bumper with carbon diffusers
* Carbon mirrors
* Windows molding in carbon
* Back spoiler in carbon
* Front grill set in carbon
* Roof color in black gloss paint
* Hartge wheels Brilliant 22”
Power-increase kit:
* Back sport exhaust system SD
* Chip-tuning
* Sport filters setting
Characteristics of the car power after package installation – 380 l/s (use to be 306) for the motor 3,5 liter.
Zaur Khalilov of Zaoor Design creates a BMW X6 with wide-body kit for the Moscow-based tuning shop Met-R. Dubbed “The Interceptor”, the pimped out X6 sports an aggressive look and somewhat flashy tuning job.
A set of vertical fog lights just ads to the overall “look at me” design. An interesting detail stands out, the kidneys’ eyebrows seem to be derived from the 6-Series, a subtle but interesting detail.
The project was implemented fully in 3D without requiring manual layout, and the matrix for the manufacture of parts were turned on CNC machines.
The Kit is available in two versions – regular and carbon edition.
Our buddies over at Famous BMW bring us a review of the BMW X6 Performance. Recently, they were given the opportunity to test this vehicle that for some, it represents the ideal replacement for the much more expensive X6 M.
The BMW X6 with Performance Parts made its debut at the recent Geneva Motor Show. The sporting looks of the BMW X6 SAC are accentuated more than ever before by the Performance Aerodynamics Kit. The BMW Performance Aerodynamics Kit includes a more aggressive front bumper, side-sills and an insert for the rear bumper, all in special design and all finished in body color. The BMW Performance Aerodynamics Kit for the BMW X6 may also be supplemented by a rear spoiler, rear fins in matte black and a front grid finished in high-gloss black paint.
BMW Performance light-alloy wheels in Y-spoke design further optimize the dynamic driving potential and the striking looks of the BMW X6. Reduced in weight, these cast light-alloy 12-inch wheels stand out in particular through their roll-milled rim hump and exclusive twin-tone finish with a glossy outside surface, and Ferric Grey paintwork between the rims. A special production method reduces the weight of each wheel by approximately 1,500 grams compared to the conventional wheels of the same size.
And what about the power?
The BMW Performance Power Kit raises maximum output of the eight-cylinder with BMW TwinPower Turbo and High Precision Injection in the BMW X6 xDrive50i, by 30 kW/41 hp to 330 kW/448 hp. Peak torque is also upped by 50 Nm/37 lb-ft to 650 Nm/479 lb-ft. The twin-turbo six-cylinder power unit of the BMW X6 xDrive35i also sees an increase in maximum output by 15 kW/20 hp to 240 kW/326 hp, with peak torque increased to450 Nm/332 lb-ft.
Benefiting from the BMW Performance Power Kit, both models accelerate 0.2 seconds faster from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph). The BMW X6 xDrive50i model with the BMW Performance Power Kit records a time of 5.2 seconds, while the xDrive35i stops the clock at 6.5 seconds. Acceleration in gears from 80 – 120 km/h (50 – 75 mph) is 0.5 seconds faster in each model.
In our test, BMW X6 proved to be one of the sportiest SUV (SAC) currently on the market and its handling is nothing short of superb. The feeling of a sport sedan is very much alive in the X6 Performance.
However there are few problems that we would like to point out.
Our X6 was the xDrive35i model and the power feels somewhat short for the weight of this car. It is “thirsty” and yet not so fast. With an aggressive look near the M model of the X6, the best choice is the 50i. Its twin-turbo V8 and 448 horsepower are more than sufficient for the regular driver.
Starting in June 2010, BMW Performance also offers a sports exhaust system. Available as well on the BMW X6 xDrive50i and xDrive35i, this option stands out clearly through its chrome-plated tailpipes, at the same time offering even lower weight and a particularly striking sound pattern together with a further reduction of exhaust counter-pressure.
BMW Performance also offers attractive accessories for the interior design, again raising the sporting driving experience in the X6 to an even higher standard. As an example, all model variants of BMW’s Sports Activity Coupé may be equipped with a BMW Performance sports steering wheel with a flattened rim at the bottom and alcantara coating for optimum grip and a pleasant touch in all temperatures.
Overall, the BMW X6 with Performance stands out due to its “sex-appeal” and it certainly is a head-turner, as we observed in our short ride through Prague.
Our sources are working hard these days and the latest news from Munich is that BMW will offer the X6 with a 3-seat rear bench. Currently, BMW fitted the Sports Activity Coupe with a pair of rear buckets divided by a study center console with a cubby and cupholders.
The rear seats are currently only capable of accommodating two passengers, since the large rear center console is not removable. While the bucket seats are comfortable and supportive, legroom and headroom feel a bit cramped.
Based on our own experience and other automotive journalists’ reviews, longer journeys aboard the X6 can become uncomfortable, especially for someone over 6 feet tall.
The addition of an optional 3-seat rear bench will most likely make its way into the usual facelifted model that is released mid-way into the production cycle.
No other information are available at the moment, but we are working on getting more details.
Updated with a quote from Jim O’Donnell, CEO of BMWNA:
The X6 has surpassed our expectations–double what we originally thought in terms of segment share. We’re closing in on 100,000 vehicles in two years. We only offered it with two rear seats, and we have changed that and will offer an optional bench seat, but not in the 2011 model year. We would have sold more cars if we had the bench–it will be 70 percent of the volume. The consumer wanted that, and we thought he didn’t.
TopGear brings us on their off-road expedition aboard the BMW X6, the same very controversial and little appreciated Sports Activity Coupe by Jeremy Clarkson.
The X6 was never meant to be a true off-road vehicle, that job remains partially for the X5, or ….for a vehicle like the Range Rover, but can the X6 still do the job?
We shall find out.
“When BMW called the X6 a ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’, it never said what sports, or specified what activities… though one suspects that BMW probably regards the designation as involving over-aerobicised lifestyle droids rollerblading followed by a stint of vigorous casual posing.
Something picturesque and over-clean that means you can’t see the bovine glaze in the model’s eyes, or the ribbons of silvery drool from the corners of their vacant mouths. Photographer Justin Leighton and I, on the other hand, regarded it as an open door for imaginative interpretation. Which is why we are now stood – woefully underprepared – in a 60,000-hectare Polish wilderness trying to lure wolves from their hidey holes with half-eaten ham sandwiches. In the middle of the night.
A sport? No. But you’ll be hard pressed not to class it as an activity.
……………………
Of course, with no real idea of how deep we can wade, we go for brute force and ignorance. Bizarrely, the X6 is so duck’s bum watertight that it floats across deep bits. Hit the shallower parts at speed and the car will also use its very flat undertray to skip across water. Possibly not what BMW engineers had in mind, but effective and undeniably spectacular. And it might have sent 30-foot jets of spray into the air, but a quick look inside the engine bay revealed not a drop under the bonnet. Seals that good usually come on the Space Shuttle.
The local beavers undermine the causeways so they collapse and leave several inches of wading water. Not a problem until you realise that the ‘fen’ off the causeway is actually three-metres deep, so there’s no chance of driving around the obstacle. Enough to swallow the X6 before you can get a towrope out. If there was anything to attach a towrope to. Which there isn’t.
Our friends over at TheDieselDriver have recently published their review of the first BMW production ready hybrid: BMW X6 ActiveHybrid.
Here is an excerpt from their review:
“One of the most remarkable things about the new BMW ActiveHybrid X6, besides its performance (0-60 in 5.4 seconds) and fuel economy (20% better than the standard X6), is that the driver might never know he’s behind the wheel of a hybrid if it weren’t for the discreet ActiveHybrid badges and an electric drive display below the tachometer.
Indeed, the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 handles more like the X6 M than the standard X6, not to mention the run-of-the-mill hybrid. This X6 may well be the most powerful hybrid in the world and yet the engine still shuts down at stops. It is clearly no sluggish Toyota Prius but, weighing in at 5,765 pounds (some 496 more than the non-hybrid), it doesn’t promise the fuel economy of a Prius either.
We drove the ActiveHybrid X6 in a variety of conditions, from windy roads to city streets and it was easy to forget about the complex hybrid systems that contribute to its efficiency. In fact, the transition between its gasoline and electric powerplants was seamless.
The new electric power steering was impressive: it provides exactly the type of feedback you would expect in a BMW (and not the disconnected feeling you get from most other hybrids). Acceleration was equally impressive: the ActiveHybrid feels quicker than the standard X6 and this, in fact, is the car’s Achilles heel. While most hybrid owners apply a fairly soft touch to the accelerator pedal, this car practically demands a lead foot.”
