The Automotive Crystal Ball: BMW to Make an Off-Road Coupe?

Off-Road Coupe is One of Two Entirely New Niches for BMW

At the Geneva Motor Show held in March, BMW announced that, alongside the upcoming 258-horsepower 130i hatchback, it would be introducing two brand new models sometime in the future. The new cars, described by company chairman Helmut Panke as "totally different to anything BMW has ever offered in the past," will be a surprise to the brands traditionalists. Officially, all that is known is that the two vehicles are designed to expand the range, delivering several completely new, independent models, and expanding the model horizon and the brands already high customer appeal.

The cars that BMW will build are not typical or conventional to say the least. Rather, theyre vehicles to help put the brand ahead of rivals, setting trends instead of following them. These will be the types of vehicles which BMW will use to establish a strong footing in emerging markets, and are key to helping the firm reach its goal of selling 1.6 million vehicles by the end of the decade.

Compared to last years global sales total of 1.21 million vehicles, BMWs new goal would add about 400,000 units to the target. And while its true that none of the vehicles featured in this article have yet to be confirmed, most are expected to be produced. With that said, a closer peek inside the curious world of BMW is in store.

An upcoming crossover wagon cum SUV (see automotive news section for Mar 3, 2005: BMW Announces Two New Model Series at Geneva Auto Show) is hardly revolutionary, but rather seems to follow in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benzs new R-Class. Another, however, is wild, extravagant, and for lack of better terminology, revolutionary. Truly, the Sport Activity Coupe, or SAC for short, is unlike anything else ever made, and will be the figurehead vehicle that BMW uses to lead its new model offensive. Panke describes the SAC as a mixture of sports car, coupe and off-roader, and a vehicle which would more-or-less become a production version of the controversial, asymmetrical X-Coupe from the 2001 Detroit auto show.

While the SAC, as it has been understood, will be completely different in style from the X-Coupe, the concepts main qualities, namely its height and sleek shape, will be emphasized. One might think of it as a BMW version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, with a tough, off-road appearance.

While still in its early stages of development, the SAC is said to ride on a heavily-adapted version of the upcoming 2007 X5 platform, the vehicle that will continue the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) model line. Slated to be somewhere in the 185-inch-long range, the SAC should actually be smaller than the current 6-Series coupe, although it would be wider and much taller.

Its also worth noting that the SAC would be the shortest vehicle to be spun off the platform. Considering the fact that the car is half off-roader, half-coupe, the SAC will use the X5s advanced X-Drive all-wheel drive system, tweaked for a rear-wheel drive bias to minimize understeer and retain sports car-like handling.

An area thats slightly more in the gray is the SACs suspension system. Its speculated that base-level versions will use steel springs, which are often criticized as being too stiff for an SUV. However, BMW has proved this to be false with the current X5, delivering one of the best handling and ride combinations in the crossover SUV segment. Alternatively, an air suspension system could be used, which would allow ride height to be raised and lowered to retain the SACs low center of gravity at high speed, or when traversing across rough terrain raising the ride height and improving general comfort. Of course, the mitigating factor is price.

Another area which has yet to be agreed upon is what kind of body layout will be used. Though Panke says, "It is not a two-plus-two in the traditional sense, it is a four-seater with boot (trunk) space," this leaves the door open to three possibilities which are currently up for debate.

Firstly, the SAC could be a tall-profile two-door coupe, although this is unlikely. Far more likely would be a four-door version with a swooping roofline like the M-B CLS sedan, though the rear door handles would most likely be hidden in the rear C-Pillars. Also on the list is a rear-hinged door option, though its potential to be picked is far less likely due to its inherently complex design and outright cost.

Power will most likely include the 258-horsepower 3.0-liter I-6 (255-horsepower in North American markets), the 306-horsepower 4.0-liter and 360-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 motors, and the top-end six-cylinder turbodiesel motors. Six-speed manuals and automatics will definitely be on the list, and theres a high chance that a new version of the SMG sequential-shift manual will be offered as well.

It is unknown whether or not BMWs M-Motorsport division will work its magic on the SAC, as it has kept its hands off the X5 and X3 so far. Should the SAC ever carry an M badge, it will most likely be powered by the 5.0-liter V10 from the M5. With a projected curb weight of approximately 4,400 lbs, the SAC would be capable of reaching 60 mph in under 5.4 seconds, and a top speed of 155 mph if equipped with this drivetrain. It would also be the first all-wheel drive M-Motorsport machine. This detail, as well as the body style, will be chosen closer to the projects meeting date, which is late this year. Paris-Dakar anyone?

Because the SAC occupies a totally new segment with no competition, it is in essence a true niche vehicle. Its estimated that the SAC will start at around $70,000 to $80,000, a ballpark figure, which puts it in the range of the upcoming Porsche Panamera sedan.

Production would most likely occur alongside the X5, at BMWs Spartanburg, NC facility. Although the SAC is the only vehicle of its kind, Panke suggests that it could eventually attract enough people to justify a run of 50,000 units over a lengthy period of time. "The X5 has shown six-figure numbers are possible," he said, which just goes to show that when it comes to BMW, anything is truly possible.