X6 BMW X6 Concept & X6 Active Hybrid Concept (official pics & info)

[RikfromBelgium]

it's the same car, plate moves when you switch from hybrid to engine mode or the other way.

 

[martinbo]

It's the same car; the retractable panel covers the exhausts when the car is operating in electrically powered mode and opens to reveal the exhaust outlets when you unleash the dogs of war.

 

[siko]

Please note that all videos from this thread were moved here:

BMW Concept X6 Video Gallery

Some new videos were also added!

 

[bmer]

do we have any sneak peeks of the interior ? I know its a concept and they would not be showing it around...but any chance someone's had a look at it ?

From the spypic thread (3):
This is a spy pic of what is propably the production version:

 

[Sayyaaf]

I want the double side vents to go (ala X5)... thats awful ..

 

[SDNR]

Once again BMW have shown how it is done. This Concept is so well resolved it could go into production.

I can see a clear link with the CS Concept -- which is good.

Bangle's raw ideas have taken a while to be refined ...but the recent results are all extremely exciting. There is a maturity in this design. All the ideas of flame-surfacing and irregularity have been fully resolved ....and now we are seeing the results of a design team which knows exactly what it is trying to achieve. There is deliberation, methodology, and ideology behind these designs -- something their main competitors are still struggling with a little.

 

[7saen]

Bangle's raw ideas have taken a while to be refined ...but the recent results are all extremely exciting. There is a maturity in this design. All the ideas of flame-surfacing and irregularity have been fully resolved ....and now we are seeing the results of a design team which knows exactly what it is trying to achieve. There is deliberation, methodology, and ideology behind these designs -- something their main competitors are still struggling with a little.

That's exactly how I see it too. Though I really still don't know whether it's right to credit Bangle for BMW's design language.
Bangle had a theory, A vision and that's to shock, to provoke and to present product with "critical" appearence in order to keep the cars as intersting as possible for as long as possible.
But how this theory eventually became metal that you can touch, is what two other designers, who created the two concept cars that defined the successful look of BMW: Adrian van Hooydonk with his Z9 and Chris Chapman with his X-Coupé.
Chris Bangle gets all the press, but these two guys need to be credited as much as he was

 

[Deleted member 25]

This is what pisses me off every time i read the press: Bangle draw the...., Dasilva who designed the...., J.mays designed...., Luc donkerwolke designed...while none of them designed the cars.

 

[Centurion]

This is what pisses me off every time i read the press: Bangle draw the...., Dasilva who designed the...., J.mays designed...., Luc donkerwolke designed...while none of them designed the cars.

But they direct, instruct and are in charge of the designs. That makes it fair to point the finger at them.

 

[7saen]

But they direct, instruct and are in charge of the designs. That makes it fair to point the finger at them.

Sure it is, but not to say that they designed the cars. Bangle for example didn't design a single car for BMW.
I didn't say that he shouldn't be credited. Of course he should, but not for things he didn't do.
Anyway BMW is changing their policy in that field. They now always present the car an its designers. We now know who designed any of their new models/concepts.

 

[Centurion]

Sure it is, but not to say that they designed the cars. Bangle for example didn't design a single car for BMW.
I didn't say that he shouldn't be credited. Of course he should, but not for things he didn't do.
Anyway BMW is changing their policy in that field. They now always present the car an its designers. We now know who designed any of their new models/concepts.

It's kind of the same with Fashion labels. Even though they have a head design chief like Karl Lagerfeldt he does employ a set of other designer to work with him. No designer has the time to design everything in a 100 piece collection. Still the chief designer has power of authority and he's the one getting sacked in the case of a fiasco.

 

[7saen]

It's kind of the same with Fashion labels. Even though they have a head design chief like Karl Lagerfeldt he does employ a set of other designer to work with him. No designer has the time to design everything in a 100 piece collection. Still the chief designer has power of authority and he's the one getting sacked in the case of a fiasco.

I see a slight differece here. Fashion designers' names are lables for themselves. When you say: "these cloths are by Armani", then it's the same whey you say: "these cars are by BMW".

 

[PanterroR]

People, forget about the naysayers and the fence-sitters (I'm one of them) and think of this purely from a marketing point of view. The X6 is a showcase vehicle that has resulted from BMW recognising that many people like SUV's. They like the ride height, the space, the perceived robustness of the raised suspension (speed hump - what speed hump? mentality) and not to mention the prestige of owning an SUV. The consumer psyche around SUV's is quite different from car buyers who recognise the value and importance of having a more compact, sleeker and efficient road-going vehicle.

The time was right for the introduction of this new take on the luxury SUV theme. We can argue about the pointlessness of the X6 until the cows come home but the fact remains; it's a daring and dramatic looking vehicle that will do nothing but enhance the popular opinion of the BMW brand. I've said this before:

"The idea is to entice rich exhibitionists who like the lofty SUV driving experience but want to make a style statement without the farmer-and-his-dog connotations." This means that BMW positively do not want the X6 to appeal to the buyers of Discoveries and GL 500's (no offence Jack - I love that car sir).

The X6 inspires a whole new way of thinking about SUVs / SACs from a crossover vehicle perspective.. It dismisses suggestions that SUVs can't be dynamic and sporty. That the X6 is mooted to be BMW’s first SUV that gets the full M-Division treatment is indicative of its place in the market.

The X6 may be misguided in terms of its practical value but its inspirational and aspirational value is unquestionable.

A highly intellectual and car mad - yet soberingly practical - close friend of mine said this about the X6: "It's pretty awesome". In my books that's a monumental indictment considering from whence it comes.

The more I see of the X6 the more I appreciate what it means to automotive progress and I strongly doubt that it will bomb.

 

[EnI]

Let me explain why Bangle is "credited" for BMW designs.

He is a design chief. He is an advocate ("PR person") for designs. Inside the company (vs Board of directors, engineers, product planners etc) and also outside the company (press, general public, professional public etc.
But the press like to simplify things: and they credit design chief for a particular design although design chiefs usually do not design at all!!!

What does Bangle really do? He is kind a "art director" - having a design vision which is coordinated & confirmed by design strategists (marketing aspect of design) and he whole Board of Directors - they give a green light for a strategy & particular designs. He gives general directions to sub-design chiefs, and they pass it to designer teams.

All design processes are supervised & managed by design chief - usually not directly, but via sub-chiefs (brand design chief, exterior design chief, interior design chief, project design chief etc).

Design chief then present design proposals to Bod, and they pick "semifinalists", and then the work is done on semifinalists only (bigger scale models) ... all to finalists (usually 2, sometimes even 3). Full scale models of finalists are done, and BoD picks one - the final chose design that goes into production. Design chief at all levels advocates for designs, and influences the BoD decision. Then when work continues on a picked design only - then sometimes Bangle comes to check the progress - perhaps giving some suggestions on very final touches - many changes are done due engineering issues.

Eg. it's also Bangles task to convince BoD (or a certain member of BoD) designer solutions should prevail, and the others (like eg. engineers, product planners, marketing guys etc) should find their solution to fit the design - instead vice versa.

Individual designers are fully responsible for design ideas. Design chiefs can pick their favorite designs among proposals & advocate for these designs more efficiently & eagerly. They can even get some advices, but not a single line an a sketch or clay model is made by a design chief. Therefore design chief never takes cradit for design. They usually use words "we designed" or "our design", not "I" & "My".

Like Hussein said: lately BMW let designers of winning proposals to give interviews, be present in promo photos, be present at premieres etc.

Also: most innovative designers like A. van Hooydonk (7er, 6er), Anders Warming (Z4, Mille Miglia)), Chirs Chapman (E53 X5, 1er, xCoupe) - have all been promoted. AvH is a chief designer of BMW Automobile, Warming is extrior design chief of BMW, and Chapman is chief of Automobile design studio of Designworks.




Btw, BMW also push Bangle in the spotlights because he is so convincing & such enthusiast when it comes to design. He is the best person for advocating for designs & explaining the idea behind. He has got a huge charisma. He is kind a "rock star" of design.

 

[Deleted member 25]

Chirs Chapman (E53 X5)

Wasn't F.stephenson the guy who designed both the First Bmwised Mini and the first X5 ?

 

[EnI]

Wasn't F.stephenson the guy who designed both the First Bmwised Mini and the first X5 ?

Nope. It was Chris Chapman. 100% sure.

 

[7saen]

Also: most innovative designers like A. van Hooydonk (7er, 6er), Anders Warming (Z4, Mille Miglia)), Chirs Chapman (E53 X5, 1er, xCoupe) - have all been promoted. AvH is a chief designer of BMW Automobile, Warming is extrior design chief of BMW, and Chapman is chief of Automobile design studio of Designworks.

Of course inside the company they're highly rewarded. But the media still insists that Bangle designed the 7er

Wasn't F.stephenson the guy who designed both the First Bmwised Mini and the first X5 ?

Yeah he designed the Mini, but the X5 was designed by Chris Chapman.

 

[EnI]

Of course inside the company they're highly rewarded. But the media still insists that Bangle designed the 7er

Some media still claim Iraq had WMD, that S. Hussein was responsible for 9/11 etc. And US troops are winning the war in Iraq.

 

[Sayyaaf]

Once again BMW have shown how it is done. This Concept is so well resolved it could go into production.

I can see a clear link with the CS Concept -- which is good.

Bangle's raw ideas have taken a while to be refined ...but the recent results are all extremely exciting. There is a maturity in this design. All the ideas of flame-surfacing and irregularity have been fully resolved ....and now we are seeing the results of a design team which knows exactly what it is trying to achieve. There is deliberation, methodology, and ideology behind these designs -- something their main competitors are still struggling with a little.

True except for Audi ... they still know where they are heading ... BMW & Audi are the new design leaders in my book (German cars for sure).

 

[Sayyaaf]

Guys I dunno but I always find this kind of "unfairness" in all corporations .. for example, when any company is achieving a great profit, always the CEO gets the credit although he probably wasn't involved in any of the cost cutting/revenue grapping actions !! Example is my work, most of the enhancement in the GSM/UMTS quality of service is done by lower jobs (Techs & Engineers) while our director gets all the credit ! ofcourse he might hired the right guys from the first place but he didn't do a single thing ...