2001 BMW X Coupe Concept
The X coupe is not just a show sculpture; it is driveable, and based on the chassis of BMW’s production Sports Activity Vehicle, the X5. Under the coupe’s long, one-piece hood is an advanced BMW turbodiesel engine: the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder unit of the European 530d model, with state-of-the-art common-rail direct fuel injection, developing 184 horsepower. Beyond the production engine, the X coupe’s powerplant has been modified to produce a brawny 332 lb-ft. of torque; this speaks well for off-road ability, and top speed should be somewhere around 125 mph.
A 5-speed STEPTRONIC automatic transmission takes the drive from the turbodiesel to the X coupe’s four wheels; shifting is programmed for sporty performance and driving pleasure. When he or she so desires, the driver can control shifts via paddles on the steering wheel.
Innovative new lighting technology contributes to the X coupe’s active safety. The headlights, for example, steer with the wheels for effective illumination of curves. In road driving, additional input from the GPS Navigation system actually causes the headlights to anticipate curves ahead.
Another innovation is the brake lights, carried in the dual rear lighting clusters under glass covers. They indicate to following drivers how hard the X coupe’s driver is braking: On the basis of an electronic signal of deceleration, under light braking only the lights’ outer rings illuminate; as deceleration increases, the illumination spreads inward until, under full braking, their entire area is illuminated.
In Detail
| built at | Munich, Germany |
| engine | Turbodiesel 6 Cyl |
| displacement | 3000 cc / 183.1 in³ |
| power | 137.2 kw / 184.0 bhp |
| specific output | 61.33 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | bhp per tonne |
| torque | 450.13 nm / 332.0 ft lbs |
| body / frame | Aluminum |
| driven wheels | Front Engine / AWD |
| front tires | 255/50R20 |
| rear tires | 285/45R20 |
| f brake size | mm / in |
| r brake size | mm / in |
| wheelbase | 2819 mm / 111.0 in |
| length | 4580 mm / 180.3 in |
| width | 1869 mm / 73.6 in |
| height | 1481 mm / 58.3 in |
| transmission | 5-Speed Semi-Auto |
| gear ratios | :1 |
| top speed | ~201.2 kph / 125.0 mph |
