American trucks are huge money-makers and some of them can cost as much as sports cars. However, the Germans have largely stayed away from this market, which leaves us only with renderings and one-offs. This story is about both.
A few days ago, BMW released a concept truck based on the X7. It was beautifully made, with chunky handles machined out of a single piece of metal and wood decking you'd see on a billionaire's yacht. However, it wasn't a sign of things to come, just a one-off put together for the Motorrad division.
The custom creation was largely based on the production body. However, one car design artist didn't like the way it looked too much like a family car. And so he made a separate version that's more in keeping with BMW's sporty heritage.
Rain Prisk's version of the X7 truck is much shorter, having just two doors and a cabin that's only big enough for two people. With a trunk spoiler and bed cover, it looks ready for track use, while the lower half of the bodywork tells a different story.
There, we see a bit of suspension lift making room for massive tires and off-road-ready wheels. Even though all BMW vehicles feature unibody construction, the artist has given it an independent bed, which doesn't go unnoticed.
German brands do offer some trucks. For example, Mercedes sells the X-Class, while Volkswagen's Amarok has been quite popular in Europe. However, a truck sold in America would have to be made there to avoid the Chicken Tax.
To this end, VW has shown the Tarok as a concept at the 2019 New York Auto Show as a means to gouge customer interest. If something like this ends up working out, maybe the Spartanburg factory can produce a work vehicle of its own. The thing holding BMW back is probably know-how and funding, especially considering it needs to focus on EVs right now.
The custom creation was largely based on the production body. However, one car design artist didn't like the way it looked too much like a family car. And so he made a separate version that's more in keeping with BMW's sporty heritage.
Rain Prisk's version of the X7 truck is much shorter, having just two doors and a cabin that's only big enough for two people. With a trunk spoiler and bed cover, it looks ready for track use, while the lower half of the bodywork tells a different story.
There, we see a bit of suspension lift making room for massive tires and off-road-ready wheels. Even though all BMW vehicles feature unibody construction, the artist has given it an independent bed, which doesn't go unnoticed.
German brands do offer some trucks. For example, Mercedes sells the X-Class, while Volkswagen's Amarok has been quite popular in Europe. However, a truck sold in America would have to be made there to avoid the Chicken Tax.
To this end, VW has shown the Tarok as a concept at the 2019 New York Auto Show as a means to gouge customer interest. If something like this ends up working out, maybe the Spartanburg factory can produce a work vehicle of its own. The thing holding BMW back is probably know-how and funding, especially considering it needs to focus on EVs right now.
I saw the one-off X7 pickup that BMW did, and I'm not a big fan of that design. So I quickly tried to make one myself. #rainprisk #bmw #x7 #pickup5,603 Likes, 88 Comments - Rain Prisk (@rainprisk) on Instagram: "I saw the one-off X7 pickup that BMW did, and I'm not a big fan of that design. So I quickly tried..."