BMW RFK to take on MB R-Class
Mercedes-Benz appears to be achieving a modicum of success with its R-Class uber-wagon, and you just know BMW isn’t going to let its arch rival get away with it. Hence the RFK, which stands for Room Function Concept. We bring you this news from the German site AutoBild, but Road & Track’s June 2006 issue reveals the RFK will slot in between the X5 and 5-Series sedan in size and borrow components from both. Production is slated for 2008 with a 255-hp 3.0L inline-six and 375-hp 4.8L V8 available at launch. The boys from Bavaria are hoping to move 60,000 units annually, and since MB has already revealed a 503-bhp AMG R-Class, there’s no reason not to expect an M RFK at some point.
[Source: AutoBild and Road & Track – June, 2006]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Groovie 12:00PM (5/05/2006)
Funny thing is the R Class is a flop. More incentives on it for $ of sale price than just about any product out there. As a BMW owner I am disappointed with this...
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LOL 12:04PM (5/05/2006)
WHAT THE FARK?
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Kamil 12:10PM (5/05/2006)
Yikes, for one.
Second, BMW won't whore the //M badge like MB is doing with AMG.
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zig 12:10PM (5/05/2006)
I disagree that an M RFK is to be expected. MB has made an AMG S-Class for years, and BMW has refused to produce an M7 for years. Same for the X5; the 4.8is is close to M territory, of course, but they refuse to slap the M badge on there for fear of diluting it. I hope they continue to recognize and respect the sanctity of M and what it stands for by keeping it off the RFK.
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s 12:25PM (5/05/2006)
i like the styling
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dave 12:33PM (5/05/2006)
Who saw this one coming? I mean, specifically, success of the R class??? And leading to the other Germans playing catchup? I guess they did it with the M class first ...
Anyway, even if the R class is a little, um, less than asthetically appealing, it's nice to see a coming trend in people-movers that don't look like they're going to tip over or eat up your Miata like a guppy ...
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Gunnar Heinrich 12:38PM (5/05/2006)
The R-Class is a most unfortunate pseudo-minivan that is signalling the decline of a fabled marque. BMW is ill advised to take the same path.
http://www.automobilesdeluxe.blogspot.com
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PJ 12:43PM (5/05/2006)
I actually like the looks of this concept... you know, as people movers go. I'd rather have something marginally sleek, with a lower center of gravity, than a conventional minivan or a hey-look-I'm-G.I.-Joe SUV.
When Chrysler introduced the Pacifica, they claimed they were creating a whole new segment of low-slung, not-van, not-SUV people carriers. I didn't buy it. But with the R-Class and now this, Chrysler may have been setting a trend after all (though its long-term success remains to be seen).
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matt 12:54PM (5/05/2006)
looks like a mazda 3 to me.
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Jon Lind 12:59PM (5/05/2006)
As a BMW enthusiast, this is quite disappointing. They have sworn for years (since the intro of the X5) that "we'll never do a mini van!" This is just plain ugly, but prettier than Road and Track's artist's interpretation (which I can't find a picture of on the web).
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J 12:59PM (5/05/2006)
So who wants to drive a constipated-looking hideous german crossover thats named after an assassinated U.S. Senator? not me.
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JIm 1:15PM (5/05/2006)
The MB R class was on the street almost a year ago. During that time I've seen three - two on the street and one at the San Diego auto show. Not exactly the overwhelming success MB probably had in mind. Still, in order to maintain your place once in awhile you must "reach" and sometimes you reach wrongly. Take your lumps and move on. I would suggest Bangle's designs MAY represent more to BMW than the R class will to MB. He has taken very connected and pleasing-to-the-eye designs, correctly updated periodically, and made them a collection of clashing lines and bumbs with little or no grace. The RMK seems less the clash, but I will reserve judgement until I see one.
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CoffeeJedi 1:19PM (5/05/2006)
yay, a new BMW minivan to compete with the Mercedes Benz minivan
* yawn *
wake me up when they do something interesting, turning a sliding door into a regular door does not exactly thrill me, nor does it "add value" to this segment
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dave 1:26PM (5/05/2006)
Gunnar (#6),
That's what they said about Porsche and their SUVs ...
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gbh 1:28PM (5/05/2006)
I don't like the product direction either, but BMW, MBZ, and even Porsche went (relatively speaking) mass-market years ago.
There are simply more people of the income to buy luxury goods. Those companies start worrying about crap like market share, instead of just building the best product and having market share take care of itself.
Kamil, not sure what you mean by 'whoring' the AMG badge. AMG has been wholly owned by DCX for years. AMG would have been assimilated in the 80's if it weren't for really stringent German anti-trust laws.
Have you driven any of the current AMG badged product? Specifically the S, SL, or the G-Wagen? Is it just because they keep cranking out more AMG product?
BMW Ms are always gonna be more 'track-friendly' than an AMG 'Benz. That is the product mission for the BMW M, 'driving machine' and all that. The mission for the AMG is to walk 'vettes and Ferraris with a big-HP low-profile sedan/coupe/whatever.
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Michael Karesh 1:45PM (5/05/2006)
This must be a poorly considered Photoshop. If this is to compete with an R-Class, it needs an adult-friendly third row, and a greenhouse borrowed from a Dodge Caliber isn't going to do it.
The R-Class is not selling well here. Maybe in Europe? I drove it and the GL today. Comparative review soon. The GL feels huge compared to the R, but I suspect it will sell much better.
My site's page for the R-Class, with links to my review and the most common price comparisons: http://www.truedelta.com/models/R-Class.php
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ku 2:33PM (5/05/2006)
"Mercedes-Benz appears to be achieving a modicum of success with its R-Class uber-wagon"
it's achieving a modicum of something, but success isnt it. they projected to sell 30,000 of these annually, and according to eMercedesBenz, they've moved all of 6742 through the first 4 months of the year. i'm no math wizard, but...
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Howard Kerr 3:08PM (5/05/2006)
Not only is this for real, but a smaller (3 series sized) NOT A MINIVAN is almost ready for production too.
What is it with car companies, anyway? M-B and admittedly others, build a car with 4 doors and insist it is NOT a sedan, but a coupe. Now BMW is insisting that they will never build a minivan, but they call this...an MPV and give it a slanted rear roofline so it doesn't look like a box.
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kof 3:41PM (5/05/2006)
It's going to be HUGE!
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Evan 5:34PM (5/05/2006)
great a car named after an assasinated politician , the same thing will happen to this as happened to the mercedes MLK idea once those germans figured out who MLK was.
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