Filed under: Concept Cars, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW
BMW Concept X1 arrives early on web
by Dan Roth on Sep 30th 2008 at 11:31PM 
Click above for gallery of the BMW Concept X1
If the BMW X3 isn't ugly or space-inefficient enough for you, here's the Concept X1, which is a lightly veiled version of the production soft ute you'll see in BMW dealers shortly. Yeech. We can't fathom how it's going to be that much different than the X3, seeing as BMWs famliy tree among 1 and 3 series vehicles is starting to look as inbred as English Aristocracy, but we're going to go way out on a limb and suggest that it's a little tighter in most dimensions while sharing powertrains. Styling-wise, as long as you ignore anything forward of the A-pillar, you'll be okay. It's largely standard BMW fare, just scaled down. We're not quite sure what happened up front - it's bad. From the visage that's evocative of the 7 series to the oddly shaped wheel arches, it just doesn't come together, and the way the proboscis sticks out when viewing the X1's profile borders on disturbing. The most amazing thing: people will fall all over themselves to buy it. It'll definitely drive like a BMW, a redeeming trait, but we'd much rather see a 135 shooting brake.
Gallery: BMW Concept X1
[Source: Bimmerpost]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Hamud 11:37PM (9/30/2008)
That "I hit a wall with my face" front killed the car. Never liked the front of the 1 Series, looks even worse on this SUV.
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Phil 2:18AM (10/01/2008)
OMG, I think I'm going to puke. Bangle is back and ALIVE!!
Ilya 6:33AM (10/01/2008)
I agree. That new front end, like the one on the new 7 Series, is just plain awful. Chris Bangle really crossed the line this time!
Jag 7:18AM (10/01/2008)
I agree the hit-a-wall front end is ugly, I suspect it has more to do with the ridiculous pedestrian safety requirements than anything else.
ken_aisin 8:25AM (10/01/2008)
That's exactly how I would describe the front end of this crap. The whole piece of sh!t looks hideous from all angles. Oh well, some idiots will always pay for anything that has a BMW badge on it.
garlinski 8:59AM (10/01/2008)
Looks like the facia is melting off the front... no good BMW... No Good... Makes the X6 look pretty.
Ford Wannup 9:29AM (10/01/2008)
@Jag:
The ridiculous' statement on "...the ridiculous pedestrian safety requirements" leading to ridiculous design is just plain......well, you get the ridiculous picture. If that were true, all cars coming out since that requirement would have looked horrid, when in fact, all BMWs have horrid looks since the current-gen 7-series was introduced (with the mild exception of the 3-series), while pretty designs continue to flow from other mfrs. Are you going to blame the ridiculous back-end of X6 on the "ridiculous pedestrian safety requirements" as well?
BMWs have always, and to a certain degree still remains, my fav driving cars. But gosh..their designs... Not to mention that they are just overextending themselves with the X1, X3. This, to me is just another version of badge engineering, and they have high hopes that ridiculous people will buy them up because its got the ridiculous BMW badge on the ridiculous front.
Ligor 10:46AM (10/01/2008)
looks like M-B with the GLK made a better choice.
I wonder how the BMW owners will feel next to the M-B seeing how ugly this front end is.
I do like the side surfacing, but he front grill, if improved for production could lead to a somewhat better looking vehicle
JAZ 3:01PM (10/01/2008)
The biggest problem for me is not the horrid styling, it's the fact that it is completely pointless. I could understand BMW wanting an SUV to boost sales, so the X5 was alright. Then they came out with an uglier and smaller version:the X3, for no apparent reason. Then the came out with the X6 SACk, and now this, the X1
Skipper 11:38PM (9/30/2008)
WOW...this thing is uglier than the recent NSX concept.
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Ben 11:39PM (9/30/2008)
OMG ... this is pathetic ... it doesn't matter how well it drives ... WHO WANTS TO BE SEEN IN IT?!?!?!?!?!?!
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Dan 11:44PM (9/30/2008)
Well they had to make it match the ugliness of the 1-series.
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Jonathan Kehoe 11:45PM (9/30/2008)
Wow, early and ugly. What a treat. Maybe they could fit it with a V-12 that only gets 8 miles to the gallon but propels it to sixty in nearly ten seconds.
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Kitko 11:46PM (9/30/2008)
Honey, I shrunk the kids....
The more it tries to follow Infinity trademark curves the more spectacular failure it is.
This car says: I'm old and tired.
Hard core BMW fans only.
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miklm 12:25AM (10/01/2008)
"Hard core BMW fans only."
Not quite. BMW CCA member here, multiple BMW owner, and this ... thing ... is an insult to the brand. The last thing we need is another soft semi-ute. The X3 isn't even selling well so who will buy this thing? Posers. Daddy-bought-my-BMW sorority broads. Yecht.
Ultimate Driving Machine? Not quite. Not anymore. I'll stay with my old E30s, E36s, and E46s.
Josh 2:06AM (10/01/2008)
i thought i saw something infinity in there... glad it wasn't just me.
I actually don't mind some aspects of the design *ducks and runs*
vlad 11:48PM (9/30/2008)
man that looks like its been boozing for a while
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matt c 11:59PM (9/30/2008)
it looks like a moose or a camel lol
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Mobius_1 6:05AM (10/01/2008)
But you'll probably be better off with a moose or camel than this car though
pete s 10:55AM (10/01/2008)
I'll take the camel; better fuel economy. Looks like they took styling ques from the Swinetrek. Pigs in Space!