2008 BMW X6

2009 BMW X6 – Click above for high-res image gallery I must be missing the gene that makes high-riding vehicles appealing to so many other people. As a car enthusiast and an engineer, I can certainly appreciate the performance that companies like BMW and Infiniti have managed to wrangle from vehicles like the X6 and the EX35. But there is absolutely nothing in the new 2009 BMW X6 that couldn't be done better in a vehicle with a normal car-like ride height. After all, who is going off-roading in one of these? The best explanation I could get out of BMW officials for the existence of the X6 is that many drivers like that commanding view of their surroundings that the elevated altitude provides. According to BMW, the X6 is designed to provide stylish coupe looks with the high performance people expect of a BMW and the utility of an SUV. As is so often the case, vehicles that try to fit too many categories at once end up not fitting any of them very well. It's not all bad news for the new X6, though. While it's not my cup of tea, there are undoubtedly some who will love this beast. Read on after the jump to find out if the X6 is something you might want in your garage. %Gallery-20357% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer. The brand from Munich is hosting the world's automotive press in several waves this week at its U.S. manufacturing base in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The purpose of this gathering is the driving launch of this latest product for a niche no one knew existed. BMW calls the X6 a Sport Activity Coupe, and given that the market seems to be accepting the idea of four-door coupes, that part is at least plausible. In the light of day, the X6 actually appears more visually appealing than it did under the auto show lights at Cobo Hall in January when we first saw the production version. BMW actually started building the X6 the same week it debuted in January and has now completed the ramp up to full production. The basic shape of the X6 catches your eye with its sloping roof-line and a surface that captures light at various angles. The creases in that surface provide visual interest without looking like the clash of ideas that some of the earlier Bangle-era BMWs had. There are none of the odd cut-lines or seemingly randomly tacked on visual elements like the trunk of the current 7-series. The tall stance afforded by the big wheels gives the appearance of a vehicle that could enter the Dakar rally. With the luxury interior gutted and some sand tires, the X6 would look right at home racing across the Sahara, much like the Porsche 959 did in the late '80s. However, we did not come to South Carolina to drive the X6 in …
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