Concept Car of the Week: BMW X-Coupé (2001)

It was one of the most surprising and controversial introductions of the 2001 North American International Auto Show: an off-road sports coupé with no definable category, a multi-purpose ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’ – and from BMW, no less.

It was the BMW X-Coupé.

The X-Coupé was based on the X5 chassis and had an aluminium body stretched over it. It was four-wheel-drive with a 3.0 litre, 184 horsepower, six cylinder turbo diesel engine (Yes, diesel was once considered the engine of the future). BMW also installed its signature stability enhancing systems: All Season Traction (AST) for the all-wheel drive, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC-X) and Hill Descent Control (HDC).

But, blah blah blah, nobody cared about the technical specifications. It was the highly sculpted body, designed by Chris Chapman, which drew everyone’s attention.

Here’s the edgy design without the edgy photo angle…

The X-Coupé was energised with curving slashes of character lines and bold surfacing – both concave and convex – which BMW and Bangle called ‘flame surfacing’. BMW’s press release noted:

“Surfaces developed by the flame surfacing technique are reminiscent of the forms of energetic flames, such as those from burning gas under pressure. The idea goes even farther, capturing high-energy contrast between the random motion of the fire and the rational command of this phenomenon by humankind, and translating that into lines, shapes, and surfaces.”

Front mask gives almost no clue about the sculptural drama waiting beyond

A walk around the X-Coupé reveals its radical character.

The front mask is the most conservative part of the car – classic kidney grilles, reasonably conservative headlights. No real controversy here…

Asymmetrical clamshell hatch made for a dramatic rear view

…but the rear of the car was another story. Here one encountered the huge asymmetrical clamshell hatch that was hinged at the rear of the car. With the hatch raised the trunk was best accessed through the passenger side, as the driver’s side still had a raised rear fender.

Within this hatch was a curved wraparound rear windscreen – again asymmetrical. It was perfect for driving and passing, but the purists cried foul. Asymmetry in automotive design is a tough sell, even in a concept car.

Asymmetrical clamshell hatch- easy access to rear compartment, but too radical an idea for many

At the sides, the flame surfacing really reveals itself. Convex and concave surfaces meet at strong curving character lines. A slash emerges from the front wheel well and lines up with A-pillar above, drawing the cockpit into the flame surface composition. Strong arching shoulder lines lead the eye across the flank of the car, only to be stopped at the abrupt rear of the car.

Flame Surfacing and odd proportions proved too much for BMW purists

The proportions seemed odd; it was a tall car (1480mm) with a high ground clearance. It was 4600 mm long – some 500mm longer than a Z3 – but due to its tall stance and high rump, it looked stubby and, oddly, a bit brawny, with strong shoulders that neatly set off the cockpit. It’s not a bad look for an off-road coupé in principal, although for BMW it was a first.

The X-Coupé interior – relatively calm after all the exterior theatrics

In contrast to all the exterior theatrics, the interior, designed by Anders Warming, is relatively quiet. Yes, the energy of the dramatic lines and some flame surfacing shows up, but the interior is largely traditional in its layout and instrumentation. It’s also refreshing to look back at a sports car cockpit with no touch screens.

It is easy to imagine the flame surfacing ideas of the X-Coupé springing forth ex-nihilo from the fertile imagination of Chris Bangle. But there were related works in the art and architecture world that could have influenced flame surfacing ideas, even indirectly.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao. “Flame Surfacing” turned up to 11

The Guggenheim museum designed by Frank Gehry, opened in 1999, was declared an instant masterpiece. Its curving, swooping form and the complex surfacing of its walls predicted a new architecture for a new millennium. Bangle has mentioned Gehry as an influence on his own work.

Also some of Richard Serra’s sculpture work, such as his ‘Matter of Time’, a work coincidentally placed in the Guggenheim Bilbao, showed a new understanding of heavy cor-ten steel and the possibilities of a curvaceous monumentalism.

Richard Serra “Matter of Time” - twisting Cor-Ten steel sculpture invites the consideration of warped surfaces on a monumental scale

Of course, these works are on an entirely different scale from the X-Coupé, but even an indirect influence might be seen in Bangle’s design.

The reaction was almost universally negative, both from industry and the press. For BMW enthusiasts and owners, the reaction was particularly sharp and negative. The classic rules of the sports car, and any sense of BMW heritage, seemed to have no bearing on the design of the X-Coupé.

It was bold, but neither critics nor fans rated the X-Coupé

Later, the BMW Z4 was introduced in September of 2003 at the Paris Motor Show, a successor to the Z3. Although two and a half years had passed since the debut of the X-Coupé, the reception for the Z4 did not reflect an acceptance of the flame surfacing aesthetic. BMW did not even refer to the term in the car’s introduction.

2003 BMW Z4 toned the themes down into a traditional roadster

Still, the BMW faithful were somewhat relieved by the toned-down surfacing and lines, and the absence of that enormous asymmetrical hatch. The stance was more classic sports car than the X-Coupé, a result of employing two-wheel drive and a sports car chassis. The form, with its long hood and toned-down short rear deck seemed, overall, to be a return to classic form. Maybe BMW civilization might be saved after all.

X-Coupé kicks up a little dust, reminding us it was meant for off-road

But critics could be brutal. One critic said the car had been “designed with a machete”. Others called it an “Ugly Duckling”. Or worse.

It would later be revealed that the Z4 had actually been designed before the X-Coupé, thus making the concept car a more radical version of the production vehicle, rather than the production car being a toned down version of the radical concept.

The Z4 launched the controversial Bangle era of the 2000s and helped pave the way for the highly articulated surfacing we have today.

The Z4’s design actually preceded the X-Coupé

As for Bangle himself, he would step aside from BMW in 2009 and establish his own design consultancy in Tuscany, working on a variety of projects, but not cars, as per his agreement with his former employers. This week, Chris Bangle returned to car design with a concept for CHTGC – a revolutionary design for the young urban professional. Will this be the start of a new Bangle era?

BMW X-Coupé stats

Engine Configuration
Diesel Straight 6

Displacement
2,926 cc / 178.6 cu in

Aspiration
Turbo

Power
184 bhp / 137 KW @ 4,000 rpm

Torque
450 Nm / 332 ft lbs @ 1,750 rpm

Chassis
Unitary steel

Gearbox
5-speed Automatic

Drive
All-wheel-drive

Dimensions

Length / Width / Height
4,580 mm (180.3 in) / 1,869 mm (73.6 in) / 1,481 mm (58.3 in)

Wheelbase
2,819 mm (111 in)