Yes, Frank Stephenson was the architect of the initial BMW X5. Yes, we believe it merits recognition, not the least of which is the arduous task he had in bringing it about. You see, the design process may be pretty drawn out. Long-winded wasn’t an option for BMW in the mid-1990s because they were eager to release an SUV. After receiving a briefing, the design team had six months to deliver a clay model. Frank created the initial drawing for the X5 during a two-hour flight, which had a significant influence on the final result. Within two hours, he defined a product and, by extension, a sector quite well. Impressive. Additionally, we believe that the original X5 is significantly more unoffensive than the Porsche Cayenne that came after it.
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Starting from scratch, the first BMW X5 was designed in just six weeks.
A automobile takes time to design. It may require months or even years to transform a paper sketch into a life-size clay model. This transition took just six weeks for BMW’s first SUV, the X5.
In a recent YouTube video, the vehicle’s designer, Frank Stephensen, outlined the history of BMW’s now-iconic X5. Working under Chris Bangle at the time, Stephenson was given a month and a half to create a full-size model from scratch, which was a very short timeframe for any automotive designer. Before beginning to create a clay cast to show executives, he was only given a few hours to draw out the original idea on a plane. According to Stephensen, the artisans who worked on creating the first mold were also responsible for the Lamborghini Miura.
Despite its hasty design process, the initial X5 was unquestionably a success. Despite having an SUV shape, it is easily distinguishable as a BMW thanks to clever design elements like the kidney grille, Hofmeister kink, and graceful body lines. It served as the prototype for the German automaker’s complete lineup of SUVs and has proven to be a timeless design.
2020 BMW X5 M Competition: Review Gallery
However, how did the original X5 design come about? The initial X5 shows influences and technologies shared with the British brand due to BMW’s ownership of Land Rover at the time. The idea itself wasn’t entirely LR, though.
The modern Mini Cooper and the infamous Ford Escort Cosworth’s insane pair of wings were both created by Frank Stephenson, who thankfully sheds some light on the subject in his most recent YouTube video. Consider this a peek into the styling process for the first-generation X5.
BMW should commission this artist, according to X5 E53 designer Frank Stephenson.
On his YouTube channel, where Frank Stephenson has amassed 200,000 subscribers in just three years, he is brutally honest. The gifted guy who created the first modern MINI and the BMW X5 (E53) has harsh words for the Concept XM, calling it “awful” and saying that “each line has a mind of its own.”
Let’s just say that the 62-year-old Casablanca-based designer is not a big admirer of BMW’s most current design cues. Aram Badalyan’s sketch was one he liked a lot in a new film where he reviews automotive concepts that people have brought to him. Instead of today’s folding soft top, the independent artist imagined a Z4 with a fixed metal roof.
The drawing shows a sports car with a tall hood indicating longitudinal engines and a retro-style vertical grille. The designer of the Ford Escort RS Cosworth was a huge fan of the potential Z4. “You understand history, you understand beauty, and you know how to transfer a design into the following generation without losing its benefits or its fidelity to the previous model.”
Why Did They Do That? Designer of the original X5 rips into the new BMW XM
Frank Stephenson analyzes the polarizing XM’s aesthetics and explains why they got it so wrong. He does, however, have some hypotheses as to why BMW might be doing it.
Frank Stephenson, the designer of the original BMW X5, is the ideal person to assess the style of the divisive BMW XM. However, with the XM, Frank really took his time and waited for the dust to settle before giving his assessment. Frank has featured some genuinely odd cars on his channel in the past.
The internet has already been in a frenzy over the past few years with BMW styling, especially surrounding the kidney grille, that seems to be getting bigger and bigger with every subsequent model that debuts. In his most recent video, Frank goes over everything that’s wrong with the design of the new BMW XM. Then there is the XM, where it appears that BMW designers were granted complete creative freedom. Did they take this one too far?
Frank then goes on to discuss why the aesthetics of the new XM is so perplexing and contentious after deconstructing the design. He even goes so far as to say that it is OTT design, where they were unsure of when to stop. There are simply too many components on the car competing for your attention, and the proportions are off, especially when viewed from the side.
With the exception of the XM emblem, this vehicle seems to be symmetrical from all angles. The offset XM badge upsets the symmetry of the two BMW badges that are even present on the rear windscreen, which are reminiscent of the BMW M1 from the 1980s. Don’t get me wrong, BMW is still capable of designing some stunning automobiles in the contemporary era, but now I wonder what they were actually aiming for with the XM. Take a peek at their current 8 Series Gran-Coupe; it’s rather stunning.
Anyway, I don’t want to reveal too much about the XM, so I’ll let Frank show you the design in the video below. In it, he also discusses why BMW might be doing this in the first place. Warning: There are two features of the XM’s design that Frank likes. It’s not entirely horrible. Who can guess?
Who was the BMW’s designer?
Christopher Edward Bangle is an American car designer who was born on October 14, 1956. Bangle is most recognized for his work as the BMW Group’s Chief of Design, where he was in charge of the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce automobiles.
What makes the BMW X5 so well-liked?
The BMW X5 has been a cutting-edge, performance-focused SUV since since its debut. Instead of creating a rugged, truck-like SUV, BMW used their years of experience building cars with unmatched road performance to create an SUV that handles like a sports sedan.
Is the BMW X5 trustworthy?
The BMW X5: Is it Reliable? The expected reliability rating for the 2022 BMW X5 is 77 out of 100. J.D. Power predicts that reliability scores will range from 91 to 100, with 91 to 100 being the best, 81 to 90 being great, 70 to 80 being medium, and 0-69 being fair and below average.
What material makes up the BMW X5?
In order to make the new BMW X5 lighter, BMW states that the body structure is built of ultra-high-tensile steel, the side panels are made of thermoplastic, the bonnet is made of aluminum, and the instrument panel support is made of magnesium. Depending on the model, the new X5 weighs up to 90 kg (198 lb) less than a comparable model from the previous X5 generation with the same specifications.
The BMW X5 has a frame and a body.
SUVs have existed for many years in one form or another. However, up until the 1980s, SUVs were more of an appliance than a refined vehicle. The Jeep Cherokee and Ford Explorer releases in 1984 and 1990, respectively, would pave the way for the current SUV assault.
German automakers immediately started to create their own versions after spotting a trend. The ML230 from Mercedes was the first vehicle released for the 1998 model year. Two years later, BMW unveiled the X5, its first SUV. The X5 is a tale in and of itself, despite the fact that it appears to be one of automakers simply playing catch up.
All high-end SUVs prior to the X5 had a body-on-frame construction. This indicates that the chassis and body are two independent parts that are assembled together. The X5 has a unibody construction, in contrast, where the chassis and body are constructed as a single unit. In fact, the Toyota RAV4—the first SUV with a unibody—didn’t even reach the market until four years before the X5.
We won’t get into the lengthy discussion of the distinctions between the two styles of automotive construction. However, a car can have greater driving dynamics and more accurate handling thanks to unibody design, two qualities that are often associated with BMWs. And for that reason, the BMW X5 was a ground-breaking automobile. Last but not least, there was an SUV that drove more like a vehicle. The X5’s unibody design was so revolutionary that the second-generation Mercedes ML adopted it.
Now that you are aware of the reasons why the BMW X5 revolutionized the SUV market, let’s examine each version. If you’re considering buying a used BMW X5 or are just curious about X5s, you’ll find this information to be useful.
Which motor powers the BMW X5 3.0 D?
Num. with Doors:
Wheelbase:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Num. a Seats:
Cx, the aerodynamic drag coefficient
Front brakes: size of the discs
Dimensions of rear brakes with dics:
Front tires’ rim measurements:
Size of the rear tires and rims:
Bench Weight:
Ratio of weight to power output:
Boot / Trunk capacity:
Suspension up front:
Suspension in back:
Which motor powers the BMW E53 X5 3.0d? A 2993 cm3 / 182.6 cu-in inline-6 diesel engine powers the BMW E53 X5 3.0d.
What is the horsepower (hp) rating of a 2003 BMW E53 X5 3.0d? There are 218 PS, 215 horsepower, and 160 kW in the 2003 BMW E53 X5 3.0d.
What is the weight of a BMW E53 X5 3.0d? The 2070 kg/4564 lb weight of the BMW E53 X5 3.0d.
What is the X5 3.0d BMW E53’s top speed? The top speed of the BMW E53 X5 3.0d is 210 km/h (131 mph).
Is the BMW E53 X5 3.0d an all-wheel-drive vehicle? The BMW E53 X5 3.0d does indeed have all-wheel drive (AWD).
BMW X5 is Twin Turbo, right?
What types of engines are available for the upcoming 2023 BMW X5? 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine is one of the available powertrain and engine options (X5 40i models)
Who was the BMW Mini Cooper’s designer?
Frank Stephenson, one of the most renowned automotive designers of the past 50 years, created the first “new” MINI Cooper more than 20 years ago. Frank is also the creator of a number of other legendary automobiles, like the first BMW X5, the new Fiat 500, the Maserati MC12, and the Ferrari 430, to name a few. He was also in charge of the overall McLaren design philosophy as well as the current lineup of vehicles up to the 720. Frank has essentially encountered every facet of vehicle design, to put it mildly. The R50 MINI Cooper, possibly his most recognizable design, is the subject of his first film in the new series “How I Designed.”
Frank will handle it from here. Additionally, our complete study on the top-secret MINI designs will be available Monday if you want to learn more about the history of the modern MINI.
Where do BMW’s automobiles get their design?
Three BMW design studios exist worldwide: one each in Munich, Shanghai, and Newbury Park (California). The teams collaborate closely across international boundaries.
The BMW Mini was designed by Rover?
BMW, on the other hand, was working on entirely new concepts under Chris Bangle. A new Mini-Cooper was developing in both BMW’s Munich and California style studios. According to Chris Bangle, “we believed it unjust to put the new Mini in the shadow of the old one,” which meant that his vision of a replacement wouldn’t be a car that paid only lip regard to the original but was instead a 10-foot-long cube. Therefore, BMW believed that the new vehicle should be the new Mini-Cooper rather than the new Mini. Wolfgang Reitzle was a prominent supporter of this substitution.
This was a major concern for the designers as they continued to work on the Mini in Germany. They pondered what the Mini-Cooper might look like today if it had undergone a continuous development program over the years, similar to the Porsche 911. That was the whole problem: Rover wanted a cheap car, whereas BMW wanted a sporty little car.
The pivotal year for Project R59 was 1995, and during a management ride-and-drive evaluation of the competition that summer, Rover presented their concept for the new Mini. Technically, it used a K-Series engine, subframes, and Hydragas suspension, which followed the expected (and, some would argue, right) course. However, BMW in Munich was developing an alternative that used a Z-axle at the rear and McPherson struts up front.