If you’re BMW and you’re going to make a pickup truck concept, let’s face it: it’s going to be super fancy. And you’re going to insist that it’s just this little old thing you let some trainees tinker with, and you’re never actually going to make it in real life.
But if you did … it would be kind of boss. BMW’s X7 truck has a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six, offering 335 horsepower, plus a longer body and lighter weight than BMW’s upcoming three-row X7 SUV, partly due to the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic that’s being used for the truck’s roof and rear lid and doors.
A dozen or so vocational trainees at BMW Group have reportedly joined forces to produce the road-legal show car, which features a fairly small bed, but one that’s lined with strips of teak wood. BMW says finishes like the honey-colored wood and metallic blue paint were inspired by “sporting yachts.”
And while some auto writers are speculating — even recommending — that BMW try to take a grab at the massive cash pile supporting the high-end pickup truck market, the German automaker insists that this is a one-off and they have no serious ambitions to produce it.
But who knows . … if you’re in BMW product development, this might actually be the exact right moment to sneak it in. That’s because BMW’s CEO, Harald Krueger, just announced he would be stepping down from the helm of the automaker, and the decision is being blamed on Krueger’s strategy being “too cautious” in its approach to development of electric cars. So, let’s throw caution into the wind, shall we? Time to make a pickup.