Meet the X7 pickup concept, made for 2019 BMW Motorrad Days

KUALA LUMPUR: When BMW asked twelve of its vocational trainees to come up with something special for this year’s BMW Motorrad Days who would have thought the end product to be a pickup! Well, yes, the German automaker is bringing an X7 pickup concept to the three-day event in Bavaria’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen. From the pictures itself, the vehicle looks both exciting and intriguing.

It is basically a chopped off version of the standard BMW X7, where the third-row seat has been traded for a flatbed that is good enough to accommodate an F 850 GS motorbike.

As for the dimensions, the SUV to pickup transformation has added 100 mm to the length of the concept. However, it weighs a good 200 kg less thanks to the use of carbon fibre reinforced polymer for the rear lid, roof, and rear doors. Also, certain structures are removed to achieve the desired weight.

The loading area measures 200 cm with the tailgate open and 140 cm when closed, also BMW trainees have used teakwood inlays. While the X7 pickup is finished in brand’s Individual Tanzanite Blue metallic color tone, supplementary items like trim strips and handgrips are made of SLS 3D pressure parts.

BMW claims that the entire process, starting from conceptualisation to end product (that we see in the images above) took the team just ten months. In process involved trainees from technical model construction, occupational sectors body and vehicle mechanics, and vehicle mechatronics.

Also, according to the company, no external help was provided to the team in the making of the X7 pickup concept (which is not the case when it comes to manufacturing one). Speaking of which, the quality that came out without any expert influence is remarkable. One important thing about the BMW pickup is that it can be taken out for a spin, the trainees are even thinking of doing a trip in the same.

Powering the X7 pickup is a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder in-line mill that makes 340 PS and 420 Nm. Other driving-related tech includes xDrive all-wheel-drive system, an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, and adjustable two-level air suspension.