The engineers in Munich and all around the Nurburgring are hard at work trying to bring out the next BMW X3 in a timely manner. With the end of production for the current, facelifted F25 model planned for July 2017, there’s still plenty of time for testing. That’s why the upcoming BMW G01 X3 was spotted taking it rather slowly around the famous Nurburgring earlier this week.
As you can see in the video below, the car does seem to be in a quite early prototype stage. The heavy camouflage and the headlight/taillight combo make sure any prying eyes can’t see what hiding underneath but we know a thing or two about the upcoming X3 without having to see its design. Under the sheet metal, the Cluster Architecture (or CLAR for short) will be used, the X3 actually sharing its platform by quite an extensive amount with the current 7 Series.
Aluminum and CFRP usage will be plentiful hoping to drop the weight of the SUV by a considerable amount while also growing in size. The technology imbued in it will also contribute to this conundrum, making life extremely easy with the car while adding extra weight to the mix. Hopefully, the engineers will make everything work.
As for the engines, the latest B-family of powerplants will be used. The model range in the US will go from the entry-level sDrive30i model (powered by a 2-liter 4-cylinder 252 HP engine) to its all wheel drive brother, xDrive30i, a diesel offering in the shape of the xDrive30d as well as plug-in hybrid under the name xDrive30e. The top of the range version will be the BMW X3 M40i version that will be using today’s 340i mill, a B58 3-liter straight six engine with 340 HP and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. On top of the added power, the M Performance model will also get a slightly improved suspension to play with.
The most powerful X3 will be the wearing the M badge though, for real this time. The planned X3 M model will be using the S55 engine from the M3/M4 duo and will go to battle with Audi’s SQ5 and Mercedes-Benz’s GLC63 AMG, all three cars offering performance well beyond what anyone thought would be possible in this segment. Since the production of the new X3 is scheduled to begin in just over a year, expect the new X3 to be unveiled at Geneva, next spring.
