BMW X5 Protection VR6 breaks cover as an armour-plated 515 bhp SUV

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After introducing the BMW 7 Series Protection and i7 Protection a few weeks ago, the German luxury car brand has now introduced the X5 Protection, which is based on the revised iteration of the SUV. The BMW X5 Protection VR6 comes as an armour-plated bulletproof luxury SUV. The car will be showcased in the flesh at the upcoming Munich Motor Show next month.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 30 Aug 2023, 16:40 PM

BMW X5 Protection VR6 comes on the heels of the introduction of BMW 7 Series Protection and i7 Protection.

Despite being an armour-plated SUV, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 is not easily distinguishable from other BMW X5 models. As the automaker states, stealth is the first line of defence for this car. It sports twin M bars in the front kidney grille, high-gloss black M mirror caps, BMW Individual roof rails in high-gloss Shadow Line, and the twin pairs of exhaust pipes typical of the M exhaust system.

Also Read : BMW X5 facelift launched in India, starts at ₹93.90 lakh

Watch: 2023 BMW X7 SUV breaks cover: First Look

Beneath the familiar skin, the SUV features moulded high-strength steel plates shaped to fit the body in areas like doors, side frames, roof and bulkhead. The car also gets an armoured trunk divider and an aluminium underbody shrapnel shield. The fuel tank comes with a special casing that can seal punctures to prevent leaks in case a bullet or shrapnel penetrates the tank. The SUV meets VPAM ballistics requirements. However, customers can further enhance the protection level of the SUV by choosing optional underbody armour and additional roof armour.

Powering the BMW X5 Protection is the same 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that powers the standard BMW X5 M60i xDrive. This engine is paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to generate 515 bhp peak power and 750 Nm of maximum torque. The car brand has not disclosed the weight of the X5 Protection but the armour plates have certain added extra weight on it, impacting the performance. It can sprint 0-100 kmph in 5.9 seconds, which is a significant drop from the M60i’s 4.2 seconds timing. However, this matches the previous armoured X5’s performance. The SUV’s suspension and braking system too have been re-tuned to handle the additional weight.

First Published Date: 30 Aug 2023, 16:40 PM IST

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Tesla EV bashes through a wall and plunges into a swimming pool

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Over the last few years, several Tesla electric cars have made headlines for reasons that were unexpected and at times, unpleasant. The latest addition to the list of antics performed by Tesla car owners is when an EV bashed through a wall and plunged into a swimming pool. The incident took place in Arizona when a homeowner found the Tesla barreled through his house’s concrete wall and took a dive in the backyard pool, reported AZFamily.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 06 Aug 2023, 15:10 PM

It is not confirmed if the Tesla EV plunged into the pool because of a driver’s error or some technical glitch. (Image: Youtube/AZFamily)

The report says that despite such a crash into the swimming pool, the Tesla EV’s driver survived without any injury. However, the same can’t be said of the car or the yard it crashed into. The report has further revealed that the police are still searching for the cause of the crash. It is not known if the mishap took place because of the driver’s error or some technical glitch in the car.

Also Read : Tesla has to copy Apple to set up business in India. Here’s what it means

The affected homeowner, Joe Papineau, said that he thought that he’d heard an explosion. “I was sleeping in my bed when all of a sudden I hear this huge crash and big explosion,” he said to the local news station. Papineau also said he believes that the Tesla car was passing through the area when another car pulled out in front of him. In a desperate attempt to avoid the accident, the Tesla driver made an evasive manoeuvre but couldn’t recover in time to avoid crashing into the wall and ending in the pool.

The video that emerged online shows the Tesla car has received extensive damage including a demolished windshield. Its front profile got damaged severely. However, the driver reportedly escaped with only minor injuries. There was no other passenger in the car during the time of the accident, the report has further revealed.

First Published Date: 06 Aug 2023, 15:10 PM IST

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BMW pulls plug on the 6 Series Gran Turismo, will be officially dead by November

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BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is all set to meet the end of the road later this year, as the German luxury car brand is ready to pull the plug on this model by November 2023. Launched in 2017, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo has never been a market success for the automaker. BMW updated the 6 Series Gran Turismo back in 2021 and introduced an electrified powertrain to the car. The car has not been able to register many sales to private customers and has mostly been used as an airport and hotel shuttle in some European countries, which prompted the company to discontinue this model, reports BimmerToday.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 06 Aug 2023, 11:44 AM

BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo will go out of sale by November 2023.

While the report of the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo has been leaked unofficially, the automaker remains tight-lipped about the decision. The report claims that the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo will remain in production for a few more months before the 6 Series moniker is retired. The car brand has not seen satisfactory demand for the car. The report claims that it sold only 509 units in Germany in 2022, which marks an absurdly low number. Halfway through 2023, the 6 Series GT has sold just 237 units in the company’s home country, becoming the worst performer of the automaker.

Also Read : BMW to locally produce its electric vehicles in India soon

BMW sells the 6 Series Gran Turismo in India as well. Powered by a diesel engine, the car is available at a starting price of ₹72.50 lakh (ex-showroom), in India. As of now, the car is available on the German auto giant’s website.

Meanwhile, BMW India has registered its best-ever half-year and quarterly sales during January-June and April-June periods this year, respectively. The automaker claimed that BMW and Mini together have sold 5,867 cars combined between January and June this year. The company also said that its flagship models witnessed the highest demand.

First Published Date: 06 Aug 2023, 11:44 AM IST

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Tata’s Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity with a shock design. Know more

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Tata Motors-owned British luxury car brand Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity. To achieve that target, the automaker plans to tap rich American buyers with polarizing designs. Auto News has reported that the automaker is targeting 20 million millionaires in the US who could be its potential customers in an attempt to salvage the brand. Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell believes that chasing volume has impacted the brand negatively and in a revised strategy, the company aims to change that situation.

The report has quoted Mardell saying that Jaguar will aim for a lower volume and higher price positioning, which will be the right thing to do for the company. This would make the Jaguar cars more elusively premium, raising the bar. He pointed to the fact that during the 1990s, Jaguar was highly successful in the North American market, when its cars were more expensive and targeted a wealthier demographic than the brand has been chasing for the last 20 years.

(Also read: JLR on track to become all-electric luxury brand; new car launches slated for 2025: N Chandrasekaran)

The JLR chief further conceded that the automaker’s strategy to chase volume during the previous two decades, first under Ford and then Tata Motors, has resulted in it losing touch with the wealthy car buyer community. He also admitted that it is a lot of work to build that brand equity. In order to bring back the luxury glory to the brand, Jaguar is focusing on fearless designs, which would be conceived to shock and reengage wealthy buyers.

The auto company’s design chief Gerry McGovern said that the brand will not worry about being loved by everybody. “What we will not worry about is being loved by everybody, because that is the kiss of death,” he said further adding that this is what has put Jaguar in the situation it is in today, which is with no equity whatsoever.

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