New BMW X5 speeds through Sahara like it was on Monza circuit

By CARSIFU | 20 November 2018


MUNICH: BMW not only declares its new X5 is a better off-roader. It wants to show you it is. Hence, it went to all the trouble to set up a little demo in Morocco

For the Italian launch of the X5, BMW’s office in Italy has created the iconic bends of Monza into the sands of the Sahara. The historic Monza circuit was reproduced in Merzouga, Morocco, a route of 5,793 metres that stands out among the sands and rocks of the Sahara. Every bend, every straight section, every chicane has been  reconstructed on a 1:1 scale, both in the radius of curvature and in the distances.

The demo was certainly no easy task to prepare. For two weeks, more than 50 people including engineers, surveyors, technicians, workers and pilots have toiled to carve out a sandy circuit. It took 4 days of study and preparation with surveyors, engineers and architects, with 8 post for topographic design and simulation. 


For 9 days, 4 bulldozers and 4 trucks dug 24 cubic metres at a time to prepare the soil and remove excess sand; while 2 graders and 2 compactors have defined and compacted the track. Over 3500 cubic metres of earth have been moved to give life to the off-road track.

The X5, demo-ed here was fitted with the optional xOffroad package, which makes its debut on this model. The vehicle was welcomed in Morocco by the new BMW R 1250 GS, the enduro motorcycle, recently upgraded with a new boxer engine.

All X5s are built at the Spartanburg BMW plant in the United States. The launch on the Italian market is slotted for Nov 24. 
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The new chassis systems improve the off-road performance, sportiness and comfort of the new X5. The SAV is equipped as standard with Dynamic Damper Control while the Adaptive M Professional suspension with active anti-roll stabilisation and Integral Active Steering (making its debut in an X model) assures agile and dynamic driving characteristics. The air suspension of the two axles was fitted for driving comfort and allows the vehicle height to be adjusted by 80mm by pressing a button or using the BMW Display Key.

If the customer chooses the xOffroad package, a specific button gives the driver the choice between four off-road driving modes (xSand, xRocks, xGravel, xSnow), which automatically determine the ideal vehicle height settings, xDrive system, acceleration response and transmission control, and corrective inputs of the DSC system when he needs to drive on sand, rocks, gravel or snow.

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