Filed under: SUVs, Etc., Government/Legal, BMW

The K-9 unit in Hilliard, Ohio is completely funded by donations from local businesses and organizations. The latest firm to give something to the K-9 team is BMW Financial Services, which provided a specially modified BMW X3. The $50,000 SUV was given to the department in honor of the unit’s second birthday and its stellar arrest record. The X3 was kitted out by BMW and other suppliers with a light bar, canine cage, remote controlled door latches, and it touted as being dog and criminal ready. In Hilliard at least, a dog’s life has gotten just that much easier.

Thanks for the tip, Oss!

[Source: Auto-Talk]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW

The arrival of the X6 is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to BMW’s impending onslaught of CUVs. We mustn’t forget one of the CUVs that started it all for the Munich-based automaker - the smallish X3. Though just refreshed, the current X3 is awkward looking, something BMW hopes to fix when the 2010 X3 arrives in late 2009. Shown here in resplendent rendered speculation (click the Read link to see the full version), the next X3 will adopt a front end inspired by the BMW CS Concept that debuted at last year’s Shanghai Motor Show. It would appear the concept’s flaired nostrels have made their way to the X3’s nose, while those split air intakes on the lower bumper are shared with the new X6 and will also likely become a future design cue for BMW activity vehicles. Of course, all new BMWs are getting the ubiquitous but excellent twin-turbo 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower, and we expect the X3 will be no different. That’s a good thing, as Dan Roth discovered the current 260 HP 3.0L six in the current X3 gets winded pulling around the vehicle’s 4,100+ lb. curb weight.

[Source: egmcartech]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments