Got back from skiing to find an invite from Wheatly Hall (Doncaster) for the day @ Rockingham and having bought the car from them, thought the £75 asking price wasn't bad for breakfast, coach, lunch and a day's dirty fun with a BMW 'hostess' no doubt, so imagine my surprise when they rang back to say it was gratis - as I'm such an 'enthusiastic' X3 customer (thank god they've rembered we have a 3.0d twin turbo on order)!  How please am I.

So I'll be taking lots of piccies next Friday when I'm there and may even send 1 or 2 to a certain Jeremy (nice hair mate) Clarkson if the car does manage to get out of the car park

Will post my thoughts when I get back.

Sounds all very cool Stu... aye hard life indeed m8.

To get a little off tangent "Twin turbo X3 3.0D.." surely some mistake Stu.>? Unless you've heard some good news to the contrary - I doubt BMW will put the twin turbo in the X3 until it's on offer first in the X5 (would pee off X5 buyers spending a 10K premium to then only be overtaken by the X3 diesel rocket on the outside lane), I hear that'll not be until 2006 with the new X5 model revision (alas..) before that engine appears to be followed by a 4l V8 diesel which is when I reckon the twin turbo will be opened up to the X3. I see BMW have juts poo pood the twin turbo for the 7 series facelift too. Personally I'd like BMW to get their act sorted and offer that engine up ASAP for all moels.

On a more promising note Steve's 535D had been chipped to 323bhp/460+lbft.. goes like a rocket.. too!

Having just got back from NY/NJ I think that the X3 is selling very well over there and as that's probably the #1 market for Premium SAV's (a sector of 1 I think?).  

I'd be surprised if the TT doesn't make the X3.  I'd also be disappointed, but not suicidal to get the single turbo unit. 

I don't follow the logic though, putting the TT in the 5 series, which doesn't really command a price premium, before the X's, which clearly have that little bit of Kudos (certainly in the USA) at the moment which will.

I'll be sure to ask a BMW GB representative the question though.

BTW John, got your X8 on order yet?

StuB wrote: I don't follow the logic though, putting the TT in the 5 series, which doesn't really command a price premium, before the X's, which clearly have that little bit of Kudos (certainly in the USA) at the moment which will. I'll be sure to ask a BMW GB representative the question though. BTW John, got your X8 on order yet?

I'd agree with you on that one Stu.. the additonal towing capacity and the rise in high power diesels must surely be a factor. I wonder if BMW feel the TT would impinge on V8 sales.. e.g. the 4.4i doesn't make a lot of sense.

Let me know what he says.. we want our TT and we want it now..

X8 Stu?

X8 = stretched X5, with quasi Hummer look about it (to me).  Probably another photoshop job I've seen somewhere.

Is that not in fact the 2006 X5 they're talking about.. 7 seats etc.?

Cheers Stu,

Def' heard that BMW is going after Range Rover with next X5.. much bigger etc. Longer, bigger engines.

Well, what a great car!  The course was very wet & slimy, the car was a 3.0 Sport (Auto) on standard tyres at standard pressures and it never struggled anywhere.

Bryn came with me and also got the same impression, so very capable and made to look so easy, and he's an Army off road driving instructor!  Thanks to Bryn for the pics on the link below.

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4306 - http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4306

The 3.0 diesel X3 will be the single turbo as it's deemed that the TT is too thirsty for a 4x4 application, which obviously includes the X5 (I was told)!

Darn those beemer suits.. they forget the extra weight

However if you're tempted I know a man with a 700NM chip with our names on it.. must invoke more lag but by jove it'll stonk along.

Out of curiosity - does anyone know if the std turbo the same size as the larger of the 2 sequential on the TT?

This would explain the higher outputs available.. albeit at the sake of lag.

Steve got sub-6 out of his chipped 535D (326bhp).. and on winter tyres and greasy road.