Apart from a slightly over-stiff ride, which is nothing new for BMWs, the X5 40e is an absolutely first-rate SUV. I've personally always been rather fond of the Audi Q5, which goes head to head with the X5, but a week with the bimmer reminded me of why BMW has such a great reputation. The X5 is tremendous, the hybrid tech simply adds a nice extra perk in improved fuel economy. The X5 platform has been around since 2000, and the third-generation rolled out in 2014. The whole point was to create an SUV that drove like a BMW, and in that the carmaker succeeded. Perhaps to a fault, as most of the affluent suburban road warriors who buy these crossovers will never push the vehicle into a corner to study how the frame flexes and suspension reacts. Nor will they much care about the snappy 0-60 mph time of about six-and-a-half seconds. They simply want a BMW-caliber people transporter that carries with it an air of German luxury and harbors performance potential in the event that it's called up to perhaps zip past a semi on the highway.
Drivers enjoy a host of safety assist features, including blind-spot detection, collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, and a head-up display. These were all useful, but in fairness, they are pretty much common nowadays on all luxury vehicles. To be honest, I and my colleague Ben Zhang have been a little down on BMWs of late. We've been finding them competent as ever, yet sort of boring. Objectively, the X5 40e is more of the same, even with a "Canberra Beige/Black Dakota" leather interior and some lovely texture-grain wood trim. Over the course of a week, however, I rediscovered the brand's charms. Sure, I can't complain too much about the sporty "M" cars. But in jaunts around my suburban home and on a few forays into New York City, I re-learned how to appreciate the excellence of BMW engineering. You can't find much wrong with the X5, and the hybrid technology adds a nice extra layer. As for the driving, the X5 continues to be one of the best SUVs for motoring pleasure. It simply inspires confidence. There's something to said for simply getting it right, year after year and after. And make no mistake, BMW continues to get it right.
Bill's frustration ceased in the fall of 1982 when the GTI finally came to America, but by then Thunder Bunny had done its job. It put Neuspeed, the APS-trademarked line of parts and accessories, on the map. It also helped launch a vital North American community of specialists in watercooled Volkswagen performance. Modifying Volkswagens, of course, was not new in America — the Beetle had spawned a huge following of enthusiasts — but the new generation of Volkswagen cars hadn't sparked much interest in the go-fast crowd before the early '80s. Neuspeed continues to be a leading force among the world's Volkswagen tuners, and it has never stopped building special projects. The latest is also called Thunder Bunny, and it was built in commemoration of Neuspeed's quantum leap forward all those years ago with the original rabid Rabbit. Today's Thunder Bunny is a blend of subtle design massaging and tuning technology, built to show how a comfortable daily driver can also provide an exciting motoring experience. Creating the thunderous noise from under the hood is a newly developed turbocharger system, designed by Neuspeed especially for Volkswagen's 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.
The high quality installation includes a modified intake manifold, Garrett ball-bearing turbocharger and air-to-air intercooler. A stainless exhaust and specially baffled aluminum oil pan were also sourced from APS for optimum flow and cooling. Boost is restricted to a maximum of seven lbs. Stage 1 kit, but it still produces 225 horsepower, 75 more than the stock 2.5 L, and a hefty dose of low-end torque. A performance clutch and Quaife differential were added to the powertrain for durability and a more efficient delivery of power to the front wheels. Thunder Bunny's gleaming candy white exterior is made distinctive by several design studio touches. The concept's body kit includes a larger central grille and a more muscular rear valance framing a twin R32-style exhaust from Neuspeed. Like the R GTI, Thunder Bunny's paint was overlaid with graphics Jenkins calls "topographical" in pearl silver. They were meant to evoke the contours of the car's geography or waves of air that flow over the surfaces.
