BMW X5 xDrive30i Is Matte Black In China

BMW X5 wrap

A BMW X5 SUV, seen in January 2012 in the Sanlitun embassy area in Beijing. It was a cold day, you can still see some recent snow on the road. The good Bimmer was wrapped in a stealthy matte black wrap, and further sexed up with a black grille, black alloy wheels, and darkened windows.

Parking guy counting his cash. In 2011 parking fees were yet paid in bills, nowadays it’s all paid with apps. I parked my car in the same area a lot, so I personally knew this guy, so deserves a photo on this website, even though it is now 11 years ago. Every parking guy was in charge of a stretch of road, could be a few hundred meters in busy areas or up to a kilometer in quieter places. They were outside from early morning until late at nigh, and that’s a cold job in the Beijing winter, so they usually wore like three coats or more.

The wrap was of a mediocre quality, but it was neatly applied over the whole car. The wrappers even included the door handles, the wing above the rear window, the mirrors, and the roof rails. The light visors were darkened too, front and rear. The only thing left un-wrapped was the side board.

Note the KFC in the background. I came there a lot on lazy hangover Sundays,  it was a bit of a dodgy one, but the spicy chicken was always great!

Darkened light visors are brilliant, making the whole front look kind of  dangerous…

The second generation BMW X5 (E70) was made from 2006 until 2013. It was officially sold in China as an import, and very popular at the time. The xDrive30i model was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0 liter six-in-line engine, good for an output of 258 hp and 300 Nm. The engine was mated to a six-speed Steptronic automatic, sending horses to all wheels. Price in China in 2011 started at 1.098 million yuan.The wrap probably added another 5000 yuan or such.

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