BMW’s latest stunt at Villa d’Este, unveiling a shooting brake concept, is a baffling misstep from a brand that’s supposed to know cars. Really, BMW? A niche, retro-chic wagon for the three people who’ll swoon over it at a concours? This isn’t the time for self-indulgent design exercises. The market’s screaming for something else—something bold, rugged, and unapologetically badass. Instead of chasing Instagram likes with a concept nobody asked for, BMW should be pouring every resource into building a high-volume, G-Class and Defender-style SUV that’ll dominate the streets and the sales charts.
Let’s face it: the luxury SUV market is a goldmine. Mercedes’ G-Class is a cultural icon, raking in profits from rappers to royalty. Land Rover’s Defender has reinvented itself as a rugged-chic beast, selling faster than hotcakes at a hipster brunch. These aren’t just vehicles; they’re statements—boxy, brutal, and dripping with attitude. Meanwhile, BMW’s X lineup, while solid, feels like a collection of safe bets. The X5 and X7 are fine for soccer moms and corporate execs, but where’s the raw, in-your-face SUV that screams adventure and turns heads? The XM? A hybrid oddity that looks like it was designed by committee and priced for oligarchs. It’s not cutting it.
BMW’s wasting time on a shooting brake when the world’s begging for a Teutonic rival to the G-Class—a square-jawed, high-riding monster with off-road cred and urban swagger. Picture it: a BMW SUV with aggressive angles, knobby tires, and a grille that doesn’t look like it’s compensating for something. It’d sell in droves to everyone from overlanders to influencers. Volume matters, and this is where the money is. Instead, BMW’s playing dress-up with a concept that’ll never see a showroom, leaving competitors to eat their lunch in the SUV game.
The Villa d’Este reveal shows BMW’s priorities are skewed. They’re chasing prestige over profit, art over appetite. A shooting brake won’t move the needle; a badass SUV would. They’ve got the engineering chops—use them. Stop pandering to elitists and build something the masses will fight to own. Readers, are we wrong? Do you think BMW’s shooting brake is genius, or should they drop the sketches and build a G-Class killer yesterday?
Let us know.