This September, BMW teased one of the most innovative and thrilling road racers of the 2020s in the form of an all-terrain, fully electric, shock-absorbing sport utility vehicle. The Dune Taxi has not yet made it to the company’s production line, but BMW Middle East released a short film with Red Bull rally racer Abdo Feghali and American actress Madelyn Clyne highlighting some of the buggy’s formidable features – including the ability to climb one of Tal Moreeb’s 900-foot, 50-degree sloped sand dunes with ease.
The thrilling sub-5-minute clip – which we highly recommend you watch – does not offer much technical information about the Dune Taxi, but it’s certainly one of the most exhilarating teasers that we’ve seen this year.
The Mad Max-themed machine consists of a shell made completely of Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymer (NFRP) – as opposed to the widely used carbon fiber (CFRP) – and utilizes plant-based materials to soften vibrations and greatly improve shatter resistance when compared with carbon fiber hulls. These environmentally friendly additions complement the 400mm of suspension travel and allow the cruiser to generate up to 400 kW (536 horsepower) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque to all four wheels.
The Dune Taxi’s specifications may not yet have reached their rival X6’s numbers, but they’re on the right path – and in style! Imagined by BMW Group Designworks and manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, this electric all-terrain vehicle may not hold a BMW engine – a bit disheartening for BMW fans, considering the German manufacturer has the necessary battery and electric powertrain technology to outfit a desert EV – but the chassis and iconic kidney grille alone are satisfactory. Even a prototype such as the Dune Taxi leaves our team with anticipation for the next generation of automobiles – and the technology and education that come with it. Testing these off-road electric vehicles not only gives us amusement and excitement on the screen but also begs the question: how far can electric vehicles go?
Advancements in battery life and power output have grown exponentially within the past decade, and these concept models and prototypes contribute significantly to the breadth of knowledge moving forward. As exciting as it is to watch a souped-up dune buggy race along the Liwa Oasis and surmount massive sand dunes, the underlying theme behind the Dune Taxi teaser is “to demonstrate what could be possible when you challenge perceptions around what sheer driving pleasure with M cars on their road to electrification can mean”.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like BMW will deliver this off-road/racing hybrid to the market anytime soon. It is evident that the Dune Taxi is heavily based on Spark Racing Technology’s Odyssey 21, an Extreme E all-wheel-drive cruiser, but the German automaker asserts that it has no intentions of entering electric racing competitions and that the sand-slasher will remain a one-off for promotional and entertainment purposes. In fact, the Dune Taxi puts a more decorative spin on BMW’s current xDrive SUV line by bringing the mountain-climbing automobile to the desert climate of the UAE and outfitting it with gull-wing doors, LED lights, and a supercar-style body – perhaps a nod to the next generation of the X6 M, iX M60, and the upcoming XM models and their ability to effortlessly navigate tarmac, gravel, sand, or snow.
Nevertheless, we love this content and remain enthusiastic about the future of this industry. Who knows if BMW is working on an affordable, off-road EV for the average consumer to take to Burning Man and back, or if it’s just another marketing ploy!
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