This is about as close to an official BMW pickup as we've seen for a very long time - a GMC Envoy XUV. Wait, no, that's not right.
Automotive News reports that BMW's American marketing arm got a bunch of automotive engineering students at Clemson University to design a BMW pickup.
The full-size model would have to be built to BMW standards, using BMW-approved materials, with a BMW-approved price hike of no more than $8,000 over the base price of an X3.
The vehicle had to be able to carry a potted orange plant.
In the end, the students managed to present BMW with a GMC Envoy XUV, the short-lived rollback-roof SUV that General Motors cranked out in the mid-2000s to the complete confusion of the buying public. This BMW design is based on a 3-series GT hatchback, but the disappearing roof concept is much the same. Admittedly, the BMW gets a split tailgate, which does look sweet.
BMW may be the only company crazy enough to give this design a shot at production.
Photo Credit: GMC (2004-2005 Envoy XUV pictured)