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Showcase cover image for No Reserve Price Auction: 2006 BMW X5 (E53)

General Information

Year
2006
Make
BMW
Model
E53
Color
Metallic Grey
Packages
ACS
History
It was originally purchased completely stock from a dealership because it only had (2) previous owners and it was in perfect condition for a transformation project. The first owner only had it for 4yrs (from 9/2006 to 5/2011) and sold it when it had about 40k miles on it.

The second owner had the car for 10yrs (from 5/11 to 1/22) and they took meticulous care of the vehicle and only put 50k miles on it and had it serviced regularly at Irvine BMW.

It was purchased with 93k miles on it in January of 2022 and since it was virtually flawless, it was the ideal car for an AC Schnitzer conversion and we intended it to be a “Showcar” and only use it for my son’s motorcycle races or our camping trips. When it was purchased, the vehicle was very plain & basic with much smaller 17” rims and tires. It had the typical wood grain trim on the interior, which looked very outdated, but overall, it was in perfect condition. The faded & dull headlights were the only part of the vehicle that gave away the car’s age because the lens were really hazy & foggy. (see before pics).

Since we had no intention of selling it, we wanted a clean, modern & stylish look and wanted to customize it with lots of updated technology to truly make this a one-of-a-kind vehicle a make a 2006 vehicle look like something like it was from 2026.
We have run out of room/parking for our cars, so I had to put our SAV up for auction on bring-a-trailer with NO Reserve Price. I'm sad to see this go, but hopefully to someone who will appreciate the work that was done.

For more information on the car and to see the first set of (200) pics: HOME | Ac Schnitzer

To see the Action and/or Bid and to see the second set of (200) pics : No Reserve: 2006 BMW X5 3.0i

AC SCHNIZTER CONVERSION PACKAGE

AC Schnitzer is a 3rd-party tuning company (like Hamann, Dinan & Brabus) that is based in Germany, specializing in BMW and MINI cars, and BMW motorcycles, founded in 1987 by Willi Kohl and Herbert Schnitzer. Its range includes tuning for BMW vehicles and the Mini and Land Rover makes, and also a motorcycle arm. This X5 has been fully customized and upgraded to modern standards.
See more info on ACS here: BMW
We started with the overall appearance and style but unfortunately, we did not have the time to install the ACS body kit (but it is INCLUDED with the sale) and we did not upgrade any performance parts/components (ie, engine, exhaust etc)
As you look around the vehicle you will see that there are TONS of little upgrades and small changes that may not be noticeable to the untrained eye or someone who is not familiar with this specific model. However, fine details can be found all-throughout the vehicle all the way from the door pins to the gas cap.

VIDEO:

Modifications

Interior
TRIM: all the wood trim was replaced with a silver metallic trim and many additional accessories are included: phone holder, seat belt cushions & bejeweled headrests.

GUAGES: The dash gauges were upgrades to the silver sport gauges with chrome rings. The cigarette lighter was replaced with dual USB ports for charging multiple mobile devices.

PEDALS: Aluminum sport pedals and customized floor mats in addition to the all-weather mats which are also included.

REARVIEW MIRROR: A Wolfbox G840S Smart rearview mirror has also been custom-built into the OEM stock mirror with dual cameras, night vision, reverse assistance and parking monitoring. It provides an ultra-wide view with a 12 inch wide mirror, minimizing the blind spots for safe driving/reversing. Its 12” touch screen features a 2k digital display for the front & rear cameras and it can display both cameras simultaneously with split screen capabilities. It has a GPS receiver and can use a 32GB SD card to function as a continuous dash-cam and it automatically starts recording on loop upon start. It also has automatic crash-detection to save the video footage in case of an accident. These cameras also provide extra security monitoring when parked. A 6-layer glass lens enhances night vision in a dark environment so license plates and other small wordings can be displayed clearly.

CAMERAS: Front & rear cameras are installed and the vehicle has inputs for additional cameras.
Exterior
GENUINE ACS BODY KIT (NOT INSTALLED): We were able to purchase a (used) Genuine AC Schnitzer body kit for $1000 the front & rear bumpers and this was actually going to be the “Crown Jewel” of the conversion/modification. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to complete it & parking space to store it. So the full-body kit will be INLCUDED with the sale but is not installed. See example here: https://www.bodykits.com/i-24252732

Performance-enhancing body kits can:

Improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle

Provide more downforce and reduce drag

Increase its cooling capabilities

Increase speed and reduce fuel costs

This kit is used but it is in GREAT condition. There are NO cracks or major blemishes. We have taken the time to highlight all of the scuff marks with a PINK marks. The rear bumper has chrome surrounds for the exhaust. This kit will probably need to be professionally prepped, primed, painted and installed, if you desire.

RUNNING BOARDS: Aluminum running boards were added to the sides as well as custom molded rock guards which adds a nice flare to the wheel wells

PAINTED CALIPERS: The brake calipers were painted a satin metallic red (instead of the typical bright red) so that it complements the metallic sterling grey color of the vehicle.

ROOF RACK: is conveniently mounted behind the first sunroof so it does not block the view from the dual- panoramic sunroofs and it includes a custom fitted bungee net to secure loads.

REAR CARGO RACK: conveniently folds up for easy storage and carries up to 400lbs. It has multiple access points for easy loading and also includes an over-sized cargo net to secure items and also includes a 2” class III ball hitch.

SIDE MIRRORS: were upgraded with anti-fog / no-blind spot mirrors and a touch of humor was added with a decal that reads. “Objects in mirror appear to be losing” instead of the normal “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”.
Audio
INFOTAINMENT CENTER: The stock radio was replaced with a fully-intergrated Android system w/ a 10.25” touchscreen. It has several customizable operating systems and it even has a voice-activated assistant and can also be controlled with the steering wheel. The Schnitzer logo was even custom designed into the Android display screen. This computer system has a GPS receiver, Apple carplay, WI-FI capabilities with YouTube, Google Maps and Gmail and you can also download additional apps from the Google play store and all instructions are included on the system. WiFi requires a SIM card (not included) It has multiple bluetooth functionality including the ability to display OBD II diagnostics and tire pressure monitoring (scanner/readers not included).

WARNING: This Android system is far more advanced than stock BMW radios, so if you are not comfortable with hi-tech devices like mobile phones, computers or tablets, then this is system is probably NOT for you. However, if you’re into cool gadgets, then you’re really gonna LOVE this set-up.

The system was professionally installed by Newport Sound in Newport Beach, however they cannot provide support for the hardware or software but all instructions are included on the unit.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The front camera support 2k & 1080P and rear camera supports 1080P, but when the front and rear camera is recording simultaneously, it will be fixed on 1080P.

When using the parking monitoring function, be sure to select the time-lapse recording mode to prevent the recorder from draining the car battery.

Format micro SD card regularly in case of locked videos or over-capacity or delete them if necessarily.

If you use a micro SD card capacity > 32GB, be sure to change micro SD card〔Class10 ( 10MB / sec ) required〕 format to FAT 32 on PC
Lighting
HEADLIGHTS: The entire headlight assembly was re-done. New complete lens were installed. We did NOT have them buffed out because typical headlight restoration techniques do not last very long. So the only way to do it correctly was to replace the entire lens. In the process the typical orange side lens were also eliminated to give a cohesive clean look.

LED LIGHTING: All of the exterior lights have been upgraded with LEDs.

HIGH BEAMS: have a super hydriod pressure fan @7000 RPM and turbo cooling which is 5 times more effective at cooling and can keep the bulbs working under 80 Degrees with zero warm up time.

LOWBEAMS/FOGLIGHT: The lowbeams high beams and driving/fog lights all have high lumen output LEDs and all the bulbs have the same color temperature of 6k, for pure white illumination.

ANGEL EYES: color matching 6000K LED Angel Eyes xenon white HID

BULBS: The turn signals are stealth bulbs and appear silver when turned off and orange when lit. This prevents a “yolking” effect on the turn signal when it’s not lit.

MARKERS: The incandescent side makers were also replaced with bright LEDs.

TAILLIGHTS: were replaced with LEDs with smoke/clear lens. Stealth bulbs were also used in the turn and brake signals.
Wheel and Tire
WHEELS: We gave the vehicle a (1.8”) inch lift and widened the stance by installing new solid forged 19” rims with a negative -35 degree offset to fill out the wheel gaps (no spacers), and with 275/55/19 Cooper tires which still have 75% tread left. The best part about this set-up is that you can easily replace the tires with 255/55/19 to lower it back down and give it a more sporty street look without having to adjust the suspension.

Gallery

Comments

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I'm a big fan of woodgrain but I do like the conversion, it appears to look like factory plus. The exterior looks great!!
 
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