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“G18” is one of the lesser-known BMW codenames. It’s the internal designation of the long-wheelbase X5 built and sold exclusively in China. The stretched premium SUV has been around since early 2022, with the Life Cycle Impulse introduced only about a year later. Now, the luxobarge is getting the special edition treatment with just 1,000 units planned.
The X5 Dark Flame reminds us of the X2 GoldPlay from a few years ago. It starts off as an X5 xDrive40Li and then the swanky SUV combines a predominantly black finish with Titan Gold accents inside and out. You can tell from the generous length of the rear doors this isn’t the global model. At 3105 mm (122 inches) long, the wheelbase matches that of the X7 and XM.
Customized by BMW Designworks’ studio in Shanghai, the X5 Dark Flame has 22-inch black wheels with matching calipers. To make it stand out from a regular G18, there’s a Dark Flame logo on the side sills while door projectors also display the special edition’s name. To drive the point home, a plaque with Dark Flame adorns the center console.
Standard equipment includes the Sky Lounge panoramic sunroof and an M Sport exhaust system. Motivation is provided by a turbocharged 3.0-liter engine. The inline-six is good for 380 hp and 383 lb-ft (520 Nm), enabling a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run in five and a half seconds. Since it’s a mild-hybrid engine, it gives the long-wheelbase X5 an extremely short electric mode.
This X5 isn’t the only elongated SUV sold in China where the X1 and X3 also have a stretched wheelbase compared to the global models. Extra-long sedans are also sold there, including a fully electric 3 Series Sedan (G28) that keeps the “i3” name alive. Furthermore, a roomier 2 Series Gran Coupe (F78) will be built and sold there as well from next year.
BMW is charging 830,000 yuan for the X5 Dark Flame. That works out to approximately $116,000 at current exchange rates.