SHOWROOM

Bayerische Motoren Werke is a latecomer to the supercharged American sport-utility market, the BMW 2000 X5 just now arriving at dealerships--and then in fairly limited supply. (Think waiting list, holiday shoppers.) The X5 shown at left is the exclusive styling package--impala brown with titanium trim--offered through the Neiman Marcus catalog. (Again, think waiting list.) For the record, the base 2000 production model is stickered at $49,970. For that, buyers get a 4.4-liter, 282-horsepower V-8 engine, five-speed Steptronic automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The folks in Munich won’t divulge production volumes, but one rep does allow that first-year numbers should be in the ballpark of the Z3 roadster’s in its first year (think 20,000 or so).

NEXT WEEK

Wednesday: David Colker reviews Honda’s Shadow Sabre, a “street rod” cruiser that highlights the company’s revamped 2000 lineup. Also: Good Carma presents Accidents 101, a primer on what to do after fenders are bent.

Thursday: A special edition of Highway 1 reviews the year in autos, assessing the deals, the people and, yes, the cars and trucks that made a difference in 1999. Also: a preview of the 2000 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.