BMW mulls tweaking car versions for China market

Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:25am ET

MUNICH (Reuters) - German premium carmaker BMW (BMWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) is kicking around the idea of developing more special versions of its cars specifically for the Chinese market, the company said on Tuesday.

"There are various ways to approach this," a spokesman said, noting BMW already offered a long version of its top-end 7-Series car in China. But he added: "Adjustments to our product offerings are not on the cards at the moment."

He was responding to a report in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper quoting a management source as saying BMW planned to launch a 5-Series version in China later this year with a longer wheel base and more luxury features than the European model.

It said BMW's Chinese partner Brilliance would make the car.

China has become an important outlet for high-priced BMWs. In the first quarter, BMW sold 1,680 BMW 7-Series cars there, making China the second-largest market for the model after the United States.

Source: Reuters