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BMW X6 Alligator: What the 2015 AG Excalibur Show Car Really Was
The BMW X6 Alligator was a body and interior kit by AG Excalibur, a Lithuanian tuner, shown at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2015. It added a nose 200 mm longer, much wider wheel arches, 26-inch wheels and alligator-embossed leather to a standard second-generation X6. Many visitors called it the ugliest car of the show.
Key takeaways
- Builder: AG Excalibur from Lithuania; shown at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2015.
- Base car: the BMW X6 (F16), with its mechanicals reportedly left unchanged.
- Changes: front 200 mm longer, front track 100 mm and rear 150 mm wider, 26-inch wheels.
- Reported prices ranged from €50,000 for the kit to €90,000 for a finished car offered for sale in 2016.
What AG Excalibur showed at Frankfurt in 2015
The 2015 Frankfurt show was full of expensive SUVs, including the new Bentley Bentayga. AG Excalibur arrived with a very different idea of luxury. Its X6 wore a chrome grille that reached almost to the ground, a vertical air intake cut into each front door and a rear bumper insert with a central double exhaust. One French motoring magazine called it, with obvious irony, the most beautiful car of the show. Others simply called it the ugliest.
Size at a glance
Audi Q8
The BMW X6 F16 is 77 mm shorter and 6 mm narrower than the Audi Q8.
| Dimensions | BMW X6 F16 | Audi Q8 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 4,909 mm193.3 in | 4,986 mm196.3 in | −77 mm−3.0 in |
| Width | 1,989 mm78.3 in | 1,995 mm78.5 in | −6 mm−0.2 in |
| Height | 1,702 mm67.0 in | 1,705 mm67.1 in | −3 mm−0.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 2,933 mm115.5 in | 2,995 mm117.9 in | −62 mm−2.4 in |
| Boot | 580 L20.5 cu ft | 605 L21.4 cu ft | −25 L−0.9 cu ft |
BMW X6 Alligator compared with a standard X6
| Figure | BMW X6 (F16), standard | X6 Alligator |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4,909 mm | about 5,110 mm (front +200 mm) |
| Front track | standard | +100 mm |
| Rear track | standard | +150 mm |
| Wheels | 19 or 20 inch | 26 inch |
| Interior trim | leather | alligator-embossed leather |
| Engine | 3.0 diesel, 190 kW (258 PS) in xDrive30d | unchanged, according to the tuner |
By our calculation, the extra nose made the car about 5.1 m long, roughly 100 mm longer than a Maserati Levante. The 26-inch wheels are six to seven inches larger in diameter than the factory rims. To keep the rolling diameter close to standard, such wheels need very low-profile tyres. You can check that effect with the 1cars tyre size calculator.
Inside the Alligator
The cabin was where the name came from. Italian leather embossed with an alligator pattern covered the dashboard, the centre console, the steering wheel and the upper door panels. The console was reshaped and steeply angled, and round air vents in a Mercedes-Benz style replaced the BMW originals. According to the old 1cars report, the car also had carbon-fibre wings and uprated brakes.
Under the body: a standard X6
Mechanically the Alligator stayed a normal X6. The old 1cars report described a 3.0 diesel, and the car later offered for sale was also a diesel. In the F16 range that most likely means the xDrive30d with 190 kW (258 PS) and 560 Nm, an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The tuner said other body styles for the X6 were possible, built to each customer's wishes.
What became of the Alligator
Reported prices differed widely. A French report quoted €50,000 for the kit, fitted to a new X6 supplied by the customer. The old 1cars report gave about €170,000 for the complete conversion. In February 2016 one finished car was listed for sale in Lithuania at €90,000. After that the car disappeared from the headlines. BMW replaced the F16 with the third-generation X6 (G06) in 2019, and the full model history is on the BMW X6 page.
Should you buy a heavily tuned X6? Our view
For most buyers, no. Resale values of extreme body kits are hard to predict, and parts are not available from BMW dealers. In many EU countries, wider arches and non-standard wheels also need individual approval. If you want a sportier X6, an X6 M or an M50d is the safer choice. Rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé can be compared with the comparison tool, and the whole range is in the BMW catalogue.
FAQ
Who built the BMW X6 Alligator?
AG Excalibur, a Lithuanian tuning company, built it on a second-generation BMW X6 (F16). The kit made its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt IAA and quickly became known as one of the strangest cars there.
How big are the wheels on the X6 Alligator?
The car rides on 26-inch wheels, six to seven inches larger than the factory 19- or 20-inch rims. The front track is 100 mm wider and the rear track 150 mm wider than standard.
How much did the X6 Alligator cost?
Reports differed. A French magazine quoted €50,000 for the kit fitted to the customer's own new X6, and in February 2016 one finished car was offered for sale in Lithuania at €90,000.
Was the X6 Alligator faster than a normal X6?
No. The tuner changed the body and interior, not the engine. Under the kit was a standard X6 diesel with 190 kW (258 PS), so performance stayed at factory level at best.
