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More than 500 International writers, reporters, and television teams are visiting the Upstate. Journalists from Russia, China, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and many more countries are among the very first to drive the all-new BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupé.
As the Upstate of South Carolina is home to the exclusive manufacturing facility of the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé, it’s not surprising that BMW selected this area to officially launch the new X6 to the International Press. BMW AG in Munich invited journalists from all over the world to South Carolina throughout the month of April to experience this new vehicle for themselves. While in the Upstate, journalists attended a press conference at the new Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center on the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus. Following this, guests participated in a driving route through the scenic, yet challenging routes of the Carolina mountains ending with high-performance closed-course exercises at Michelin’s Proving Grounds in Laurens. Throughout their visit, journalists indulged in fine food from some of the Upstate’s most distinguished restaurateurs, and went on shopping excursions and tours of BMW’s North American manufacturing plant. “Launching a unique vehicle like the X6 requires a series of special venues from conference facilities to closed driving courses set up exclusively to show the capabilities of the X6,” said Bobby Hitt, department manager for public affairs. “We are expecting extensive coverage around the world.” The Spartanburg County BMW plant, where the X5 SUV and Z4 roadster are manufactured exclusively for worldwide distribution, began recycling methane gas as an energy source at the Upstate BMW plant. The recycled methane gas, drawn from the Palmetto Landfill near spartanburg, supplies BMW with 25 percent of its energy needs. " Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine Todd Whitman said, "This is a win-win for everyone. It avoids the need to burn methane. It yields significant amounts of clean energy. And, by avoiding 55,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, it results in cleaner, healthier air for everyone to breathe." Currently, employment at the spartanburg County plant totals approximately 4,600. BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; an information technology consulting and systems integration firm in South Carolina; and a design firm and technology office in California. (Images provided by BMW USA.)
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