Adrian,
Mine is a 2003 model but I'm praying to the X5 gods that they spared my UK car the superglue on the headlamps. Either way I'm thinking of starting with the hot air gun method & if that doesn't work then chucking them in the oven,
I really want to find out though whether the lamps are still road legal or affect the beam pattern without the plastic lenses especially with the xenons & angel eyes installed.
I'd rather not do this mod twice if I later find out the plastic lenses are required.