2007 X3 Sports - Running boards?
 

Am in the process of ordering a 2007 X3 Sports in Black/Black with the 19inch M Sports wheels and M Sports kit for my wife.

The dealer is telling me that we cannot have the running boards with the sports kit, and the beautiful lady would like both. Has anyone done this or know if they can be fitted DIY?

Cheers

i don't know for sure (and i know less about the '07) but it could be that part of the aero package interferes with where the running boards would mount.

My wife is 5'3" and we don't have running boards and she gets in and out just fine...for what that is worth

If your lady expects the running board to have a practical function... like stepping on it to help get in / out of the car... then she might be disappointed. The running board is too narrow to step on.... and could be dangerous when wet because your foot can slip out of the board very easily.

Can say for sure on the '07.. but I do have the running board on my '05 with Aero kit.... both me and my wife are 5'4"... abd we NEVER need to step on the boards and have no problem getting in / out of the car!

It's for our 3 yr old who likes to climb in himself because 'he's a big boy'.

Were you able to order it with the boards or fit them yourself?

Ah! ThAt's different for a 3 yr.. !

Actually the full Aero kit comes with the boards.... which has the full metal plate on the top surface. The full running board "retrofit" option for the basic X3, without any body kit, has the black rubbers on the top the metal plate (for "anti-slip" purpose?!)

that's actually a good reason, and a cute one at that

I'd ask the dealer what the limitation is though, good luck with an answer...I've found that anybody on this forum knows about 20 times more than most dealers...X's sell themselves, and most of their business is leasing, so they just order a bunch and move them out the door....If you try to get real specific, at least in our case, the sales guys don't know squat.

They actually build the car on BWM.com....Uh, i can do that myself, and it'd be a whole lot cheaper if these cheesy middlemen were out of the picture.

It ain't worth the mark up for the free floor mats....Though, the service plan can't be beat

My 2006 sports doesnt have them and I tried to option it with them, but it couldnt be done.

I would imagine the 2007 is going to be exactly the same.

The shape of the side skirts is more rounded than flat like the standard model. There is no flat area to put them on.

Can the side moulding be deleted or removed? Or is it part of the whole trim over the wheel arch?

If you were asking me I'm sure it could be done but I doubt you could get a dealer (especially a dealer) or the factory to swap out the Sport side skirts for the regular style when ordering the Sport Package. That would definately be a Special Order vehicle.

I think the side skirts are separate pieces from the wheel arches but the mating points are differently shaped (Where the arches meet the skirt) to match the different shape of the Sport skirts. The arches would have to be swaped out for standard too.

There's no doubt the standard ones can be painted like the Sport skirts and arches but getting a dealer to order one like that might be the rub. Anyway, the flat on the standard skirts is only a few (like maybe 3) inches lower than the threshold of the door.

I hope I've helped :D

BTW, that pic I posted is of a 2006 Sport model. I don't think the 2007 is much different. Check the BMW website for 2007 Sport pics.