Given the comments above, why would anyone even make one to offer for sale?

^ hmm, even I have a strut brace in my 3.0si... why isn't this available from the parts dept?

you can also see it in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7FVdXpCz5I

Am I misunderstanding something?

Yes. The E70 doesn't use McPherson struts, but rather a double wishbone front suspension. All a brace would do is tie together the shocks, not the front suspension mounting points, so there is simply no benefit.

Thanks:thumbup:

If there is no added structural benefit, I would not install one if I were you. All you're doing is increasing the potential damage to your X if you get hit in one front fender since the energy would be transmitted to the strut tower on the opposite side.

hmm, what is that bar there for then?

What bar? All I see is a gasket sealing the engine compartment.

Maybe that bar? It's a lot more apparent in the 3.0 engine bay.

I just noticed that my X5 has a chrome strut brace like in the picture above, and one at the front of the engine.

Aluminum. They stopped the black painting about a year ago. Looks better, Nescafe?

The front bar is called the cross car connection (ZB Querverbindung)

The two rear ones are called dome to dash panel struts (dom Stirnwand Strebe)