Fashion brand Kith and BMW have accelerated their long-running partnership well beyond the usual logo-on-a-jacket territory, and built two bespoke X5s.
Most brand collaborations end with a capsule collection, a limited-edition sneaker or, if things get particularly adventurous, a branded suitcase.
For the latest chapter of their long-running partnership, Kith founder and CEO Ronnie Fieg has taken a 2000 BMW X5 E53, pulled it apart and rebuilt it into something that looks suspiciously like the X5 M that BMW never ended up making.
Under the bonnet sits a 5.0-litre S85 V10 paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The original all-wheel-drive system has remained, while the suspension, brakes, exhaust, wiring, software and engine mounts have all been reworked around the new setup.
The project is part of Kith for BMW Chapter IV, the latest instalment in a partnership that has blurred the line between lifestyle, fashion and automotive.
Fieg’s love of BMW goes well beyond the Kith collaboration. A lifelong enthusiast, Fieg has built a sizeable personal collection of BMWs over the years, including the E30 M3 and E24 M6. His passion has become a natural extension of Kith’s collaborations with the marque, bringing a genuine enthusiast’s perspective to the partnership.
The E53 has been given a full restoration and fitted with a black leather interior carrying Kith’s monogram.
It’s a fairly serious amount of work for what is, ultimately, a one-off collaboration car.
Alongside the resurrected E53 sits a version of the forthcoming 2027 BMW X5, giving the collaboration a before-and-after view of the X5.
Kith has framed the cars as a conversation between the past and future of the X5, with the original model reimagined through Fieg’s eyes.
The Kith for BMW 2026 collection also stretches across apparel, accessories and lifestyle products.
In the collection, BMW’s heritage becomes a cultural reference point that is translated into products that can sit in a wardrobe or living room.
The collection includes homewares, including a $1,250 backgammon board, a $105 poker cards set and the specially made-to-order Kith & YellowPop for BMW Fast Logo Neon Sign
Kith has spent years building itself as more than a streetwear label. With the BMW partnership, the brand can take something with a deeply established enthusiast following and reinterpret it through and fashion, design and lifestyle lens.
The two X5s made their debut at Monterey Car Week, in California.
