The modern "technical" is a staple of insurgent combat. Created by mounting heavy weaponry to consumer vehicles, they allow for serious firepower and high mobility at a low cost. Typically, the requirement for multi-terrain operation, durability, affordability, and payload capacity mean they are built from 4x4 SUVs or pickup trucks. But there's no technical reason why you can't build one from a luxurious German grand tourer.
A pair of inventive Ukrainians proved as much. As shown on Twitter account Ukraine Weapons Tracker, they appear to have built a technical using an E64-generation BMW 6-Series convertible. The trunk lid was removed to make room for a hefty-looking quadpod mount, atop which sits a heavy machine gun. According to the tweet, it's a Soviet-designed NSV.
That's a serious weapon, used in many places as a close-range anti-aircraft weapon due to its high-caliber round and respectable weight of fire. A modified version of the NSV is fitted to the T-72 tank, the heavy-duty Russian tank that has been on the frontlines of the country's invasion of Ukraine.
This likely marks the only point of similarity between the E64 6-Series and the T-72 main battle tank. The BMW convertible is not a natural candidate to carry a heavy weapon into an active warzone, as it is unarmored, requires significant maintenance, has low ground clearance, and was not available with all-wheel or four-wheel drive. No bed-mounted hitching points were available because it did not have a bed. There is no trunk badge to suggest an engine size, as there is no trunk, but even the V-8 U.S.-spec model had a payload capacity of around 800 lbs. When you have to support a mounted machine gun with two armored passengers and a bunch of ammo, that isn't great. And since I've had enough experience with BMW convertibles to have doubts about structural integrity, heavy machine kickback will likely present a serious problem.
Nonetheless, someone built this anyway. I must admit that it rules. Not only is it interesting from an automotive perspective, but it's a good reminder that the Ukrainian people are willing to resist this invasion with everything they have.
