German automaker BMW pulled out of Russia days after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but today luxury SUVs, assembled without authorization from BMW, are being sold to Russian customers with deep pockets and a high risk tolerance."BMW-shaped" cars assembled in Russia first appeared in March 2025. The vehicles were made from parts left behind when the German company abruptly ended its decades-long partnership with Avtotor, an auto plant in the exclave of Kaliningrad.Russian media outlets have claimed 145 "pirated" BMWs assembled at Avtotor were sold in Russia last year. The vehicles are distinctive because they carry 2025 production dates but retain the styling of 2022 models. BMW unveiled design "facelifts" to its X series vehicles between 2022 and 2024.Carolin Bachmann, a spokesperson for the BMW Group told RFE/RL that Avtotor, “began producing limited batches of BMW cars in 2025, assembling vehicles from old, partially outdated kits that had remained at its disposal since the termination of cooperation in 2022.”The unauthorized assembly has continued, “on an irregular basis to date,” Bachmann said in an e-mail, adding that "to address and mitigate the risks associated with the purchase and use of these unauthorized vehicles, we have briefed all parties involved including public authorities, retailers and potential customers, and clarified the circumstances."