West German BMW
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Design tribute to the BMW M1 celebrates its world premiere at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2008.
Munich/Cernobbio. To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 super sports car, BMW Group Design is presenting a homage to this legendary model as part of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2008. The BMW M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro was a car of superlatives and a highly emotive vehicle that was uncompromisingly primed for the race track. Spawning this development was the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, a revolutionary concept car which, in addition to its groundbreaking functional design, also boasted a raft of technical innovations. It is from these two unique vehicles that the BMW M1 Homage takes its cue - a design study that pays tribute to its forerunner models and an embodiment of the competence, creativity and potential of the BMW Group Design team.
'For BMW, heritage is always also a living heritage. Drawing inspiration from your own past and thereby reinventing yourself - that is exactly what the BMW M1 Homage demonstrates in impressive style.'
Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW Group Board Member, Development
A particular forte of BMW Group Design is to draw on its own powerful history and actively feed this into the design of the future. The BMW M1 Homage is a design study in the tradition of a BMW Turbo that represents a contemporary take on the BMW M1 and the mid-engine concept. This tribute exhibits an emotional design that showcases technology and integrates it into the overall aesthetics of the vehicle.
The First Sports Activity Vehicle in the Premium Compact Segment
Once again the successful history of BMW X models is opening up the door for further inspiration in the development of innovative vehicle concepts: The BMW Concept X1 offers all the thrill of agile and versatile mobility also beyond the beaten track in a new segment of vehicles.
Proudly presenting this new Concept Car, BMW is offering an outlook at the world's first Sports Activity Vehicle in the premium compact segment. Through its design alone, this new concept model clearly expresses all the strengths and qualities of such a vehicle, the BMW Concept X1 exuding a strong touch of agility and versatility both in its driving qualities and practical use. And at the same time the Concept Car clearly reveals the stylish elegance of this five-door as well as its modern function.
Creating this unique Concept Car, BMW is catering for the demands of a modern target group in search of an up-to-date automobile meeting both the challenges of everyday traffic and the personal needs of many purchasers for an active lifestyle and a versatile driving experience.
The latest BMW Concept Car for the EfficientDynamics philosophy.
For decades, BMW has made the reduction of emissions and fuel consumption a key part of its product development strategy, just as enhancements to the dynamic ability of each BMW have been a lasting, sustained brand value. BMW's EfficientDynamics engineering philosophy - the pursuit of an enhanced, athletic driving experience while simultaneously lowering the consumption and emissions of each vehicle - resulted in the most dramatic drop in fleet consumption of any automaker from 1990 through 2005, according to an Environmental Defense study.
Now, the BMW Vision concept car clearly demonstrates that the EfficientDynamics objectives are fully compatible when applied to a sports car. Conceived as a 2+2-seater with plug-in full-hybrid technology, this unique car combines the performance of a BMW M vehicle with a standard of fuel efficiency and emission management that exceeds even the current levels achieved by the latest small cars. This outstanding result is made possible by the combination of BMW ActiveHybrid components with an extremely economical combustion engine, and outstanding aerodynamic qualities.
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is the result of a 'clean-sheet' development process to ensure that the correct achievements were made in the areas of efficiency, driving pleasure, technology, and emotional design. BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is the most comprehensive implementation of the EfficientDynamics philosophy seen so far. The powertrain provides a top speed limited electronically to 155 mph, with acceleration to100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is 3.76 liters/100kilometers, equal to 62.6 mpg, and the CO2 emission rating is 99 grams per kilometer. CO2 emission management is even more outstanding when driving in the all-electric mode after charging the battery from a plug-in source: Taking all emissions in the generation of electricity into account, as prescribed by the EU formula, the car's emission rating is just 50 grams per kilometer.
BMW Simple. Light in weight, low on energy.
Simple combines features and advantages from both automobiles and motorcycles. The concept owes its passenger cell to the car, providing protection from wind and weather, as well as shielding the driver from exterior noise and offering occupants a high degree of safety in the event of an accident. The motorcycle inspired the slim design of the Simple (at just 110 centimeters wide) and its configuration for two people sitting one behind the other. Plus it boasts the dynamic driving style typical of a two-wheeler, allowing you to lean right into corners as desired. The designation 'Simple' is an acronym of the project name 'A sustainable and innovative mobility product for low energy consumption'.
The BMW designers initially planned a small vehicle with low weight and minimal aerodynamic drag properties. Following a concept phase of several months, the pooled requirements and ideas gave rise in 2005 to a vehicle based on tilting technology. In contrast to other vehicle concepts in which only the passenger cell tilts during cornering, here all the driver has to do is determine a change in direction for the appropriate tilt to follow automatically. The stand-out feature of the Simple concept is that it activates the hydraulics only in exceptional situations; for example, if the vehicle threatens to become unstable during extremely slow driving, when righting the vehicle during standstill or in extreme situations such as drifting. Otherwise, Simple rides like a motorcycle and, beyond natural gravity and gyroscopic forces, requires no energy whatsoever to lean into a corner. The passenger also benefits from this tilting technology as he feels no transverse forces and, particularly during rapid changes of direction, need not compensate for any lateral movements.
All that is needed to power this lightweight vehicle with a kerb weight of approx. 450 kg is a 36 kW combustion engine. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is estimated at under ten seconds and the vehicle has an excellent drag coefficient of 0.18. Using the electric motor and the combustion engine, the Simple would need just 6 kWh (equivalent to 0.7 liters of petrol) or two liters over 100 km.
GINA Light Visionary Model
Successful design arouses desire. In order to achieve this, it is more crucial
than ever before that car manufacturers create the conditions that allow
customers to establish a close relationship with their cars. Therefore, designers seek ways to promote and intensify people's identification with their car that reach beyond pure aesthetics. In the premium segment in particular, customers demand cars that stir emotions and allow them to express their individuality. BMW Group Design has set another deepened objective for designing new cars that moves today's consumers and their demand for enhanced utility and more versatility to the top of their agenda. An innovative concept introduced by BMW Group Design prepares the ground for this new approach: the GINA (Geometry and Functions In ''N'' Adaptions) principle grants more freedom for car design. It allows the creation of products with a design and functional range that express individuality and meet the wide variety of requirements of those who are using them.
In the 21st century, customers approach their purchasing decision with a high degree of assertiveness, clearly defined requirements and subjective conceptions- particularly when it comes to selecting their means of transport. In recent years, the interests and priorities that motivated them have changed and, more importantly, they have become considerably more diversified. This development will continue in the future. Today, the BMW Group is already responding to the highly diversified range of customer requirements and heightened expectations by providing services such as a substantially more varied product range, ever increasing possibilities for personalization and requirement-oriented production among others.
By introducing the GINA philosophy, BMW Group Design presents ways of meeting these challenges in the future. The philosophy expresses the
readiness and ability of BMW Group Design to consider individual customer requirements as an integral part of car development. Christopher E. Bangle, Head of BMW Group Design, speaks with conviction when he says: ''Personal customer requirements will broaden the context of our products and change the core values that define our industry along the way.'' For more than ten years now, these issues have inspired Bangle's ideas. Time and time again, these ideas have been motivating the BMW Group Design team to break new ground and to find pioneering solutions. These results have spawned new customer expectations which in turn inspires designers to develop further innovations
