The side profile of the new BMW 1 Series is pure racing car. The elongated doors and frameless windows maximise the car’s sporting appeal while the passenger compartment is set far back, drawing the eye immediately to the rear axle. The car’s more dramatic side skirts further underline its dynamism, inviting you to open the door and take a seat.
Every movement requires energy, this is why Electric Power Steering only acts when it is needed. To give you more bends per litre, an electric motor is used to assist the steering. However, unlike conventional hydraulic systems, Electric Power Steering is supported by an electric motor which helps to ensure that energy is only used during actual steering manoeuvres. If the steering wheel is kept in a constant position when driving straight ahead or cornering, the electric motor is inactive and therefore does not use any energy.
With Brake Energy Regeneration, BMW EfficientDynamics points the way to a more energy-efficient future. As soon as you brake or take your foot off the accelerator, the kinetic energy is captured and fed to the battery. This reduces the amount of power the battery takes from the engine and hence lowers fuel consumption. When the driver presses the accelerator, on the other hand, the alternator is decoupled from the drivetrain. With fewer components drawing power from the drivetrain, more of the engine's output can go into accelerating the car.
The Auto Start Stop function automatically switches off the engine when the car is at a standstill and in neutral, then restarts it as soon as the driver presses the clutch pedal again. Fitted for example to all BMW 1 and 3 Series models with a four-cylinder engine and manual transmission, the Auto Start Stop function helps reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.
The perfect synthesis of power, fuel efficiency and smoothness: the straight six-cylinder diesel engine with Variable Twin Turbo delivers lag-free acceleration and pulls strongly all the way up to 5,000 rpm. Experience it in the BMW 335d Coupé, for instance, and discover just how athletically and efficiently it performs on the road. A true star among diesels.
Athleticism and efficiency go hand in hand - as our new six-cylinder petrol engine proves. Thanks to High Precision Injection, it gets the most out of every drop of fuel. HPI sends a cloud of precisely blended fuel/air mixture to the spark plug, where it is surrounded by colder air. Combined with the benefits of twin turbo technology, it makes for greater refinement, better performance and lower fuel consumption. By using two small turbochargers instead of a single large one, the twin turbo system ensures boost is available right across the rev range.
The new four-cylinder diesel engines are a perfect example of how BMW EfficientDynamics can help continually improve engine performance. The engine block is made of aluminium and offers optimised combustion chamber geometry while the third-generation common rail fuel injection system introduces the diesel into the combustion chamber at remarkably high pressure - up to 1,600 bar - and with outstanding precision, using state-of-the-art piezo injection technology. The sum of these technologies is what makes the notable difference: significantly reduced CO2 emissions of 119 g/km (for the BMW 118d with manual transmission) to 145 g/km (for the BMW 120d with automatic transmission) yet higher performance levels. Both engines are fitted with a diesel particle filter as standard and comply with EU4 emissions regulations.
How many kilometres are there in a litre? 17.2, if you're driving a BMW 116i. That's 5.8 litres per 100 km in accordance with the EU norm. Thanks to continual engine optimisation as part of the BMW EfficientDynamics concept, BMW drivers are now leading the way when it comes to economy. In the blink of an eye, High Precision Injection ensures that no less than 200 injections are supplied - just one of the numerous BMW EfficientDynamics innovations that helps significantly reduce fuel consumption and emission levels.
| 08.10.2007 BMW Group sales rise by more than 7% in September Almost 1.1 million cars delivered in the year to September MINI reaches historic monthly record Munich. The BMW Group continued on its successful path worldwide in September 2007. With 141,952 (prev.yr.: 132,202) BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce automobiles delivered, sales increased by 7.4% over the same month last year. Stefan Krause, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing: "The market has recognised that, with our EfficientDynamics measures, we are way ahead of our competitors. We offer our customers the ultimate driving experience whilst also optimising performance and consumption at the same time. This is paying off. This is why I am certain that we will achieve our sales target for this year – growth in the higher single-digit percentage range." In Europe alone, in the month under review, 25,295 automobiles with a CO2 emission level not exceeding 140 g/km were delivered in total. This is 33% of the BMW Group's total European automobile sales in September. In the course of the fourth quarter, this figure is set to rise again to about 40%. In total, the BMW Group programme now includes 20 models that emit no more than 140 g CO2 per kilometre. For the year to September and thus the end of the third quarter, the BMW Group delivered 1,094,849 vehicles to customers worldwide. This is an increase of 73,299 automobiles or 7.2% compared with the same month last year (1,021,550). Sales of the BMW brand rose in September by 3.5% to 118,027 automobiles (prev.yr.: 113,986). For the year to September, the BMW dealerships delivered 6.3% more cars (929,379/prev.yr.: 874,223). MINI sets monthly record Sales of the MINI brand continued to develop extremely satisfactorily. In September 2007, 23,805 MINI were sold. This is an increase of 31.2% compared with the corresponding month last year (18,141 units). Never since the market launch of this vehicle – the world's most successful premium small car – in summer 2001 have so many MINI been delivered in one month as in the month under review. For the year to September, the number of MINI sales rose by 12.3% to 164,891 vehicles (prev.yr.: 146,852). For the year as a whole, the company is aiming to sell more than 220,000 MINI. Phantom Drophead Coupé powers Rolls-Royce sales In total, the number of deliveries of Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered in September rose by 60.0% to 120 vehicles (prev.yr.: 75). The new open-top Phantom Drophead Coupé has been available since July of this year. In the month under review, 49 customers took reception of this new Rolls-Royce model. For the year to the end of September, Rolls-Royce sales reached 579 vehicles, which is 21.9% above the level of the previous year (475 units). Motorcycle sales for September 2007 totalled 7,661 vehicles (prev.yr.: 7,926 / - 3.3%). For the nine months ending September, the number of BMW motorcycles delivered rose by 4.3% to 82,779 units (prev.yr.: 79,333). BMW Group sales in/up to and including September 2007 at a glance In Sept. 07 comp. w. prev.yr. Up to & incl. Sept. 07 comp.w. prev.yr. BMW Group automobiles 141,952 + 7.4% 1,094,849 + 7.2% BMW 118,027 + 3.5% 929,379 + 6.3% MINI 23,805 + 31.2% 164,891 + 12.3% Rolls-Royce 120 + 60.0% 579 + 21.9% BMW motorcycles 7,661 - 3.3% 82,779 + 4.3% If you have any queries, please contact: Corporate Communications Michael Rebstock, Business Communications Telephone: +49 89 382-20470, fax: +49 89 382-24418 Marc Hassinger, Business and Finance Communications Telephone: +49 89 382-23362, fax: +49 89 382-24418 Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com Email: presse@bmw.de | |||
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 18.10.2007Automotive design: Squaring the circle An article on the new book by Hans-Hermann Braess and Ulrich Seiffert with an interview with Chris Bangle, Director of Design BMW Group. Guigiaro, Bangle, Bertoni, da Silva – famous names which are more than just names to many car lovers. The car manufacturers’ designers are often more famous than their superiors at management level. Their designs are in the public spotlight. They ensure that established slogans, such as “Sheer Driving Pleasure” are associated with a unique form to shape the image of the brand. This puts enormous pressure on the creative heads at the car companies. The customers expect a steady flow of new ideas. At the same time, previous models should still be attractive a few years down the line. As well as the user requirements, a vehicle is also subject to statutory regulations and requirements in terms of practicality, and business management considerations also play an important role. So automotive design is much more than just art. This is, at least, the opinion of Hans-Hermann Braess and Ulrich Seiffert, who recently presented their new book “Automobildesign und Technik” [Automotive Design and Technology] at the key event in the automotive year – the International Car Show in Frankfurt. The two publishers have put together articles by various authors, including designers and automotive experts like Chris Bangle and Giorgetto Giugiaro. The book illustrates the technical restraints for engineers, such as aerodynamics, production, legislation and customer requirements and the aesthetics of design. The book starts off by showing the important milestones in the 120-year history of the motor car and deals with basic questions of design and technology and the meaning of design for car customers. The second chapter is a chance for the designers from the leading car manufacturers to have their say. They give a clear idea of their everyday work and the requirements in terms of the design of a car. A final chapter provides a more in-depth insight into areas such as aerodynamics and ergonomics, colours, glass and lighting and computer-aided development methods. In their own article, Braess and Seiffert tackle the subject of “Design and Technology in the Vehicle as a Whole”. They are experts in this field, as they have both worked as engineers in the research and development departments of large companies. Professor Braess at BMW and Professor Seiffert at VW. They describe design as “Squaring the circle in n-dimensional complexity” and aim to put the much-discussed conflict between designers and developers into relative terms. “In reality, both partners are successfully seeking solutions which will satisfy the customers and the technical requirements in equal measures,” explain the two authors. In order to guarantee this, customer surveys are also incorporated into the new design of a car. There are interesting findings, including the fact that the most important purchase criterion is safety, closely followed by quality, reliability and value for money. But emotionality is also playing an increasingly important role: “In a certain sense, people want to find themselves in the body language of the vehicle,” according to Braess and Seiffert. ){kind=small}  This emotional attachment ensures that we feel as comfortable in our car as we do at home, so particular importance is placed on designing the interior. However, the main challenges for the designers and developers is in the driver’s “workplace”. More and more functions and assistance systems need to be incorporated into the dashboard so that they are as aesthetically pleasing as possible and at the same time easily accessible and recognisable.The geometric design of the interior is determined by regulations such as fields of view and wiper fields and the position of the seatbelt anchor points. Braess and Seiffert explained why the standardised sizes of passengers, some of which are defined by the legislator, are no longer in line with reality. An investigation at the University of Kiel revealed that the body size of passengers has considerably increased since the passed and that vehicles need to be redesigned accordingly. In order to, for example, set up the visibility conditions in the interior, the seatbelt anchor points or the position of the seats in accordance with the average driver size, the designers work with complex computer simulations. The designers also have to take a lot into consideration when designing the exterior. For example, visibility is very important for the driver, not only onto the road at the front, but also all around the vehicle. This also includes horizontal visibility to the rear through the tailgate. The visibility is also affected by what are known as the A-posts, which connect the bonnet to the roof. So they must be kept as narrow as possible. For all manufacturers, pedestrian protection on the vehicles plays an important role, while the requirements for good aerodynamics are more a question of customer desire for a dynamic driving feel. The two authors describe how automotive designers work with these regulations, explain the interaction between design and function and discuss the influence of design studies – known as concept cars – on the development of a new car. The book by Braess and Seiffert proves that design and construction are extremely dependent on one another and all those involved are aware that a car can only be produced as a result of teamwork. This does not debunk the myth surrounding Chris Bangle and his colleagues, but their work does seem more tangible and easier to imagine after a “visit” to their design studios.  Chris Bangle: “Designers have to give up on their elitist way of thinking”Christopher E. Bangle is the head of design at the BMW Group. In the new book from Hans-Hermann Braess and Ulrich Seiffert, he has used the opportunity to give readers an unbelievably in-depth insight into his work and describe the challenges of designing cars in the future. Mr Bangle, you write that there is currently huge pressure on the car and its status in society. Why is that? The car is by some way the most successful means of passenger transport and still it has to face increasing levels of criticism about its suitability for the future. In the automotive industry, for a long time it has no longer been about the traditional questions of vehicle design or energy and resource management. Globalisation has ripped the automotive industry from its relatively stable position in the traditional industrial sector. We need to adapt and find flexible approaches to solutions. Unfortunately, we have to concede that car design in general has not yet taken this to heart. In order to set themselves apart from the competition, the shape of the vehicles is very important to the manufacturers. Has this always been the case? When the Industrial Revolution discovered industrial design for reproducible products at the end of the 19th century, the main aim was to solve user problems and make everyday products. There was no sense of brands as we know them today – the products largely spoke for themselves. Over time, this purely solution-oriented approach to design became more mature, more sophisticated and more brand-oriented. These developments were hugely influenced by mass production and advertising. Companies were forced to interest customers in their products rather than the numerous virtually identical products from their competitors. This was followed by longer-term customer loyalty – design as a means of consumer satisfaction, increased sales and promoting identity. What does this development mean for automotive design in concrete terms? Automotive design is on the brink of stagnation. Why are most car manufacturers holding onto the uniform look of the 1980s? You can actually hear them thinking: What if our innovations polarise the customers or even put them off? We’ll leave it as it is. At the moment, it ain’t broke ... In the short term, sitting still is always preferential to running. But in the long term, standing still in a dynamic environment is tantamount to going backwards. If you don’t move, then others around you will do. Speed and flexibility is more important than size. So what do you suggest for the future? In order to counteract the threat of stagnation, we need to open our customers’ eyes and give them a more in-depth insight into our subject, make them more vocal. However, this can only succeed if designers give up on their elitist way of thinking and brave dialogue – dialogue with the customer. Some designers could be frightened by this, as they fear they would lose control over “their” design. But what you gain by giving up the elitist way of thinking is a new awareness. However, the customer does not get more pleasant, on the contrary. It puts him in the position to be more critical and make a more reflective judgement and therefore have a positive influence on the overall result. This is exactly what the automotive design needs – new impetus and more critical and “more conscious” end consumers who are involved before, during and after the production process in order to create a complete new and innovative end product. If the customer is involved, you get the kind of innovations which improve the world. | |||
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