Concept Cars

With an exclusive Design Night on the evening of the first press day at Auto China in Beijing, BMW provides an in-depth insight into its design philosophy and development strategy. The program of the BMW Design Night is modular in structure and presents extensive background information on the premium automobile manufacturer’s innovative design culture. The main focus is on an elegant 4-door vehicle with striking dynamic proportions: the BMW Concept Gran Coupé.

The concept study on display symbolises the outstanding design expertise of BMW. The BMW Concept Gran Coupé concentrates the fundamental values of the brand. Its body design authentically captures a sense of superior dynamic performance and high-quality elegance. The shaping style, which follows a coherent pattern down to the last detail, convincingly visualises BMW’s philosophy as an automobile manufacturer. As with the Concept CS 2007, BMW once again sets new benchmarks in the design of 4-door coupes with a distinctive sporty character.

Based on a powerful tradition in this segment, the BMW Concept Gran Coupé carries the essence of brand values and the genes of BMW design into the future. The concept shows the classic features of all BMW coupes: the long wheelbase, the vaulted bonnet with forward-pointing lines, the set-back greenhouse, the flat silhouette, the coupe-style roof line and the short front overhang reflect the dynamic potential of the vehicle. The surface structures and the fact that the design quality is geared towards perfection illustrate the aspiration of the brand BMW to build 4-door high-performance coupes with the sportiest proportions and the most elegant design.

In the BMW Concept Gran Coupé, the German premium automobile manufacturer presents the vision of a 4-door vehicle which combines the exclusivity of a Gran Turismo with the fascination of a high-performance sports car. The design of the concept study underscores the expertise of the brand BMW in the development of vehicles with a distinctive sporty character which offer space for more than two occupants. This reflects the particular quality of the BMW Group design philosophy, which consists in precisely and authentically translating the specific values of product substance into an aesthetically convincing shaping style. The design process is set through with a passion for aesthetic appeal and dynamic performance, precision and perfection. This is how the uncompromising premium aspiration of a BMW Group product, the unmistakable style of the brand BMW and the precisely defined character of each model are given concrete form.
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• Vehicle to be marketed under a sub-brand of BMW
• Sustainability along the entire value-added chain
• Joint venture to build New Energy Vehicle for Chinese market

With the launch of its Megacity Vehicle in 2013, the BMW Group will be bringing its first series-production electric-drive model to market. “With this innovative vehicle, designed from the ground up, we will be creating new benchmarks for electric mobility from 2013 on. Our Megacity Vehicle will be significantly lighter than conventional cars and, in terms of sustainability, will set a new standard across the entire value-added chain,” said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, on Thursday ahead of the Auto China 2010 show in Beijing.

The Megacity Vehicle will be a zero-emission urban car for the world’s metropolitan regions. It is currently being developed as part of project i and will be available from 2013 under a sub-brand of BMW. When it comes to the choice of materials, the company is broaching entirely new territory. This is because weight plays a pivotal role in the range achievable by electrically driven vehicles. The ultra-light yet high-strength composite CFRP (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic), for example, plays a significant part in the materials mix.

“This vehicle will radically alter the motor industry as we know it. The BMW Group is currently the only company that will be launching a volume-production vehicle on the market that features carbon fibre-reinforced material,” explained Reithofer. “We were among the first manufacturers to pick up on the trend towards electric mobility and to act accordingly. More and more people around the globe are very keen on electric driving. Research shows, moreover, that more than half of the population around the world already live in conurbations,” Reithofer added.

The BMW Group has been gleaning insights into the day-to-day use of electric vehicles since mid-2009, when it launched a global field test involving more than 600 MINI E models. During the test phase some 50 MINI E cars are also being delivered to customers in China in 2010.
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• Innovation four-door Coupé with sloping tail end
• World premiere: dynamic full LED headlamps
• Forerunner: new V6 petrol engine with direct injection

In October 2004 Mercedes-Benz established a new market segment with the four-door Coupé CLS. In September 2008, the brand revealed a fresh and exciting interpretation of the emotionally-appealing Coupé-based design in the form of the FASCINATION concept car. Now making its premiere at Auto China 2010 is the Shooting Break concept car - a further insight by Mercedes designers into the possible future development of the Coupé concept. The Shooting Break concept car also represents a clear indication of the further emotional appeal of the Mercedes design idiom.

Wide and flat, with a long bonnet and a roof which continues through to the rear: the Shooting Break concept car features some astonishing proportions which at the same time are clearly reminiscent of another design icon - the CLS. The design of the front is completely new, but makes use of elements which are mindful of the SLS AMG super sports car: the radiator grille, with the large star and eye-catching, bionic slats, is not integrated into the bonnet but has been designed separately in the form of a "soft nose". The grille is flanked on each side by full LED headlamps, which for the first time feature LED technology for all of the usual dynamic light functions. The side profile is given a touch of dynamism thanks to the high, exaggerated beltline sweeping towards the rear, and the dramatic character line which is supported by the powerful-looking rear wheel arches. The coupé-like side view is also emphasised with a low window design which also highlights the greenhouse with polished aluminium trim.

The interior is dominated by natural wood and leather materials. One eye-catching feature is the large full-length centre console. It highlights the four-
seat layout as well as the high levels of comfort afforded by the Shooting Break concept car. The wooden floor of the luggage compartment reflects the true interpretation of this area of the vehicle, where the dark-stained silky oak contrasts against inlaid aluminium protective loading strips.

The Shooting Break concept car is driven by the forerunner to the forthcoming new V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz. The V6 benefits from a 60° cylinder angle and a displacement of 3.5 litres, and is characterised by direct injection featuring a control system which enables lean-burn operation. The six-cylinder engine produces 225 kW (306 hp) with a maximum torque of 370 Nm and in line with the BlueEFFICIENCY criteria of Mercedes-Benz also sets new standards among the competition in terms of fuel consumption.
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