Shanghai Showstopper: BMW CS Concept

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BMW surprised everyone with their Shanghai antics today. Showing that they can play the four-door coupe game as well as Mercedes, Aston and Porsche, the Bavarians unveiled their Concept CS. Expected to become BMW's new flagship model (8-series, perhaps?), the CS is believed to be almost production-ready. It sits on the newest 7-series platform under development, extending the length and width of the current 7 by a couple of inches, while dropping the roofl by a good five inches. it measures in at 200.8 inches long, 78 inches wide, and just 53.5-inches high. Even with the extra acreage, the CS is a four-seater only, with two sculpted seats in back.

Mercedes-Benz started this sport sedan/4-door coupe craze with its CLS, but this will be a larger, and likely more expensive, vehicle along the lines of the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. This Concept CS also shows us where the next iteration of BMW design is headed. Although his previous designs have been met with mixed reactions, designer Chris Bangle continues to use "flame surfacing" for complex curves that wouldn't have been possible with old manufacturing techniques. The CS feels like an evolution of that philosophy with sharper edges and swoopier surfaces all around. Underhood we'll find a 6.0-liter V12, which is essentially the M5 5.0-liter V10 with two extra cylinders. That's a nice modular motor for BMW if that ends up being the case, with 10-cylinder, 12-cylinder, and V8 versions used across the Motorsport models.

BMW's massive press release is pasted after the jump.

[Source: BMW via the Motor Trend Blog]

PRESS RELEASE:
Entering a New Dimension: The BMW Concept CS.
BMW Concept CS

Introducing the BMW Concept CS, Germany's leading manufacturer
of premium automobiles is presenting the vision of a unique four-door
car which combines the exclusivity of a genuine luxury Gran Turismo
with the fascinating thrill of a high-performance sports car. This unique
combination never seen before offers the perspective to enjoy sheer
driving pleasure in a dimension quite unprecedented in the world of
motoring. Indeed, the BMW Concept CS is a new definition of design
culture. Concentrating on powerful, expressive design, materials of
the highest quality, and quality of finish in perfection, this unique new
model offers a completely new understanding of premium quality.

And within its interior, the BMW Concept CS combines stylish luxury
with the most uncompromising ambience full of class and value.
Through its design alone, the BMW Concept CS underlines the
supreme skill and competence of the BMW brand in developing the
most sporting and dynamic cars offering ample space for more than
two occupants. The most spectacular rendition of this heritage at
BMW is the BMW M5, which established a brand-new segment in the
world of motoring more than two decades ago and is acknowledged
to this day as the benchmark in high-performance saloon motoring.
BMW Concept CS side

Now the know-how BMW has acquired over the years and decades
comes together with the worldwide fame of the company as a
manufacturer of premium automobiles, the BMW Concept CS thus
offering the best of both worlds.

BMW is using the skills and competence established over such
a long time to combine the most fascinating highlights of sporting
performance and sophisticated luxury in an unprecedented new
concept. Hence, the BMW Concept CS impressively proves how the
successful strategy of the sporting four-door may be carried over
consistently into the luxury performance segment.

Exterior design: where qualities typical of BMW all come
together.

More than any other saloon in the past, the BMW Concept CS bears
out all the highlights of optimum performance through the design of
its body alone. The low-slung, dynamically stretched silhouette, the long
engine compartment lid and stylish lines and contours accentuating
rear-wheel drive technology simply perfect for sports motoring, all set
clear standards for supreme dynamics in a new dimension of outstanding
vehicles. Through its supreme presence, stylish elegance,
and challenging dynamism, the BMW Concept CS, in a nutshell, offers
truly unique design language with highly individual aesthetic features
never seen before.

Precisely this explains why all the elementary values of the
BMW brand are concentrated in the BMW Concept CS, superior
dynamics and sophisticated elegance all being borne out together
through the authentic style and design of the car. Clearly, therefore,
the BMW Concept CS is the pacemaker leading into a new category
of values typical and characteristic of the BMW brand.

Design culture and dynamics of the highest standard.

Offering a synthesis of features unique to the BMW brand, the
BMW Concept CS introduces new, tempting highlights in a particularly
demanding segment of the market. This unique model combines
the qualities of a luxury saloon and a high-performance sports car in
one, raising this superiority to a new, unprecedented level. As a result,
the BMW Concept CS adds an unparalleled touch of sporting
dynamism to the conventional culture of a saloon, offering the driver
and passengers the complete dynamic potential of such unique
power on four full-sized single seats.

While the conventional saloon focuses primarily on driving comfort, the
BMW Concept CS sends out a clear message of active, dynamic
motoring. A message which reaches all the car's occupants, with the
generous feeling of space in this four-door being supplemented by
a sporting and low seating position enjoyed not only by the driver and
front passenger, but also by the passengers at the rear on their
own single seats. For this reason alone, the BMW Concept CS is, not
least, the vision of a sports car for the ambitious driver offering
the passengers the same experience of sporting performance and
luxurious pleasure.
BMW Concept CS side 2

Individual style meets exclusive class.

The innovative, unique driving experience offered by the
BMW Concept CS is appropriately reflected by all the car's interior
features, the design of the interior and the various technical innovations
interacting perfectly with one another. The ambience of the interior is
indeed just as unique as the character and body design of this one-off
sporting four-seater, offering all the occupants a brand-new experience
of aesthetic style and design. And it almost goes without saying that
within the car the occupants enjoy such unique exclusivity in particular
style on four single seats.

The innovative design and finish of both the surfaces and controls is
further accentuated by the use of top-quality materials and quality
of finish enhanced to perfection. Unnecessary opulence is replaced by
highly focused luxury, together with an exemplary standard of detail
and elegance. The precision that has gone into the development
and production of all components is obvious at very first sight, clearly
expressing BMW's dedication to supreme performance in every
respect.

Style and unique aesthetics of BMW.

Measuring 5.10 metres or 200.8 inches in length, the BMW Concept CS
is dominated by dynamically flowing lines. From the BMW kidney
grille standing out powerfully to the front, the eyes of the beholder
move back along the low-slung and sleek engine compartment lid,
subsequently meandering along the side-line and roof-line all the way
to the deliberately short rear-end with its clear-cut air flow spoiler.

The dynamically stretched silhouette of the car proudly boasts a wide
range of features typical of the character of a particularly sporting,
avantgarde automobile. All of these features clearly bear testimony to
excellent aerodynamics as well as a low centre of gravity helping to
promote superior agility on the road. And at the same time the carefully
modelled transitions between the body sections are a clear symbol of
the car's nimble character and performance, despite its size.

Four doors with a unique, sporting and low body line.

The sporting, low-slung silhouette of the car is further accentuated by
body height of just 1.36 metres or 53.5 inches. A further important
feature is the gentle taper of the roof-line at the rear serving again to
smoothly stretch the proportions of the entire car.

The re-interpreted contour line, as seen from the side, serves to
emphasise the technical concept of rear-wheel drive so crucial
to dynamic performance on the road. Subdividing the silhouette of the
car into various sections, the contour line stretches from the beginning
of the A-pillar in a gentle, rising movement all the way up above the
front door, gradually petering out beneath the rear side window. Then
the contour line starts again in the lower section of the rear door,
first running parallel to the wheel cut-out in a powerful arch. From there
the rear contour line is continued as a straight line also rising slightly
up to the rear end of the car.

The roof-line likewise tapering out gently to the rear also provides a
brand-new effect when looking at the car from the side, adding a touch
never seen before on a saloon. The striking contour of the C-pillar,
in turn, provides an additional visual highlight of attractive clarity, the
transition of the C-pillar into the rear section of the car tapering out
at a lower angle than the steeper rear window rising up from its base
point. This creates a unique expression of classic notchback design
highly individualised and varying according to your angle of vision.
At the bottom, the C-pillar offers a new, enhanced interpretation of
the reverse line sweeping to the front known by tradition as the
"Hofmeister kick". And last but not least, a gentle and extremely
attractive light-edge stands out above the side window precisely
where the C-pillar merges into the roof-line.
BMW Concept CS rear close

Characteristic front-end design consistently enhanced.

The front-end design of the BMW Concept CS is a particularly striking
example of the consistent enhancement of BMW's design language.
Here the BMW kidney grille stands out as a powerful element typical of
the BMW brand and naturally a famous icon of body design, giving
the car its unique look and emphasising the flow of air into the engine.
Indeed, the kidney grille is not only the central, but also the dominating
element in the design of the entire front end.

Through its dimensions alone, as well as its position slightly inclined
to the front, the kidney grille establishes a clear link to classic
BMW sports cars. All further elements at the front end of the car are
angled in the direction of travel and designed as a genuine sculpture
around the kidney grille, with all directly adjacent surfaces being
modelled in concave design.

Significant functional features add further meaning to this special look
of the car, with the BMW kidney grille serving as the primary supply
of air to the engine. The two recesses in the front side panels, in turn,
help to cool the brakes on the car. And since a power unit befitting
the dynamic character of such a sports saloon most probably requires
an ample flow of cooling air, the need for an extra-large kidney grille
is obvious at first sight.

Applying the philosophy that "form follows function", the contours
on the engine compartment typical of a BMW have developed
into a genuine sign of distinction born out of technical needs and
requirements. On the BMW Concept CS, the powerdome as a
further highlight in design extends over the power unit as a particularly
large, almost awe-inspiring design feature.

The engine compartment lid is supported at either side by headlight
units merging flush into the design of the car and resting flat on the side
panels, extending far back into the front wings. The slender space
thus left over above the extra-large wheel arches underlies the agility
and, accordingly, the athletic performance of the car.

Innovative headlight technology.

Within the dynamic, low-slung headlight units featured in the
BMW Concept CS, particularly innovative technology serves to
generate a powerful and consistent light beam: Innovative LED reverseprojection
lights bundle their light on a reflection area from where the
beam is conveyed smoothly, consistently and with utmost precision to
the road ahead. This provides a particularly homogenous area of
illumination without the slightest dazzling effect, since the oncoming
motorist does not look directly at the projectors.

The short front overhang of the body creates yet another sign
confirming the sporting concept of the car, showing the connoisseur
clearly that the engine may be placed behind the front wheel
suspension. Obviously, such arrangement of the engine serves once
again to make the car particularly agile and dynamic on the road.
The extra-large wheel arches offer space for big 21-inch wheels –
again exceptional proportions alluding clearly to an extremely high
standard of steering precision and tracking stability. And the rear wheel
arches are powerfully chiselled to perfection even more than the
wheel arches at the front, with the car growing wider towards the
rear end, again accentuating the transmission of power to the rear
wheels so typical of BMW.

Dynamic roof-line guiding your eyes – and the air flowing by.

The sculptural design language so characteristic of the
BMW Concept CS in its body design allows unique interplay of
concave and convex surfaces, reflecting and guiding the light on and
around the car in exactly the right way. One example in this context
is the exterior mirrors on this unique car blending harmoniously with the
side-view, the mirrors through their design alone repeating the overall
look and lines of the car. The door handlers are integrated into the
flanks of the BMW Concept CS even more discreetly: Housed within a
chrome-bar running to the rear at the height of the contour line, the
door handlers controlled by sensors move out only when really needed.

Yet another innovation in the design of this saloon is the centrepiece
along the roof line of the BMW Concept CS slightly drawn in at
the rear. This exceptional contour design visible only from behind but
nevertheless unusually powerful in its look optimises the flow of air
in and around the roof area. The aerodynamic touch established in this
way underlines the overall sporting impression of the car and serves
at the same time as yet another feature of sculptural design and
perfection.
BMW Concept CS rear

Sculptural design for truly unique style.

Given all these features, the BMW Concept CS is a modern counterpart
to the conventional notchback design of a "regular" four-door. Indeed,
never before on a saloon have the individual body sections merged so
smoothly into one another, creating a low-slung and stretched
appearance. And this impression of all-round perfection with supreme
harmony of looks from every angle is further enhanced when admiring
the transitions modelled with extreme care and diligence, providing
additional light effects, for example, around the C-pillar. Features of
this standard alone clearly confirm BMW's philosophy to express
supreme design culture through perfect precision and style in every
respect.

The much lower flow of the C-pillars compared with the position of the
rear window again serves to emphasis the flowing transitions from
one body section to the next. Seen from the side, the entire car has the
lightness of a coupé – but then all you have to do is change your
perspective only slightly in order to perceive and appreciate all the
style of a classic four-door. Given the short body overhang at the rear,
the size of the separate luggage compartment is hard to appreciate to
begin with. Instead, the rear end is dominated by other design features
emphasising both the wide track and the aerodynamically optimised
rear look of the car.

Moving up at the rear, we see that the two tailpipe rings are integrated
in the rear air *** In its night design, in turn, the BMW Concept CS is
characterised by slender rear lights emitting a homogeneous, low-slung
and therefore strikingly harmonious lighting effect.

With its design language absolutely authentic and convincing to the
last detail, the BMW Concept CS offers all the fascinating thrill of new
design culture. The particular impact of this sporting four-door, in turn,
results not only from individual highlights, but also from the overall look
of the car accentuating its complete character so convincingly. The
car's dynamic potential is indeed expressed both by its proportions
and lines symbolising both power and a dynamic, forward-moving urge.
And last but certainly not least, the BMW Concept CS boasts
particularly sophisticated elegance through the great care and diligence
applied in turning innovative design culture into reality.

The interior: an outstanding driving experience on all four seats.

The interior of the BMW Concept CS also offers dynamism of a
completely new standard borne out by the combination of exclusive
elegance and sophisticated refinement. In designing the interior, the
innovative technique of layering the individual surfaces and components
provides an unprecedented combination of function and stylish
reduction to the essential. The appropriate use of joints and seams,
together with layered surfaces, creates new options in the arrangement
of functional elements for both ventilation and illumination. And at
the same time the layering concept offers new possibilities to clearly
express the class and value of the materials used as well as the
precise design of the car's interior through contrasting colours and
the structure of different materials.

Featuring height-adjustable collar elements directly integrated in the
seats, the four full-sized sports seats meet all the needs of personalised
entertainment and communication, thus raising the experience of
quality within the interior to an unprecedented standard. More than ever
before, this highlights the sheer value of the materials used, the love
for all details, and quality of finish now enhanced to perfection.
BMW Concept CS rear

Interaction of innovative design and exclusive materials, together
with the use of a highly expressive colour scheme, gives the interior of
the BMW Concept CS a unique touch of luxury based not on simple
opulence, but rather on perfect quality.

The design of the interior clearly reveals the truly outstanding driving
experience in a unique ambience. A brand-new concept for subdividing
the cockpit into various sections, as well as unparalleled standards
in the choice of materials and in the quality of finish, create an unprecedented
flair of exclusivity and individual style. And added to this there
is a clear pledge to sportiness expressed both by the arrangement
and finish of the four single sports seats and the design of the controls
and instruments.

An invitation to active motoring.

The driver-oriented cockpit immediately shows the motorist that he
or she is in control of everything happening at the wheel. Just like the
arrangement of all controls and instruments, the design and layout
of the cockpit is an invitation to active motoring. A very clear example
of this straightforward philosophy is the short distance between the
steering wheel and the shift lever, while in their design the sports seats
combine a touch of lightness with the sporting elegance of the finest
leather. The low-slung seating position and the clear structure of
the instruments likewise evoke the wish to really experience and savour
the dynamic potential of this unique car.

Lots of space, lots of support: sports seats also at the rear.
The BMW Concept CS presents the vision of an automobile proudly
offering all its qualities to the driver. The unique thrill of driving the car is
obviously borne out most by taking your position at the wheel, while
the sheer driving pleasure offered in the process is shared out among all
the occupants: Just like the front-seat passenger, the passengers on
the single seats at the rear will also appreciate and cherish the sporting
and active driving experience offered by the BMW Concept CS.

Precisely this is ensured by the contours of the rear seats with their
perfect side support tailored to the contours and design of the front
sports seats. And thanks to the single seat concept, elbow freedom on
the rear seats is just as good as on the front passenger's seat.

The centre console flows back smoothly all the way to the rear, serving
as a comfortable armrest and at the same time offering additional
storage space. In all, therefore, the passengers sitting at the rear enjoy a
brand-new, truly innovative ambience standing out clearly from the
conventional style of a "regular" four-door model.

Cultivating the flow of joints and seams: layering the interior design.

The combination of features previously regarded as incompatible
within the BMW Concept CS represents a complete departure from
conventional standards. Indeed, the BMW Concept CS opens up a
new era in many areas, the unique combination of sporting performance
and stylish elegance also coming out clearly in the design of the interior.
BMW Concept CS interior

The BMW Concept CS is therefore no more and no less than a new
milestone in refined interior design, applying an innovative layering
technique developed by BMW to provide unprecedented interplay of
the various interior elements. Instead of large surfaces and connections
with their transitions nearly always characterised by a change in
materials and colours, the layering technique stratifies the various
surfaces flowing into one another, with clearly defined seams taking
on a functional role, for example in the arrangement of light sources
and venting nozzles. The result is a very refined effect of light and shade
making a significant contribution to the exclusive overall look and
impression of the interior.

Contrary to the design of the body incorporating flowing lines, generous
surfaces and harmonious interplay of concave and convex elements in
order to capitalise above all on light effects, the layering concept applied
within the interior mainly uses shade effects and changes in structure.
Wherever individual surfaces in the structure of the cockpit do not meet
on the same level, we find separate zones kept away from the direct
flow of light – and precisely these zones provide the right space for the
inconspicuous arrangement of various functions. The recesses and
superimposed surfaces provided in this way offer appropriate space for
ambient illumination as well as the arrangement of air vents. Dazzlefree
interior lighting and discreet shade effects upgrade the entire flair
of the interior and create a kind of light, hovering effect.

This layering philosophy is continued in the design of the instruments
themselves, the displays in the instrument cluster presenting various
functions and items of information on different optical levels. This again
creates the impression of superimposed surfaces serving, first, to
clearly structure the information offered and, second, to generate an
impression of three-dimensionality.

Colour design rich in contrasts, high-quality materials.
BMW's designers have also created unmistakable highlights through
the choice of materials and colours: Powerful colour contrasts generate
a dynamic ambience full of vitality appropriately reflecting the dynamic
driving experience on the four seats of the BMW Concept CS. Highquality,
refined leather in sophisticated brown forms a powerful contrast
to surfaces in elegant off-white. Finished in matt tan, this brown
leather is indeed to be admired not only on the seats, but also on the
instrument panel, the upper doorsills, and the outer edges of the roof
lining. Around the armrests and in the door panels themselves, this
change in colours accentuates the dynamic lines of the interior created
by the particular design and shape of individual elements. And finally,
the leather trim on the dashboard continues in a slender band extending
harmoniously into the door linings.

As a further innovative highlight, the roof lining in the BMW Concept CS
is accentuated not only through a contrasting colour scheme, but
also by finishing the outer flanks of the roof lining likewise in leather.
Ambient light bands stretching out along the entire length between the
windscreen and rear window, finally, add yet a further touch of luxury
inside the car.
BMW Concept CS interior 2

Reflecting the particular style of the exterior, the flowing structure of the
interior surfaces shows special care and diligence in the transitions from
one section to another. As an example, the leather trim on the centre
console and the door entry area extends far down into the footwells.
The dashboard also uses a newly developed metal structure literally
"embracing" the various surface elements. This material particularly
attractive in its structure as well as its cool colour and feeling surrounds
the circular instruments in the cockpit, together with the other features
and elements.

Yet another supreme innovation is the use of high-tech ceramics for
the controls and instruments. And as a symbol of solidity and value, the
BMW iDrive Controller is also made of a special ceramic material.
Unparalleled and typical of BMW: the BMW Concept CS.

The unique flair pampering both the driver and his passengers within
the BMW Concept CS is an equally clear expression of both a new
culture in body design. Both outside and inside, the BMW Concept CS
therefore conveys the same message, telling the world that the
experience of driving a saloon now comes in an entirely new rendition.
So in presenting this new Concept Car, BMW is not only entering a
brand-new segment of the market never occupied before, but is also
setting the milestone with a brand-new type of car: The four-door
luxury Gran Turismo enters a new dimension of motoring in new style
and with new features.

A new experience of dynamics and the ambience around us, exemplary
quality in design and finish, extreme precision in the dimensions of the
car, and concentrated luxury within the interior – these are the features
that characterise the BMW Concept CS. And at the same time all
this bears clear testimony to the superior know-how and competence
of BMW's engineers and designers in creating such truly emotional
automobiles.

The sum total of such qualities in the BMW Concept CS can be created
only on a sound foundation of firmly defined values: innovative power,
sporting performance, aesthetic design, an open frame of mind, and
full awareness of quality. Precisely these are the values BMW has been
applying consistently for decades in the development of particularly
outstanding saloons and fascinating, truly dynamic sports cars. And
now these values are concentrated even more than before in an
unprecedented manner in the BMW Concept CS.