IED students imagine a pod-shaped BMW in 2015
Click above image for more IED concepts in high-res
While we certainly don't expect BMW to make such drastic design changes to its lineup within this decade, third-year students at the Turin-based IED (istituto Europeo di Design) were asked to interpret what the German automaker's automobiles would look like in 2015. Although they worked from a clean slate, inspiration was to come from natural elements such as the sea, wind, or the earth. Thirty-five students were divided into eighteen teams for the task. Those teams conjured up, and approved, twelve proposals. Of those, eight were developed into 1:4 scale models. To ensure the quality standards of their trademark, each of the stages of development were supervised under the watchful eye of BMW execs Thomas Plath, Anders Warming, and the controversial Mr. Bangle-butt himself...Chris Bangle. Check the gallery below for high-res images of the fruits of their labor.
Gallery: IED BMW Concepts
[Source: Car Body Design]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BIGGEEKNUMBERONE 9:39AM (7/28/2008)
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. :p
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geo.stewart 11:35AM (7/28/2008)
yeah,
truly no sense of vehicle design history and evolution, current design, or ergonomics, aesthetics, or branding.
Let's take industrial design folks and tell them to design a bubble. and as an afterthought stick 3 or 4 wheels on it somewhere.
SSSTTTUUUUPPPPIIIIDDDD. I said it slow so they could understand.
How could any of these win. no kidney grills faux or real, no hoffmeister kink, no flame surface, no new design language that would translate to BMW. FAIL
Will Design for Food 4:39PM (7/28/2008)
No kidney grills? No hoffmeister kink? I would fail every single one of these students for not using the design characteristics consistent with every BMW made to date.
Although, it is good work.
Jnags 1:16AM (7/30/2008)
You guys have obviously never heard of stepping out side of the squere i find new designs like this innovative and amazing..... out with the new in with the old.... whether it looks good or bad people would still stop and stare when you drove past in one :P
Jnags 1:18AM (7/30/2008)
You guys have obviously never heard of stepping out side of the square i find new designs like this innovative and amazing..... out with the old in with the new.... whether it looks good or bad people would still stop and stare when you drove past in one :P
Vintage 9:41AM (7/28/2008)
Form> Function.
Blech.
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skiwithme 9:52AM (7/28/2008)
the car in pics 1 and 9 is brilliant. although i have to say the rear lights are stupid and retro. delete, and put it into production as far as i'm concerned.
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shrique 9:52AM (7/28/2008)
Does anyone design a car you can SEE OUT OF!?
I realize that windows are a downer and make the car all ugly and stuff but geez.
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geo.stewart 11:37AM (7/28/2008)
never mind a door opening you can use.
the windshields are blacked out so they do not have to show an interior.
shrique 11:50AM (7/28/2008)
geo.stewart
I was thinking more along the lines that windows are something you don't need. Check out the rear sight lines on that baby.
Oh sorry it doesn't have any. (GRIN)
kevjohn 10:14AM (7/28/2008)
Well it certainly looks safe, to be inside this cocoon of a car. I'm ASSuming it'll have cameras everywhere to make up for the fact that you won't actually be able to see out of this.
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TwinTurboVR4 5:26PM (7/28/2008)
some things should never make it to paper...
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TwinTurboVR4 10:22AM (7/28/2008)
some ideas should never make it to paper/computer screen.
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Flea 10:24AM (7/28/2008)
...and what, besides the badge, would hint at them being bimmers...? It's like they pulled out a random design and stuck the propeller badge on it.
and the external bench? you're sacrificing a whole seat inside the car to have one on the outside? So you can chill out..in the parking lot?
We have IED students walking around next to our engineering classes. They call us nerds, we call them pussies with no common sense.
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Flea 10:27AM (7/28/2008)
...and what, besides the badge, would hint at them being bimmers...? It's like they pulled out a random design and stuck the propeller badge on it.
and the external bench? you're sacrificing a whole seat inside the car to have one on the outside? So you can chill out..in the parking lot?
We have IED students walking around next to our engineering classes. They call us nerds, we call them pussies with no common sense.
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azzo45 11:14AM (7/28/2008)
So nice... you said it twice!
Flea 11:46AM (7/28/2008)
yeah, sorry, sometimes my comment doesnt show up at all so I posted twice after not seeing the first one.
MachinaDC5 10:35AM (7/28/2008)
Looks like the afterbirth of an R8.
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azzo45 11:15AM (7/28/2008)
Don't drag the R8 into this mess!!! :)
Frylock350 11:02AM (7/28/2008)
Hey look! A speed bump you can drive!
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