Autoblog

BMW Shanghai: Driving in mega cities, designing the future and more

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: China, Technology, BMW, Design/Style

The BMW enclave is a suitable mix of high-tech and throwback cool.

A few days before the Shanghai Motor Show kicked off, we were part of an international group of media that was invited to have a look at the BMW Designworks Shanghai Studio and ConnectedDrive Lab facility. The building that BMW found to house its Chinese think tank is in a lovely part of Shanghai known as the former French Concession. The late 1890s and early 1900s French architectural style, brick-paved streets and tree-lined spaces feel a world apart from the ultra-modern heart of Shanghai, and the BMW enclave is a suitable mix of high-tech and throwback cool.

We were visiting, in short, to understand just why BMW has found it important to have design and research capability in China. As it turns out, answering those questions also served to shed some light on the Chinese auto market as a whole - what it looks like today and where it's going over the next few years.

Of course, the basic idea of developing new facilities and human resources in a foreign market is to be able to better design and build cars for that market. In terms of design, this isn't a new concept. In terms of BMW design, and more specifically its DesignworksUSA team, the concept has been a reality for more than ten years now. In Shanghai, the process is just getting going, with the BMW team getting a late start, setting up shop just last year.

Continue reading BMW Shanghai: Driving in mega cities, designing the future and more

BMW Shanghai: Driving in mega cities, designing the future and more originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Is this what the production BMW i8 will look like?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Technology, BMW, Design/Style

Judging from the spy photos we've seen recently, the BMW i8 is coming along nicely. With its more realistic bodywork, the hybrid supercar is beginning to look like something that actually belongs on public streets. Now Sonny Lim, former senior designer for BMW DesignWorks, has taken a stab at what the finished product may look like via a handful of renderings.

With it's shorter wheelbase and clipped length compared to the concept, the production vehicle is rumored to tip the scales at around 3,187 pounds, or just under the concept's original weight goal. Much of that weight savings is thanks to the substantial use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the vehicle's chassis.

With the combination of an electric motor and a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, the i8 will reportedly offer buyers just under 400 horsepower and three driving modes. The driver will be able to pick between pure-electric, gasoline or a medley of both. All told, the i8 should deliver a 0-60 mph run of under 4.9 seconds with the help of both power sources.

Is this what the production BMW i8 will look like? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BMW DesignworksUSA previews updated San Francisco subway

Noah Joseph — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, BMW, Design/Style

BMW's product portfolio has expanded far beyond the sports sedans and cabriolets of old to include all manner of vehicles. But a subway train? You betcha.

As we initially reported a couple of weeks ago, San Francisco's transit authority has commissioned the BMW Group's DesignworksUSA studio to revamp the Bay Area Rapid Transit system - the city's subterranean railway, also known as BART for short. The project entails facelifting both the interior and exterior of the existing trains, as well as sprucing up the 44 stations that they service.

It's not the first time the automaker's design consultancy has been brought on board on a subway project, having performed a similar task in Warsaw, Poland, but we've now got our first glimpse at what those Bangle disciples have got in store for the bayside public transit system. Follow the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading BMW DesignworksUSA previews updated San Francisco subway

BMW DesignworksUSA previews updated San Francisco subway originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Schaffer to lead BMW's California design studio [w/VIDEO]

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: BMW, Design/Style

Click above to view the videos after the jump

BMW has announced that Laurenz Schaffer will be taking over as the president of its Newbury Park, California-based DesignworksUSA studio on December 1. Schaffer will be replacing Verena Kloos who has been running the facility for the past five years. Kloos is moving back to Germany to run Department of Context Design and Advanced Development for the Werks.

The California studio was launched in 1972 by designer Chuck Pelly and purchased by BMW in 1995. Over the years, Designworks has been responsible for products ranging from coffee makers, to HP printers to Embraer business jet interiors and yachts. They've also done some work on cars as well. The current generation Z4 and the original X5 were both born out to the California facility.

Designworks also has two smaller satellite studios in Munich and Singapore. Schaffer has actually been running the Munich studio since 2000 so he knows the people there and how they work.

Earlier this year, Kloos sat down to discuss Designworks and lead a tour of the California facility and you can check out the videos after the jump.

Continue reading Schaffer to lead BMW's California design studio [w/VIDEO]

Schaffer to lead BMW's California design studio [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Finally, a good reason to take the bus: BMW street furniture

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:58:00 EST

BMW street furniture - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW's DesignworksUSA isn't new to the furniture game, but instead of having to take a plane or buy a yacht to sample the creative firm's wares, all you need to do is... take a bus. After two years of consultations with Landscape Forms, a company specializing in outdoor site furniture, Designworks created a 7-piece selection of furniture for public transport spaces called "metro 40."

The seven pieces are broken down into categories: connect, rest, ride, collect, hi glo, lo glo, and show. Together, they cover everything you'd generally need to do at a bus stop: sit down, get under cover, lock up a bike, throw things away, and see things.

The point of the pieces is to enhance "the overall perception of inner cities with high traffic density and to convey a personal atmosphere to these particular areas." Not hard to do when the furniture outside is nicer than the furniture in your own house. But if we can make a suggestion: since it's public transport, where's the bar? You can read about metro 40 in the press release after the jump and check out the goods in the high-res gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Metro 40 by BMW DesingworksUSA and Landscape Forms

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Finally, a good reason to take the bus: BMW street furniture

Finally, a good reason to take the bus: BMW street furniture originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Ultimate Flying Machine? BMW trims out business jet

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., BMW, Lifestyle

BMW DesignworksUSA Falcon 7X business jet interior - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Thanks to its unique "ability to create designs consistent with individual brands, as exemplified by BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars," Dassault Aviation tasked BMW Group DesignworksUSA with the job of outfitting the interior of its new Falcon 7X business jet. The results were unveiled at the European business aviation community event in Geneva, and John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon, sounds pleased. "Thanks to DesignworksUSA's transportation design expertise and hard work, the new Falcon 7X interior cabin reflects our goal to define a new level of flying experience," he said of the effort.

Sounds like a winner to us. According to Verena Kloos, BMW Group DesignworksUSA President, "DesignworksUSA created the theme of "Elegance and Style fused with Function." Our concept focuses on the sensory elements of the flying experience emphasizing form follows feeling."

We're not quite sure what that means exactly, but one of the more interesting design elements has to be the lighting solution, which creates the effect of a starry night sky through the use of what appears to be little LEDs embedded in the ceiling and larger glowing orbs in the valence panels. Looks like a pretty nice place to spend some time while jet-setting between destinations. Check out the full press release after the break for more.

Gallery: BMW DesignworksUSA Falcon Jet

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading The Ultimate Flying Machine? BMW trims out business jet

The Ultimate Flying Machine? BMW trims out business jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bavaria's new Flagship: Cruiser 55 sailboat by BMW DesignworksUSA

Noah Joseph — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., BMW

Bavaria Cruiser 55 by BMW DesignworksUSA - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The term "flagship" gets thrown around a lot in the auto biz, but this time the term really fits the mold. Styled by the the automaker's design firm, the BMW DesignworksUSA Bavaria Cruiser 55 became the largest vessel in Bavaria's fleet when it launched this past weekend at the Palma Boat Show in Majorca, Spain.

Even in the rapidly reproaching disciplines of automotive design and naval architecture - recent examples of whose collaboration have included Viper-powered, Porsche-designed speedboats and a nautical Volkswagen Caddy - this isn't the first time the BMW design studio has dipped its toes in the water, having designed the Deep Blue 46 motoryacht for the same firm and the even larger 60-foot sailing vessel for Belgian shipyard Zeydon. This latest design benefits from lessons learned in automotive design, while incorporating some of the latest features in naval architecture. Follow the jump to read more in the press release and click the thumbnails below to view the images in high resolution.

Gallery: Bavaria Cruiser 55 by BMW DesignworksUSA

Continue reading Bavaria's new Flagship: Cruiser 55 sailboat by BMW DesignworksUSA

Bavaria's new Flagship: Cruiser 55 sailboat by BMW DesignworksUSA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BMW DesignWorksUSA designs ultimate gaming rig

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, BMW, Lifestyle

Click above to enlarge

About a decade ago, pretty much every computer in the world was housed in a boring beige box, and the biggest design question was whether that container would sit vertically or horizontally. That's all changed now, partly due to the influence of Apple and custom PC manufacturers like Thermaltake, a Taiwanese company that specializes in PC cases and cooling devices.

Recently, Thermaltake contracted BMW DesignWorksUSA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German automaker, to help create a new concept in high-end computing, and the result is wholly different from what's common to the market today. Instead of centering around one large box that all the computer components would sit inside, BMW's Level 10 concept uses a set of smaller containers that would house each individual piece.

The requisite ~~LCD~~ LED lighting is present and accounted for, in this case glowing a red hue that looks Vader-esque with the rest of its piano black plastic surrounds. This design is mostly an aesthetic exercise, but it may also have a desirable effect on cooling. Other unique features include a "USB memory key" that doubles as a power button and dual handles that allow the unit to be transported. See the official press release after the break.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW DesignWorksUSA designs ultimate gaming rig

BMW DesignWorksUSA designs ultimate gaming rig originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Zeydon builds the BMW of yachts

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, BMW, Toys/Games, Lifestyle

Much like its Porsche Design counterpart, there isn't really anything BMW DesignWorks won't try to make better, from an espresso machine to a custom interior for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. So it was only a matter of time before they put pen to paper and created a yacht, this particular example being a 60-foot offshore performance sailboat for the Zeydon boatyard of Belgium.

Meant, as with any BMW, to be just almost everything to almost everyone, the yacht, christened "WYSIWYG," is a regatta-oriented sailer as fast as it is luxurious. And no, your eyes don't deceive you: it's blue. Why? Because according to the heads of Zeydon, "it perfectly communicates the characteristics that determine our corporate identity: progressiveness, originality, courage, strict authenticity and infinite emotion." And it's got wooden racing stripes. Click the image at right for a high-res version and follow the jump for the press release.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Zeydon builds the BMW of yachts

Zeydon builds the BMW of yachts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Another take on the MINI SUV

Erin Mays — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, BMW, Mini

Just as MINI is ramping up to launch the Clubman wagon in addition to its current lineup for 2008, rumors are flying about a possible MINI compact sport utility vehicle, reportedly inspired by the Austin Ant and MINI Moke, dunebuggy-ish off-roaders originally designed for the British military. BMW's California DesignWorks studio is apparently already working on a design, and production would likely take place in the U.S. at BMW's Spartanburg plant. It would include BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive and rumor has it that the CUV would actually be based on the same platform as the BMW 1-Series.

Thanks to the Spartanburg plant's flexible manufacturing system, the CUV would be right at home next to the BMW X5 and Z4 roadster models, odd as that may sound.

Click through to the link to see a concept drawing of the MINI SUV and some spy photos of the Clubman.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Another take on the MINI SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments