BMW Gran Turismo development gets serious

click above image for more high-res pics of the BMW CS Concept

We already knew that a production version of the CS Concept BMW debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show was in the automaker's product plans. Dubbed 'Gran Turismo', the four-door technological tour de force took a serious step toward reality today when BMW announced that Gerhard Richter, a manager at BMW M GmbH, is taking over control of the car's development. While he's adding that little bit of M flair to the Gran Turismo, Albert Biermann will be taking his place developing M models for the rest of us to enjoy.

While BMW didn't release any real details about the production version of the Gran Turismo, it did say that the car "will round the BMW product range upward as important technology carriers." That's the broken English of our translation, but you get the point. Like we said before, it'll be a technological tour de force.

[Source: BMW via Zercustoms]

PRESS RELEASE (translated from German):

Munich. Gerhard judge (55), member of the management of the BMWS M GmbH, will take over the direction of the project for the new BMW Gran Turismo starting from January 2008. This vehicle became the public for the first time as Concept study on the automobile fair in Shanghai in the spring 2007 presents. It will round the BMWS off product range upward as importanttechnology carriers. Albert Biermann (50) answered for in the future the development of the m and individual vehicles.