This official video provides a look ahead to the design-future of BMW via the 6 Series Gran Coupé concept. Anders Warming, Head of Exterior Design BMW, gives us an overview of the thought behind the exterior design of the new 6 Series Gran Coupé and a look into the future of the 6 Series and of BMW design. Well worth a view.
Official Release:
Munich. Exclusive insights into the design philosophy and development strategy of BMW are the central focus of an unusual media event at the home of the brand in Munich. At the BMW Design Night on July 21st 2010, selected media representatives will have the opportunity to take an intensive look at the fundamental principles and pioneering concepts of future automobile design. The speakers and dialogue partners presenting the event at BMW Welt in Munich are Dr. Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of BMW AG, Development and Adrian van Hooydonk, Director BMW Group Design.
Update: You can see live photos of the concept at the Chinese site feelcars.com.
Like the CS concept three years ago, BMW is introducing a entirely new concept around an entirely new market. And like the CS they’ve managed to keep it entirely secret. The Gran Coupé is BMW’s take on the four door coupé and one that foreshadows a 6 Series based four door. It’s also the next step in BMW’s design language following the stunning CS.
As we’ve reported previously BMW will be debuting the next generation 6 Series in late 2011 bring the car to market in 2012. However where things will get interesting a few years later with the launch of the production version of the Gran Coupé. We believe the four door will be marketed as a 6 Series GT (Gran Turismo) and sold at a price point above the current 5 series coming close to 7 series territory. Of course any of this could change as we saw with the CS concept but as it stands now the Gran Coupé is a product that we’ll likely see in production form in just a few years.
Official Release: With an exclusive Design Night on the evening of the first press day at Auto China in Beijing (April 23rd to May 2nd 2010), 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. In addition to highlighting the long versions of the BMW 5 Series developed specially for the Chinese market, the main focus is on an elegant 4-door vehicle with striking dynamic proportions: the BMW Concept Gran Coupé.
As has been customary in recent years BMW is debuting a concept car at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. However this year it’s looking to the past with the 328 Kamm Coupé.
Official Release: To mark its victory in the Mille Miglia 70 years ago, the Munich-based brand will bring its BMW 328 Mille Miglia Concept Coupé to Lake Como. But this will not be the only link between these two great automotive events at this year’s Concorso. Indeed, BMW Classic has once again come up with something special, bringing a car back to life which had vanished off the radar nearly 60 years ago: the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé. This racing car represents a seamless blend of function and aesthetic allure and underlines how far the development of aerodynamics and lightweight construction had progressed at BMW by this time. “We are very proud to bring this milestone in motor racing history and vehicle aerodynamics back into the public spotlight,” said Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Group Classic, ahead of the world premiere of the racing car on Lake Como. “Our tribute to the M1 at the Concorso two years ago showed how much inspiration the past can provide for the future. And the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé is an outstanding example of how far back the future at BMW stretches into the past.”
BMW has once again garnered multiple Red Dot design awards for outstanding design in the automotive sector. The new Rolls Royce Ghost won the “Best of the Best” award for exceptional design while the new 5 Series, 5 Series GT and X1 all won outstanding design awards. Also winning were two of BMW Motorrad’s finest, the 1000 RR and the F 800 R.
Official Release: The presentation of the red dot award 2010 once again provides impressive confirmation of the outstanding quality of BMW Group design. Six current models of the BMW Group will receive the internationally renowned award this year, with the new Rolls-Royce Ghost winning the special “red dot: best of the best” award for the very highest level of design quality in the category Automobiles, Transport and Caravans. Other BMW Group models to be awarded the red dot as a mark of outstanding design are the new BMW 5 Series Sedan, the BMW X1 and the motorcycle model BMW F 800 R. There were also honourable mentions from the international jury of experts for the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the motorcycle model BMW S 1000 RR. The awards will be presented at the gala held at the Aalto Theatre in Essen on July 5th 2010.
BMW’s Vision concept car continues to rack-up the accolades. The Louis Vuitton Classic Awards jury has given the car its namesake award for 2010. It’s a highly regarded honor and an important one considering the design language seen in the concept will inform BMWs for years to come.
Official Release: The concept car BMW Vision EfficientDynamics – star of the international automobile show IAA in Frankfurt 2009 – has won the Louis Vuitton Classic Award. At an evening gala in BMW Welt the chairman of the Louis Vuitton Classic Awards jury, Christian Philippsen, presented the award to Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. The prize for the best classic automobile restored true to the original went to Jon Shirley for his Alfa Romeo C2900 B Touring Berlinetta of 1938, which last year won the Trofeo BMW Group at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este by Lake Como.
Our friends over at MWerks recently sat down with BMW’s head of design Adrian van Hooydonk for a one on one interview of sorts. The interview is interesting as it discusses the current design of BMWs and some insight as to what the future may bring. There are some other facts about the man and his passions as well. It is a great read.
Excerpt from the Mwerks Interview:
MW- How will we remember the “van Hooydonk” era?
AvH- It’s too early to say. Plus, my mission is not to create a van Hooydonk era. I work for BMW, and I want to do good BMWs, good Minis, good Rolls-Royces. That’s my goal; history is written later.
MW- Which production car best exemplifies your design ethos?
AvH- I would say the new 5 Series is a good example. We are about to launch it soon; in Geneva we will show the car. The 5 Series is a very important car for BMW. It is bought by people who drive long distances, so they know what it means to drive a BMW; they like sporty driving. The 5 Series needs to express all of that, and it is really the 120% BMW. It’s what the brand stands for.
I think the design team did a good job on that car. We developed it in a way that is more elegant and more sporty at the same time. That is the essence of the BMW brand. Elegance combined with sportiness. It’s quite difficult to develop both of them. Sometimes you cam make a car more elegant but then it becomes less sporty, or you make it more sporty and it becomes less elegant. I think in the 5 Series we were able to do both.
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Sections: Design, F14 6 Series GT, Video Jul 27th, 2010 5 Comments 
